First American and HUD Secretary Scott Turner Highlight Solutions for Housing Supply, Digital Transformation and Protecting American Homeowners

Senior federal housing officials and title industry leaders convened Thursday at the National Press Club for "Owning Tomorrow: Innovating, Protecting & Advancing Homeownership," an executive forum hosted by First American Financial Corporation to address practical solutions for housing affordability, transaction security, and supply bottlenecks nationwide.

The morning forum featured a keynote fireside conversation between U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner and First American Chief Executive Officer Mark Seaton. The discussion focused on lowering barriers to entry for first-time buyers, cutting regulatory costs, and safeguarding real estate transactions against cyber fraud and deed theft.

"It was a pleasure to join the First American Leadership Conference for a fruitful conversation about our shared priority: putting the American Dream of homeownership back within reach for hardworking Americans. At HUD, we are addressing barriers to construction, modernizing the FHA partial-claims process, and expanding results-driven initiatives like Opportunity Zones to make it easier for builders to build and American buyers to buy," said HUD Secretary Turner.

During the executive dialogue, First American CEO Mark Seaton highlighted the necessity of modernizing the mortgage and title process while strengthening protections against digital fraud schemes targeting closing transactions.

"Buying a home remains one of the most consequential financial decisions Americans make. Our industry has embraced the opportunity to make the experience simpler, more efficient and more secure," said Mark Seaton, CEO of First American Financial Corporation. "Technology reduces friction in the home-buying process, but innovation and consumer protection must advance together. By bringing the public and private sectors together, we can help strengthen the housing ecosystem, while protecting the property rights at the heart of homeownership."

U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, left, and First American Financial Corp. CEO Mark Seaton.

The convening opened with an expert panel discussion titled "Build It. Finance It. Digitize It.," featuring Ginnie Mae President Joseph M. Gormley, First American Title Insurance Company President Sally French Tyler, and American Land Title Association (ALTA) Chief Executive Officer Chris Morton.

Key takeaways from the panel included:

• Build It: Panelists examined construction bottlenecks and supply shortages, identifying factory-built, modular, and innovative construction methods, alongside local zoning regulatory relief, as critical mechanisms to bring affordable starter homes to market.

• Finance It: Leaders reviewed liquidity mechanisms and mortgage-modernization initiatives, including the adoption of updated credit score models and streamlined FHA partial-claim payoff processes through HUD's SMART Integrated Portal (SIP) to maintain stability for existing homeowners.

• Digitize It: Panelists assessed the nationwide adoption of digital closings, electronic notarization, and automated title data, emphasizing that digital efficiency must be anchored by stringent transaction verification standards across lenders, settlement agents, and consumers.

About First American

First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF) is a premier provider of title, settlement, and risk solutions for real estate transactions. With its combination of financial strength and stability built over more than 135 years, innovative proprietary technologies, and unmatched data assets, the company is leading the digital transformation of its industry. First American also provides data products to the title industry and other third parties; valuation products and services; mortgage subservicing; home warranty products; banking, trust and wealth management services; and other related products and services. With total revenue of $7.5 billion in 2025, the company offers its products and services directly and through its agents throughout the United States and abroad. In 2026, First American was named one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For by Great Place to Work^® and Fortune Magazine for the eleventh consecutive year. More information about the company can be found at www.firstam.com.

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