AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 12, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — FirstClose™, a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for home equity and mortgage lenders nationwide, today announced a strategic alliance with Cotality™, a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider that supports 80% of real estate transactions in North America. Together, the companies are delivering an integrated home equity lending platform designed to help banks, credit unions and independent mortgage banks (IMBs) deliver a streamlined borrower experience and close home equity loans in as little as seven days.

FirstClose logo

Image caption: FirstClose logo.

The alliance builds on a longstanding relationship between FirstClose and Cotality and expands that collaboration through deeper integration between FirstClose’s enterprise software platform and Cotality’s nationwide property intelligence, valuation, flood, property condition, tax, title and property data services capabilities. By combining FirstClose’s point-of-sale (POS) and order management system (OMS) technology with Cotality’s data and workflow capabilities, lenders can manage the entire home equity origination process within a single workflow from application and automated decisioning through valuation, title, closing and funding, with automated ordering and fulfillment for each service along the way.

The platform also integrates many of the industry’s leading loan origination systems (LOS). It helps eliminate duplicate data entry while automatically populating key borrower, property and closing information throughout the origination process. Integrated workflows and document synchronization help lenders reduce manual touchpoints, minimize reliance on disconnected third-party vendors and improve operational efficiency across both front-end and back-end systems.

In addition to streamlining origination workflows, the new integration enables lenders to leverage property and portfolio intelligence and identify potential home equity opportunities within their existing customer base. By combining borrower, property and valuation insights within a unified workflow, lenders can improve portfolio retention efforts, support more proactive borrower engagement and create a more data-driven home equity origination strategy.

The integrated offering is designed to reduce operational friction, eliminate disconnected vendor processes and improve speed-to-close for lenders looking to compete more effectively in today’s evolving home equity market, while providing end-to-end visibility across the origination workflow.

“Home equity lenders are under pressure to deliver a faster and more seamless borrower experience without increasing operational complexity,” said Tedd Smith, CEO of FirstClose. “Our relationship with Cotality brings together best-in-class property intelligence, workflow automation and integrated data tools to help lenders modernize originations and achieve a true seven-day close. At the same time, we’re helping lenders, particularly IMBs and credit unions, expand access to home equity products through a more flexible and scalable delivery model.”

Cotality’s property intelligence platform includes nationwide property records, ownership history, valuation data, lien information, tax records, flood determinations, property condition insights and analytics covering more than 99% of U.S. residential properties. Integrated directly into the FirstClose platform, lenders gain real-time access to the information and services needed to originate and close home equity loans more efficiently.

“Our collaboration with FirstClose reflects a shared commitment to putting people first by delivering a smoother, more intuitive home equity lending process through a more intelligent workflow,” said Adam Krahn, vice president of mortgage strategy and alliances at Cotality. “We’re helping lenders make quicker, more informed decisions that protect their business while elevating the customer experience. As demand for home equity lending surges, combining FirstClose’s seamless platform with Cotality’s premier data and solutions will be essential for lenders looking to scale efficiently, simplify their operations and build stronger, more trusting relationships with the homeowners they serve.”

The integrated platform is currently available for deployment across FirstClose and Cotality client organizations. To learn more, visit https://hubs.ly/Q04zKqgZ0.

ABOUT FIRSTCLOSE

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, FirstClose, Inc. provides fintech solutions to home equity and mortgage lenders nationwide. The company’s mission is to increase profitability and reduce costs for mortgage lenders. FirstClose makes this possible through offering systems and relationships that enable lenders to assist their borrowers more effectively, reduce closing costs and ultimately shorten closing times. For more information, visit https://www.firstclose.com/.

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MEDIA ONLY CONTACT:
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Lindsey Neal
Depth for FirstClose
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News Source: FirstClose

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