Short Answer: Usually MISMO is required for online title closings.
Medium Answer: Although not required, many Title Houses and Lenders prefer or require Online Notarization platforms to go through their approval process. This can be seen here in an interview with EmClosings founder Emily Garcia (EmClosings is a Nationwide Closing Service).
(Here you can view the full EmClosings interview)
Long Answer: MISMO, which stands for the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization, is a not-for-profit subsidiary of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). MISMO was essentially established to develop a common data language for the U.S. mortgage industry.
Here are some of the key points to know about MISMO:
Standards Development:
MISMO is responsible for developing and maintaining standards for exchanging information and conducting business in the mortgage industry. These standards aim to streamline processes, improve data accuracy, and reduce costs.
Industry CollaboratioN
MISMO brings together a wide range of industry participants, including lenders, services, vendors, and other stakeholders, to collaborate on developing these standards.
Remote Online Notarization (RON)
MISMO has also been involved in creating standards for RON, which is a way to conduct notary services electronically and remotely, something especially useful in today’s digital age.
MISMO Adoption:
While MISMO standards are voluntary, they have been widely adopted throughout the mortgage industry because they help organizations interact more effectively and reduce the risk of data errors.
Is MISMO Required for Loan Closings Online Conclusions?
In essence, MISMO’s efforts are geared towards ensuring consistent and secure data exchange within the mortgage industry, facilitating smoother transactions and integrations among different players in the field.
“Do Title Companies Require MISMO?” Video Transcript:
You can view the full transcript from the above video below:
Emily:
We had another, we had a signing once it was, it was seller.
They were in Spain, they were foreigners. I think, but anyway, there was like two title companies working on the same file. And with one of the title companies, they weren’t my client. I guess they were the closing agent on the file. And but I wasn’t in communication with them. I was in communication with an attorney that is my client.
And I asked, hey, are notaries use BlueNotary? Is that okay? Title underwriters have very strict requirements. Some only want NotaryCam. Some, have a little more flexibility. And she said, yeah, that’s totally fine. And then I guess the other title company on file never used Blue Notary.
And then the title underwriter, I guess they never heard of BlueNotary either. And we don’t know if we can accept this because we’ve never heard of this platform. Are they, what was it? It was some kind of certification. MISMO approved. MISMO, MISMO approved. And I had to Google it and I saw that BlueNotary is MISMO-approved.
Sent them the link. I’m like, yes, BlueNotary is MISMO approved. Yeah. I didn’t even know that certification was needed for certain underwriters. You guys have that it’s amazing because I can now tell my clients, Hey, BlueNotary is MISMO approved. Yes. You’re in good hands. It should be, it should be fine.
So yeah.
Katie:
Yeah. Yeah. And MISMO is a little bit of a certification that real estate groups use as a standard. And so I think it’s every year we go through a different certification to get re-certified saying that we’re MISMO approved. So yes, we are MISMO-approved.
Emily:
Yeah, and that’s amazing. I found that on my own. I had to Google it because they asked me, I’m like, are they MISMO approved? But the thing is, the attorney told me it was okay. So I have to I Googled it and I sent it to them. Yes, MISMO approved. And they were going to re-sign the whole signing with another platform.
“No, no, no, no, you should, you should be okay”.
Katie:
Yeah. I have that sometimes too, where I have people ask okay, what platforms are you using? Is it MISMO-approved and stuff like that? And so at least if there is someone that is using us. We are MISMO improved. I can see about adding a link or just if you just Google BlueNotary MISMO you’ll see that.
we are, I did send it to that client and it saved everything. I don’t have to resign everything.
Discover the Power of BlueNotary:
Integrate your Business, Title Company, or Law Firm to Satisfy your Customers and Decrease Turnaround
Get a document Notarized/Sign-up
Join the Remote Online Notary Masterminds Facebook Group
FAQ
Q1. What is MISMO?
MISMO stands for Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization, a subsidiary of the Mortgage Bankers Association, which develops standards for the U.S. mortgage industry to streamline processes.
Q2. Is MISMO required for online title closings?
MISMO is not required but is often preferred by many Title Houses and Lenders for online notarization platforms to ensure secure and standardized data exchange. Online signatures, facilitated by these platforms, must also adhere to these standards to maintain security and legality.
Q3. How does MISMO benefit the mortgage industry?
MISMO standards improve data accuracy, streamline processes, and reduce costs by enabling better collaboration among lenders, services, vendors, and other industry stakeholders.
Q4. Why do title companies ask if BlueNotary is MISMO approved?
Title companies often require MISMO certification to ensure the online notarization platform meets industry standards, providing assurance of secure and reliable transactions.
