Fund News and Alerts

Paralegals, Legal Assistants, and Title Agents—join us in St. Augustine for Affiliate Day: best-in-class legal education, networking, vendors, and fun.. This year’s program features accredited sessions, a vendor expo, and lots of opportunities for attendees to mix and mingle. Registration Ends Oct. 24 for St. Augustine!  Register Now

10/15/2025

The Recertification Survey includes questions about your office’s practices relating to trust or escrow accounting, office controls, and real estate transaction practices and procedures. Complete the Recertification Survey Now

10/10/2025

Real estate fraud is on the rise, posing serious risks to buyers, sellers, and other industry professionals alike. From forged documents to identity theft and wire diversion, the real estate market is facing increasingly sophisticated threats that demand heightened awareness and fortified security protocols. This article introduces a simple yet powerful framework: Don’t Be a ‘Fraud Magnet.’ Fund Members are the frontline in safeguarding closings. This article outlines a two-tiered strategic approach to combat real estate fraud: establishing minimum standards (SECURITY) and adopting enhanced, strongly recommended standards (PROTECT) to reinforce defenses against increasingly sophisticated threats further. Read the article

10/01/2025

By: Frederick W. Jones, Past President, Attorneys’ Real Estate Councils of Florida

Notice to Florida Residential Real Estate Attorneys – UPDATE

Re: Florida Realtor®–Attorney Joint Committee Appointments for the 2026–2027 Term
Deadline for Submitting Applications to The Florida Bar is October 27, 2025! 

09/04/2025

The Attorneys’ Real Estate Council of Palm Beach County sponsored a novel event – Real Estate Professionals Night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on July 24.  

09/04/2025

Fund Senior Manager, Legal Education, Michael Rothman presented Real Estate Agents Guide to Florida’s Condo Safety Laws Post Surfside to the Central Panhandle Association of Realtors® on June 10, and again to the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors® on August 7.  

09/04/2025

Do you save the day by saving deals? If you are, then you need to visit the Marketing resource page. We shared some of these resources at the Florida Realtors® Convention & Trade Show and you can too, so check it out today and add a little superpower to your marketing.  

09/04/2025

As the saying goes, “death and taxes are the only two certain things in life.” This adage holds true in Florida, particularly when it comes to real estate transactions. The Florida documentary stamp tax, referred to here as the “stamp tax,” is an excise tax applied to certain documents related to real estate transactions, as outlined in Ch. 201, F.S. The stamp tax primarily affects real estate transactions in two areas — deeds and mortgages. However, there are plenty of other instances where the stamp tax can be triggered, which will be further explored in this article. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the basic principles behind the stamp tax, determine what documents are subject to it, and provide resources for further research. Read the article

09/02/2025

Before you dive into closing software demos or pricing, think about how you do business.  Which features are essential? What functionality is “nice but not necessary”? What could improve your process?

The "Choosing Your Closing Software Buyer's Guide" includes questions to help you learn more about what each software offers your practice.

08/21/2025

The terms good title, marketable title, void and voidable title are often used when referring to the status of title to real property. Good title is an implied condition of a contract for the sale of land in that the seller must convey good, marketable title with no encumbrances. As a result, it’s important to recognize and understand the distinction between void and voidable title, and its impact on the marketability of the title and the issuance of a title policy. This article provides an overview of what constitutes void and voidable title, as well as the insuring guidelines that must be considered when dealing with a void or voidable title. Read the article

08/01/2025