PALM COAST, Fla., Jan. 20, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ACI, a leading innovator in technology for the mortgage valuation industry, announced today its integration with S.M.A.R.T.™ (Statistical Market Analysis in Real Time). The cutting-edge tool provided by the LSI Division of Lender Processing Services, Inc. (LPS) enables ACI appraisers to interact with local multiple listing service (MLS) data in a unique graphical environment that empowers real estate appraisers to better use their analytical skills to identify and report on activity in the local market. In addition to auto-populating the 1004 Market Conditions Addendum, the integration provides the appraiser with the ability to import several charts and graphs to further support the final reconciliation.
S.M.A.R.T. is available for download to existing ACI appraisers with an active premier service agreement. Through a special arrangement with LSI, ACI appraisers can now access S.M.A.R.T. on a pay-as-you-go basis using ChoiceCredits™. Highlights of the new product integration include:
- Easily Import MLS Data to the 1004 Market Conditions Addendum — S.M.A.R.T. will import active, expired, pending, withdrawn, and sold listings directly from MLS systems using neighborhood boundaries defined by the user. Where data is available, the system auto-populates the 1004 Market Conditions Addendum, allowing for additional efficiency for appraisers.
- Visually Enhance Charts and Graphs — S.M.A.R.T. allows users to interact with powerful color charts and create custom reports. These visual references bring advancements in MLS data import and manipulation that are available only in the S.M.A.R.T. interface.
"The integration between ACI and S.M.A.R.T. facilitates the adoption of market analysis tools at the right point within the process — in the hands of the appraiser. S.M.A.R.T. enables ACI appraisers to interact with market data in an exciting and eye-opening manner," said George Opelka, senior vice president, ACI.
Currently, S.M.A.R.T. has direct links to major MLS systems across the country, including Rapatonni, FlexMLS, MLXchange, Tempo, RExplorer, Navica, and Paragon. Additional MLS providers can typically be added quickly upon request.
"We are excited that ACI has incorporated S.M.A.R.T. into its lineup of advanced tools for appraisers. The product provides a new level of expertise for appraisers to assess the market and will afford efficiency and the ability to drill down to levels not previously available with other data import and analytical services," said John Holbrook, vice president of the LSI Division of LPS.
ACI is offering introductory savings on S.M.A.R.T. Interested parties can contact ACI Sales at 1-800-234-8727 or visit www.AppraisersChoice.com for more information.
About Lender Processing Services
Lender Processing Services, Inc. (LPS) is a leading provider of integrated technology and services to the mortgage and real estate industries. LPS offers solutions that span the mortgage continuum, including lead generation, origination, workflow automation (desktop), servicing, portfolio retention, and default, augmented by the company's award-winning customer support and professional services. Approximately 50 percent of all U.S. mortgages by dollar volume are serviced using LPS's Mortgage Servicing Package (MSP). LPS also offers proprietary mortgage and real estate data and analytics for the mortgage and capital markets industries. For more information about LPS, visit www.lpsvcs.com.
About ACI
ACI, a pioneer in crafting technology solutions for the mortgage valuation community, has gained industrywide recognition and support from leaders in the field. ACI's highly scalable appraisal solutions are tailored to the needs of the organizations ACI serves. The ACI client base features many of North America's premier lenders, national appraisal companies, and real estate brokerage firms. From connecting appraisers nationwide to streamlining quality control, the flexibility ACI provides gives organizations the means for processing appraisals and managing exceptions in a consistent and efficient manner.
Headquartered in Palm Coast, Florida, ACI's management and development team garners the type of experience coveted by decision makers responsible for bringing synergy to their daily workflows and processes. ACI is a division of Verisk Analytics.
About Verisk Analytics
Verisk Analytics is a leading provider of information about risk to professionals in insurance, healthcare, mortgage, government, and risk management. Using advanced technologies to collect and analyze billions of records, Verisk Analytics draws on vast industry expertise and unique proprietary data sets to provide predictive analytics and decision-support solutions in fraud prevention, actuarial science, insurance coverages, fire protection, catastrophe and weather risk, data management, and many other fields. In the United States and around the world, Verisk Analytics helps customers protect people, property, and financial assets. For more information, visit www.verisk.com.