A general theme is emerging in the mortgage market in 2013 — namely that everything has changed, someone has moved the cheese and companies are scrambling like rats to find it again.

But firms such as Nationwide Title Clearing Inc. – a lien release and document retrieval firm for the residential mortgage industry – refuse to panic over the changes.

In an article published today, the firm’s CEO John Hillman insists there is a simple solution to the industry’s woes – education and then more education on top of that.

Consider yourselves university graduates now heading onto grad school to learn more, especially if you work in compliance. 

Hillman is apparently echoing the sentiments of Oscar Wilde who once said, “You can never be overdressed or overeducated.”

In a mortgage market where the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is constantly tweaking parts of the qualified mortgage rule and other servicing and lending provisions set to go live next year – education and follow-up cannot be stressed enough.

So if you’re in a heavily regulated environment and are on the servicing side, or like Nationwide Title Clearing work in lien release, what do you do?

Hillman says you train your employees and do so thoroughly. The desired result is becoming more competitive in a space where everyone has a question, and you have all the answers.

“All companies in the mortgage industry are in the same boat, but few are using the regulatory onslaught to become more competitive,” said Hillman. “By taking advantage of the changes rather than resisting them, companies can succeed in turning a risk into a benefit. Generating a better understanding of industry regulations is the key to maintaining proper processes.”

Hillman stresses conference attendance and ongoing training to keep 350-plus employees knowledgeable about every change.

Click here to read Hillman’s full assessment.