Item 1. Business
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
The Company
Altisource ® is an integrated service provider and marketplace for the real estate and mortgage industries. Combining operational excellence with a suite of innovative services and technologies, Altisource helps solve the demands of the ever-changing markets we serve.
We are publicly traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “ASPS.” We are organized under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
We have prepared our consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).
This is the first Annual Report on Form 10-K we are filing as a smaller reporting company within the meaning of Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. As a smaller reporting company, we may choose to comply with certain scaled or non-scaled financial and non-financial disclosure requirements on an item by item basis.
The Company operates with one reportable segment (total Company). Our principal revenue generating activities are as follows:
Core Businesses
Field Services
• Property preservation and inspection services and vendor management oversight software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) platform
Marketplace
• Hubzu ® online real estate auction platform, real estate auction, real estate brokerage and asset management
• Equator ® , a SaaS-based technology to manage real estate owned (“REO”), short sales, foreclosure, bankruptcy and eviction processes
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Mortgage and Real Estate Solutions
• Mortgage loan fulfillment, certification and certification insurance services and technologies
• Title insurance (as an agent) and settlement services
• Real estate valuation services
• Residential and commercial construction inspection and risk mitigation services
• Management of the Best Partners Mortgage Cooperative, Inc., doing business as Lenders One ® (“Lenders One”), mortgage banking cooperative
• Foreclosure trustee services
• Business services
Other Businesses
Earlier Stage Business
• Pointillist ® customer journey analytics platform (sold on December 1, 2021, see Corporate and Financial Highlights for more detail)
Other
• Commercial loan servicing technology
We classify revenue in three categories: service revenue, revenue from reimbursable expenses and non-controlling interests. In evaluating our performance, we focus on service revenue. Service revenue consists of amounts attributable to our fee-based services. Reimbursable expenses and non-controlling interests are pass-through items for which we earn no margin. Reimbursable expenses consist of amounts we incur on behalf of our customers in performing our fee-based services that we pass directly on to our customers without a markup. Non-controlling interests represent the earnings of Lenders One. Lenders One is a mortgage cooperative managed, but not owned, by Altisource. The Lenders One members’ earnings are included in revenue and reduced from net income to arrive at net income attributable to Altisource.
2021 Highlights
Corporate and Financial
• Ended 2021 with $98.1 million of cash and cash equivalents, a 68% increase from December 31, 2020
• On December 1, 2021 Altisource sold all of its equity interest in Pointillist, Inc. (“Pointillist”). Altisource received approximately $106.0 million from the sale of its Pointillist equity and the collection of outstanding receivables, with $102.2 million received at closing, approximately $0.3 million deposited into the Working Capital Escrow and approximately $3.5 million deposited into the Indemnification Escrow. We recognized a pre-tax and after-tax gain of $88.9 million from the sale
• The Company reduced 2021 cash operating costs (excluding outside fees and services) by $49.3 million, representing a 25% reduction from 2020
• The Company announced on July 29, 2021 that it was evaluating ways to enhance shareholder value with the Origination business, including the potential for a divestiture, joint venture, third party investment in or other strategic transaction. Altisource recently concluded this process and, after exploring a range of alternatives, determined that it is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to retain and further invest in the business. The Company believes that the Origination business’s unique distribution engine and strong growth prospects will be a significant catalyst to create value for shareholders
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Business Highlights
• Hubzu referrals in 2021 were 30% higher than 2020, including a 62% increase in foreclosure referrals and a 6% decrease in REO referrals. As of December 31, 2021 Hubzu inventory was over 6,300 homes, representing a 27% increase compared to December 31, 2020, including a 67% increase in foreclosure inventory and a 5% decrease in REO inventory
• Service revenue from our Origination business grew by 11% in 2021 to $58.0 million compared to 2020 and Lenders One membership grew by 13% to 251 members over the same period
• The Company launched a tri-merge credit report solution and other related products required to manufacture a loan which include verification of employment, income and assets and undisclosed debt notification
• The Company launched the Lenders One Loan Automation technology (“LOLA”). LOLA is an internally developed technology solution designed to make it easier for Lenders One members to order and receive our solutions through a single point of entry and automate loan manufacturing processes to improve Lenders One members’ operational efficiency and reduce costs
• On May 5, 2021 Altisource entered into an agreement with Ocwen Financial Corporation (together with its subsidiaries, “Ocwen”) that extended the terms of certain services agreements from August 2025 through August 2030 and expanded the scope of solutions to include, among others, the opportunity for the Company to provide first and second chance foreclosure auctions on Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”) loans, field services on Ocwen’s FHA, Veterans Affairs and United States Department of Agriculture loans (collectively, “Government Loans”), and title services on FHA and Veterans Affairs loans, subject to a process to confirm Altisource’s ability to meet reasonable performance requirements
Customers
Overview
Our customers include large financial institutions, government-sponsored enterprises (“GSEs”), banks, asset managers, servicers, investors, originators and correspondent lenders and mortgage bankers.
Customer Concentration
Ocwen
Ocwen is a residential mortgage loan servicer of mortgage servicing rights (“MSRs”) it owns, including those MSRs in which others have an economic interest, and a subservicer of MSRs owned by others.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, Ocwen was our largest customer, accounting for 31% of our total revenue. Ocwen purchases certain mortgage services from us under the terms of services agreements and amendments thereto (collectively, the “Ocwen Services Agreements”) with terms extending through August 2030. Certain of the Ocwen Services Agreements contain a “most favored nation” provision and also grant the parties the right to renegotiate pricing, among other things.
Revenue from Ocwen primarily consists of revenue earned from the loan portfolios serviced and subserviced by Ocwen when Ocwen engages us as the service provider, and revenue earned directly from Ocwen, pursuant to the Ocwen Services Agreements. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we recognized revenue from Ocwen of $55.6 million and $197.8 million, respectively. Revenue from Ocwen as a percentage of consolidated revenue was 31% and 54% for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
We earn additional revenue related to the portfolios serviced and subserviced by Ocwen when a party other than Ocwen or the MSR owner selects Altisource as the service provider. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we recognized $9.5 million and $23.8 million, respectively, of such revenue. These amounts are not included in deriving revenue from Ocwen and revenue from Ocwen as a percentage of revenue discussed above.
During the second quarter of 2020, Ocwen informed us that an MSR investor instructed Ocwen to use a field services provider other than Altisource on properties associated with certain MSRs. Based upon the impacted portfolios and the designated service provider, Altisource believes that Ocwen received these directions from New Residential Investment Corp. (individually, together with one or more of its subsidiaries or one or more of its subsidiaries individually, “NRZ”). We believe Ocwen commenced using another field services provider for these properties in July 2020 and continued to transition services during the third quarter of 2020. We believe that the transition to the replacement field service provider was largely completed as of September 30, 2020. We estimate that $0.5 million and $70.1 million of service revenue from Ocwen for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, was derived from Field Services referrals from the NRZ portfolios. Ocwen also communicated to Altisource in the fourth quarter of 2020 that the same investor instructed Ocwen to use a provider for default valuations and certain default title services other than Altisource on properties associated with such certain MSRs and
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commenced moving these referrals to other service providers in the fourth quarter of 2020, with the bulk of such transition occurring during 2021. We anticipate that the transition of such default valuations and title services will continue during the course of 2022. We estimate that $2.9 million and $18.2 million of service revenue from Ocwen for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, was derived from default valuations and title services referrals from the NRZ portfolios. To address the reduction in revenue, Altisource undertook several measures to further reduce its cost structure, strengthen its operations and generate cash.
On May 5, 2021 we entered into an agreement with Ocwen (the “Agreement”) pursuant to which the terms of certain services agreements between us and Ocwen were extended from August 2025 through August 2030 and the scope of solutions we provide to Ocwen was expanded to include, among other things, the opportunity for the Company to provide first and second chance foreclosure auctions on Government Loans, and title services on FHA and Veterans Affairs loans, subject to a process to confirm Altisource’s ability to meet reasonable performance requirements, which process is continuing. The Agreement established a framework for us to expand the foreclosure trustee solutions we provide to Ocwen in additional states, and, as mutually agreed upon by the parties, to deliver reverse mortgage related solutions to Ocwen, subject to negotiation of appropriate statements of work or other agreements, a process to confirm Altisource’s ability to meet reasonable performance requirements, and technical integrations, as may be applicable. The Agreement further resolved the contractual dispute between the parties related to Ocwen’s transfer to NRZ the rights to designate service providers other than Altisource, including mutual releases with respect to such dispute. The Agreement also addressed Ocwen’s rights in the event of certain change of control or sale of a business transactions by us on or after September 1, 2028. Since the date of the Agreement, Ocwen has transitioned over 2,300 of its foreclosure auction inventory on Government Loans to us and increased our percentage of field services referrals on its Government Loans.
As of December 31, 2021, accounts receivable from Ocwen totaled $3.0 million, $2.8 million of which was billed and $0.2 million of which was unbilled. As of December 31, 2020, accounts receivable from Ocwen totaled $5.9 million, $5.1 million of which was billed and $0.8 million of which was unbilled.
NRZ
NRZ is a real estate investment trust that invests in and manages investments primarily related to residential real estate, including MSRs and excess MSRs.
Ocwen has disclosed that NRZ is its largest client. As of December 31, 2021 approximately 21% of loans serviced and subserviced by Ocwen (measured in unpaid principal balance (“UPB”)) were related to NRZ MSRs or rights to MSRs. In July 2017 and January 2018, Ocwen and NRZ entered into a series of agreements pursuant to which the parties agreed, among other things, to undertake certain actions to facilitate the transfer from Ocwen to NRZ of Ocwen’s legal title to certain of its MSRs (the “Subject MSRs”) and under which Ocwen will subservice mortgage loans underlying the MSRs for an initial term of five years, subject to early termination rights.
On August 28, 2017, Altisource, through its licensed subsidiaries, entered into a Cooperative Brokerage Agreement, as amended, and related letter agreement (collectively, the “Brokerage Agreement”) with NRZ which extends through August 2025. Under this agreement and related amendments, Altisource remains the exclusive provider of brokerage services for REO associated with the Subject MSRs, irrespective of the subservicer, subject to certain limitations. NRZ’s brokerage subsidiary receives a cooperative brokerage commission on the sale of REO properties from these portfolios subject to certain exceptions.
The Brokerage Agreement may be terminated by NRZ upon the occurrence of certain specified events. Termination events include, but are not limited to, a breach of the terms of the Brokerage Agreement (including, without limitation, the failure to meet performance standards and non-compliance with law in a material respect), the failure to maintain licenses which failure materially prevents performance of the contract, regulatory allegations of non-compliance resulting in an adversarial proceeding against NRZ, voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy, appointment of a receiver, disclosure in a Form 10-K or Form 10-Q that there is significant uncertainty about Altisource’s ability to continue as a going concern, failure to maintain a specified level of cash and an unapproved change of control.
For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we recognized revenue from NRZ of $3.1 million and $8.6 million, respectively, under the Brokerage Agreement. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we recognized additional revenue of $13.6 million and $35.1 million, respectively, relating to the Subject MSRs when a party other than NRZ selects Altisource as the service provider.
Other
Our services are provided to customers predominantly located in the United States.
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Sales and Marketing
Our sales and marketing team has extensive relationship management and industry experience. These individuals cultivate and maintain relationships throughout the industry sectors we serve. We sell our suite of services to mortgage servicers, mortgage originators, GSEs, buyers and sellers of homes for investment use and financial services firms.
Our primary sales and marketing focus areas are to:
• Expand relationships with existing customers by cross-selling additional services and growing the volume of existing services we provide. We believe our customer relationships represent meaningful growth opportunities for us; and
• Develop new customer relationships by leveraging our comprehensive suite of services, performance and controls. We believe there are meaningful growth opportunities to sell our suite of services to new customers.
Given the highly regulated nature of the industries that we serve and the comprehensive purchasing process that our institutional customers and prospects follow, the time and effort we spend in expanding relationships or winning new relationships is significant. For example, it can often take more than one year from the request for proposal or qualified lead stage to the selection of Altisource as a service provider. Furthermore, following the selection of Altisource, it is not unusual for it to take an additional six to twelve months or more to negotiate the services agreement(s), complete the implementation procedures and begin receiving referrals.
Intellectual Property and Data
We rely on a combination of contractual restrictions, internal security practices, patents, trademarks and copyrights to establish and protect our trade secrets, intellectual property, software, technology and expertise. We also own or, as we deem necessary and appropriate, have obtained licenses from third parties to intellectual property relating to our services, processes and businesses. These intellectual property rights are important factors in the success of our businesses.
As of December 31, 2021, we have been awarded two patents that expire in 2023, one patent that expires in 2024, seven patents that expire in 2025, three patents that expire in 2026, one patent that expires in 2027, two patents that expire in 2029, one patent that expires in 2030 and one patent that expires in 2036. In addition, we have registered trademarks in a number of jurisdictions including the United States, the European Union (“EU”), India and five other jurisdictions. These trademarks generally can be renewed indefinitely, provided they are being used in commerce.
We actively protect our rights and intend to continue our policy of taking the measures we deem reasonable and necessary to develop and protect our patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and other intellectual property rights.
In addition, we may make use of data in connection with certain of our services. This data generally relates to mortgage information, real property information and consumer information. We gather this data from a variety of third party sources, including from governmental entities and, subject to licensed usage rights, we use this data in connection with the delivery of our services, including combining it with proprietary data we generate to further enhance data and metrics in connection with our services.
Market and Competition
We sell our suite of services to mortgage servicers, mortgage originators, GSEs, buyers and sellers of homes for investment use and financial services firms. The mortgage and real estate markets are very large and are influenced by macroeconomic factors such as credit availability, interest rates, home prices, inflation, unemployment rates, consumer confidence and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The markets to provide services for mortgage servicers and mortgage originators are highly competitive and generally consist of national companies, in-house providers and a large number of regional and local providers. We typically compete based upon product and service awareness and offerings, product performance and service delivery, quality and control environment, technology integration and support, price and financial strength.
The markets to provide services for buyers and sellers of homes for investment are highly competitive and generally consist of several national companies, a large number of regional and local providers and start-up companies. We typically compete based upon product and service awareness and offerings, product performance and service delivery, ease of transacting, price and personal service.
Our competitors may have greater financial resources, brand recognition, alternative or disruptive products and technology and other competitive advantages. We cannot determine our market share with certainty, but believe for mortgage servicers we have a modest share of the market, and for the others we have a relatively small market share.
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Employees
As of December 31, 2021, we had the following number of employees:
United States India Uruguay Luxembourg Consolidated Altisource
Total employees 437 1,516 63 8 2,024
Seasonality
Certain of our revenues can be impacted by seasonality. More specifically, revenues from property sales, loan originations and certain property preservation services in Field Services typically tend to be at their lowest level during the fall and winter months and at their highest level during the spring and summer months.
Government Regulation
Our business and the business of our customers are or may be subject to extensive scrutiny and regulation by federal, state and local governmental authorities including the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”), the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”), the Treasury Department, various federal and state banking, financial and consumer regulators and the state and local agencies that license or oversee certain of our auction, real estate brokerage, mortgage and debt collection services, trustee services, mortgage origination underwriter and broker services, property management services, insurance services and credit report reselling services. We also must comply with a number of federal, state and local laws, which may include, among others:
• the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”);
• the Bank Secrecy Act;
• the California Homeowner Bill of Rights (“CHBR”);
• the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing Act (“CAN-SPAM”);
• the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (“ECOA”);
• the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (“FACTA”);
• the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”);
• the Fair Housing Act;
• the Federal Trade Commission Act (“FTC Act”);
• the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (“GLBA”);
• the Home Affordable Refinance Program (“HARP”);
• the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (“HMDA”);
• the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act (“HOEPA”);
• the National Housing Act;
• the New York Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law (“RPAPL”);
• the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (“RESPA”);
• the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing (“SAFE”) Act;
• the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (“SCRA”);
• the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”);
• the Truth in Lending Act (“TILA”); and
• Unfair, Deceptive or Abusive Acts and Practices statutes (“UDAAP”); and
• Applicable state laws addressing consumer data privacy, use or disclosure.
We are also subject to the requirements of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) and comparable foreign laws due to our activities in foreign jurisdictions.
In addition to federal and state laws regarding privacy and data security, we are also subject to data protection laws in the countries in which we operate. Additionally, certain of our entities are or may be subject to the EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”).
Legal requirements can and do change as statutes and regulations are enacted, promulgated or amended. One such enacted regulation is the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”). The Dodd-Frank Act is extensive and includes reform of the regulation and supervision of financial institutions, as well as the regulation of derivatives, capital market activities and consumer financial services. The Dodd-Frank Act, among other things, created the CFPB, a federal entity responsible for regulating consumer financial services and products. Title XIV of the Dodd-Frank Act contains the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act (“Mortgage Act”). The Mortgage Act imposes a number of additional
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requirements on lenders and servicers of residential mortgage loans by amending and expanding certain existing regulations. The interpretation or enforcement by regulatory authorities of applicable laws and regulations also may change over time. In addition, the creation of new regulatory authorities or changes in the regulatory authorities overseeing applicable laws and regulations may also result in changing interpretation or enforcement of such laws or regulations.
Our failure or the failure of our customers or vendors to comply with applicable laws or regulations or changing interpretation of such laws or regulations could subject the Company to criminal or civil liability, significant penalties, fines, settlements, costs and consent orders affecting us or our customers that may curtail or restrict the business as it is currently conducted and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.
Furthermore, certain of our services are provided at the direction of, and pursuant to, the identified requirements of our customers. The failure of our customers to properly identify or account for regulatory requirements applicable to such services could expose us to significant penalties, fines, settlements, costs and consent orders that could have an adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.
We are subject to licensing and regulation as a provider of certain services including, among others, services as a mortgage origination underwriter, mortgage broker, valuation provider, appraisal management company, asset manager, property inspection and preservation provider, title insurance agent, insurance broker and underwriter, real estate broker, auctioneer, foreclosure trustee and credit report reseller in a number of jurisdictions. Our employees and subsidiaries may be required to be licensed by or registered with various jurisdictions for the particular type of service sold or provided and to participate in regular continuing education programs. Periodically, we are subject to audits, examinations and investigations by federal, state and local governmental authorities and receive subpoenas, civil investigative demands or other requests for information from such governmental authorities in connection with their regulatory or investigative authority. Due to the inherent uncertainty of such actions, it is often difficult to predict the potential outcome or estimate any potential financial impact in connection with any such inquiries.
Available Information
We file Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other information with the SEC. These filings are available to the public on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov .
Our principal Internet address is www.altisource.com and we encourage investors to use it as a way to easily find information about us. We promptly make the reports we file or furnish with the SEC, corporate governance information (including our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics), select press releases and other related information available on this website. The contents of our website are available for informational purposes only and shall not be deemed incorporated by reference in this report.