Commentary: Curative and LandFlow streamline curative projects for underwriters and developers

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“Many developers and underwriters still rely on Excel spreadsheets and mountains of emails to manage curative work, ” says Inked Land Company CEO Lance Fondren. ​“This works for small curative projects but creates a real barrier and unnecessary stress when managing complex projects or large development pipelines. Many developers fear that adopting a technology will cause more hassle than it’s worth, but LandFlow® was built with that concern in mind. It’s user-friendly, easy to learn, and intuitive for all stakeholders, including underwriters, developer or real estate managers, and title or curative agents.”

The Challenge of Curative Projects

At its core, curative work resolves title defects and satisfies title requirements that could prevent a development project from having marketable title and securing a title insurance policy. Defects or requirements often include, but are not limited to:

• Resolving conflicting legal descriptions in deeds or contracts
• Settling property boundary disputes
• Obtaining affidavits when something is unclear or needs attested
• Resolving unreleased or unresolved liens
• Securing subordination, non-disturbance, and attornment agreements
• Obtaining estoppel certificates
• Securing releases of various instruments
• Negotiating crossing agreements with owners of existing infrastructure, such as pipelines, roads, or power lines
• Correcting errors in recorded documents

These tasks are often tedious and require seamless coordination between multiple parties. Handling them with traditional methods—scattered emails, disjointed data tracking—can slow down the project and introduce risks of missed deadlines or overlooked details.

The problem? Each defect or requirement has a different process, and collectively, these tasks require processing mountains of information from numerous stakeholders, including, but not limited to:

• Underwriters
• Developers
• Curative agents
• Landowners
• Title attorneys
• Private infrastructure operators
• Lenders
• Public agencies

Managing communication with all stakeholders, overseeing tasks to cure defects or satisfy all requirements, and maintaining access to real-time information is time-consuming and can create an operational bottleneck. Doing this manually, with spreadsheets and scattered emails, introduces inefficiencies that can delay projects and inflate costs.

“Curative work can be a real bottleneck for developers, particularly in the energy space, where projects are complex and time-sensitive,” says Fondren. ​“In my almost two decades working in the oil and gas and renewable sectors, I have never encountered a solution that truly addresses the complexities and inefficiencies related to curative projects. There’s a lot of land technology out there, but nothing like LandFlow® for this purpose.”

LandFlow®: A Simple, Intuitive Solution

This is where LandFlow® comes in, providing a streamlined, efficient solution without the complexity that many developers and underwriters fear when adopting new technology. One of LandFlow®’s core strengths is its ease of use. Despite its advanced capabilities as a management and execution tool for curative projects, the platform remains simple and intuitive, making it easy for underwriters, developers, and curative agents to navigate and adopt.

“The flexibility of LandFlow® allows it to adapt to the unique needs of any project—whether it’s a large-scale renewable energy development or a smaller real estate transaction. No project is too big or small, and the platform’s intuitive design makes it an asset from day one,” adds Fondren.

How LandFlow® Adds Value to Curative Work

1. Alignment of Stakeholders. Curative work requires real-time collaboration between many stakeholders.
   • Underwriters are all about precision. They want defects cured and requirements met. Some of the many questions they ask themselves include: What document have we secured? Has it been recorded? Are there any exceptions we’ve missed? And where’s all the critical information? How can they ensure nothing gets lost in communication when coordinating with all the stakeholders?
   • Developers want to see progress. They want to know: What’s the status of my curative project? What’s happening now, and what still needs to kick off? Where do we need to step in? Are they in the loop enough to keep up with underwriters and their management team?
   • Curative agents need tools to get the job done. They juggle many details, like: Who’s the contract for Requirement 59 on Policy 156786? What was the last conversation with Peoples National Bank about that SNDA for Property Number 5489675? Where’s the latest affidavit draft to satisfy the requirement on Tom Johnson’s estate? Can someone send me a report outlining all the remaining curative items for that mineral endorsement on the Boomerang Solar Project?

LandFlow® enables seamless communication between these parties to manage curative projects, reduce email fatigue, ensure alignment, and drive progress. Stakeholders always know the status of every curative item on a project, ensuring nothing is missed.

2. Centralized Data and Documentation. For underwriters, developers, and curative agents, the ability to centralize all curative project data is crucial. Instead of relying on spreadsheets, emails, or fragmented databases, LandFlow® consolidates all necessary information into accessible, organized records. This standardization reduces time spent searching for documents or reconciling different formats and ensures all parties can access up-to-date information quickly. Imagine if every curative project you look at is presented in the same format every time versus searching your inbox and various file storage systems for the most recent correspondence and attachments.

3. Real-Time Reporting and Analytics. One of the greatest advantages of LandFlow® is its ability to provide real-time updates and reporting on curative work. This feature allows developers and underwriters to quickly identify outstanding tasks, track progress, and produce comprehensive reports for stakeholders. With these insights, users can make informed decisions faster, accelerating the project timeline. Do you need a high-level overview of your project? Log in, download a report, and send it to your internal stakeholders. Do you want to dive into the status of a specific requirement? Log in, navigate to the requirement number, investigate relevant information, and engage. Finally, a tool exists to create efficiencies in your day-to-day activities!

Fondren underscores the value LandFlow® brings to title underwriters, noting, ​“In my discussions with the top five title companies and some of the largest renewable developers in the country, it’s clear that LandFlow® presents a unique opportunity to add significant value to their underwriting process. We are giving them a way to streamline curative work and issue title policies faster than ever before. What we’ve built isn’t just another land management tool—it’s groundbreaking, a next-generation solution for curative projects that has the potential to reshape the industry.”

A Better Way Forward for Developers and Underwriters

For underwriters and developers alike, the pressure to resolve curative issues quickly and efficiently is always present. Yet, relying on outdated systems like Excel can lead to delays and frustration. LandFlow® changes the game by offering a user-friendly, intuitive platform that improves efficiency without adding complexity.

“We’ve recently released LandFlow® as a SaaS beta to selected clients, and we are eager to enhance it based on their feedback,” highlights Fondren. ​“This initiative aims to reshape how curative projects are managed from start to finish, aligning with Inked’s vision to set the gold standard in land and title services.”

Inked Land Company’s LandFlow® is an industry-first solution designed to address the unique challenges of curative work in land and real estate management. By reducing inefficiencies and mitigating risks, the platform is helping underwriters, developers, and curative agents complete their projects faster and more confidently. For more information, contact Troy Dixon here and follow Inked on LinkedIn.