About Us

Our Story

MuniReg was founded in 2018 by Michael Halpern. Before starting the company, Michael spent 17 years with Safeguard Properties, the nation’s largest mortgage field services company. During his time there, he served as Director of the Community Initiatives Department, where he worked closely with municipalities and state governments on the challenges of vacant and abandoned properties, often with a focus on zombie foreclosures. He also presented at national and regional conferences, sharing best practices and building connections between local governments and the loan servicing industry.

Through these experiences, Michael recognized the challenges code enforcement faces in identifying property owners and responsible parties. Driving compliance with property standards is a key objective of property registration programs. Communities were eager to strengthen compliance and protect neighborhoods but often lacked the time, tools, and resources to manage the process effectively. He saw the need for a different kind of partner, one that could provide both the structure and hands-on support to make a meaningful difference.

MuniReg grew out of that vision. From the beginning, the focus has been on collaboration and practical solutions that meet each community where they are. Instead of adding complexity, MuniReg was designed to work alongside municipalities, helping them simplify property registration and keep programs moving forward with reliable support.

Today, that spirit continues. Our team is made up of professionals who care deeply about helping municipalities achieve their goals. As niche industry subject matter experts, we bring nationwide best practices to our clients, while collaborating to meet the respective needs of each community. We provide tools and guidance that create lasting impact. Together with our partners, we are building stronger compliance, safer neighborhoods, and healthier communities across the country.

Our Leadership

Michael Halpern | President & CEO

MuniReg was founded in 2018 by Michael Halpern to help strengthen communities and reduce the burdens caused by vacant and abandoned properties.

Before founding MuniReg, Michael spent 17 years with Safeguard Properties, the nation’s largest mortgage field services contractor. During that time, he worked closely with loan servicers (“banks”) and local governments.

Leading Municipal Outreach and Advocacy on Zombie Foreclosures

For more than seven years, he served as Director of the Community Initiatives Department, leading Safeguard’s outreach to municipal and state partners to address the growing challenge of “zombie foreclosures.”

Real Solutions for Real Impact

Michael has shared his expertise at countless regional, state, and national conferences for municipal leaders and code officials, including:

• EduCode
• Center for Community Progress
• National Housing Conference
• American Association of Code Enforcement
• National League of Cities
• U.S. Conference of Mayors

Through this work, Michael has helped hundreds of communities understand loan servicing best practices and leverage available resources to combat property vacancy and blight.

Across the country, many municipalities have developed property registration programs as one way to preserve and stabilize their communities. Michael has worked alongside local leaders to design collaborative, “win-win” programs that meet municipal goals while improving compliance and communication.

MuniReg builds on this foundation of partnership by simplifying property registration and reducing administrative workload. MuniReg helps local governments focus more time and energy on what matters most — serving their communities.