Exhibit 99.1

Contact: Thomas A. Klemens Sr. Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer (714) 800-4401 NEWS FOR
IMMEDIATE
RELEASE

THE FIRST AMERICAN CORPORATION REPORTS

RESULTS FOR THE FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2004

SANTA ANA, Calif., Feb. 16, 2005 – The First American Corporation (NYSE: FAF), the nation’s largest data provider, today announced results for the fourth quarter and year ended Dec. 31, 2004:

	For the Three Months Ended December 31				For the Twelve Months Ended December 31
	2004 (A)		2003		2004		2003
Total revenues	$	1.80 billion	$	1.61 billion	$	6.72 billion	$	6.21 billion
Income before income taxes and minority interests	$	169.0 million	$	174.7 million	$	701.3 million	$	838.7 million
Net income	$	86.1 million	$	94.1 million	$	364.8 million	$	451.0 million
Net income per diluted share	$	.93	$	1.07	$	4.00	$	5.22

(A) Includes a pretax charge of $13.3 million, $8.6 million or 9 cents per diluted share on an after-tax basis, for certain litigation matters, including $10.0 million for the matter previously disclosed by the company on Jan. 26, 2005.

Summary of Operations

“We achieved strong results during 2004, despite a 25 percent drop-off in total mortgage applications,” stated Parker S. Kennedy, chairman and chief executive officer of The First American Corporation. “With a slowdown in refinance transactions, the residential resale and new home sale markets remained at record levels throughout the year. Improved operating efficiencies, coupled with market share improvement in all of the company’s business segments, enhanced the company’s overall performance. In the fourth quarter, new order activity in the company’s direct title operations increased 26 percent over the comparable period in the prior year. This surge of activity will bode well for our first quarter 2005 results.”

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First American Reports Results for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2004

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Quarterly Financial Highlights

Financial Services Group:

• Revenues for the fourth quarter 2004 were $1.40 billion, an increase of 15.4 percent when compared with $1.21 billion for the fourth quarter of 2003.

• Pretax income was $109.2 million, a decrease of 0.1 percent when compared with $109.3 million in the prior year quarter.

• Pretax margins decreased to 7.8 percent compared with 9.0 percent for the fourth quarter 2003.

Information Technology Group:

• Revenues for the fourth quarter 2004 were $404.3 million, an increase of 2.4 percent compared with $394.7 million for the prior year quarter.

• Pretax income was $96.7 million, an increase of 6.5 percent when compared with $90.8 million in the prior year quarter.

• Pretax margins improved to 23.9 percent compared with 23.0 percent for the fourth quarter 2003.

2005 Strategic Focus and Outlook

Kennedy added: “We are very proud of the strong, successful, diversified data-based businesses we have built, and we will continue to pursue our key initiatives to maintain strong profits despite a weaker mortgage application market. These initiatives, which differentiate First American from the other information providers and create opportunities for margin expansion, include First American’s bundling alternatives of multiple products and services to the mortgage industry, FAST technology to enhance production efficiencies and streamline information, and strategic acquisitions to expand data capabilities and to increase market share.

“The results of our initiatives, which include innovative products and new customers, will continue to yield results for many more years to come. We are committed to delivering value to our shareholders through the implementation of our long-term strategies.”

Teleconference/Webcast

First American’s fourth-quarter and year-end results will be discussed in more detail on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2005, at 10 a.m. EST, via teleconference. The dial-in number is (888) 955-3516 and the pass code is FIRST AMERICAN. The live audio webcast of the call will be available on First American’s Web site at www.firstam.com/investor. An audio replay

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First American Reports Results for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2004

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of the conference call will be available through Feb. 23, 2005, by dialing (203) 369-0018. An audio archive of the call will also be available for replay on First American’s Web site.

About First American

The First American Corporation is a Fortune 500 company that traces its history to 1889. As the nation’s largest data provider, the company supplies businesses and consumers with information resources in connection with the major economic events of people’s lives, such as getting a job; renting an apartment; buying a car, house, boat or airplane; securing a mortgage; opening or buying a business; and planning for retirement. The First American Family of Companies, many of which command leading market share positions in their respective industries, operate within six primary business segments, including: Title Insurance and Services, Specialty Insurance, Mortgage Information, Property Information, Credit Information and Screening Information. With revenues of $6.72 billion in 2004, First American has 30,000 employees in approximately 1,800 offices throughout the United States and abroad. More information about the company and an archive of its press releases can be found at www.firstam.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this press release, including those related to 2005 operating results and key initiatives, are forward looking. Risks and uncertainties exist that may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the anticipated results to differ from those described in the forward-looking statements include: interest rate fluctuations; changes in the performance of the real estate markets; limitations on access to public records and other data; general volatility in the capital markets; changes in applicable government regulations; consolidation among the company’s significant customers and competitors; the company’s continued ability to identify businesses to be acquired; changes in the company’s ability to integrate businesses which it acquires; and other factors described in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2003, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. The company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made.

(Additional Financial Data Follows)

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First American Reports Results for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2004

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Summary of Earnings

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

	Three Months Ended December 31				Twelve Months Ended December 31
	2004		2003		2004		2003
Total revenues	$	1,803,017	$	1,612,066	$	6,722,326	$	6,213,714
Income before income taxes and minority interests	$	168,958	$	174,717	$	701,284	$	838,722
Income taxes	$	64,000	$	60,800	$	251,500	$	292,000
Minority interests	$	18,856	$	19,798	$	84,985	$	95,700
Net income	$	86,102	$	94,119	$	364,799	$	451,022
Net income per share:
Basic	$	.96	$	1.20	$	4.22	$	5.89
Diluted	$	.93	$	1.07	$	4.00	$	5.22
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic		89,733		78,288		86,430		76,632
Diluted		93,306		89,690		91,895		87,765

Summary Balance Sheet Information

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

	December 31		December 31
	2004		2003
Total stockholders’ equity	$	2,479,264	$	1,879,520
Book value per share	$	27.53	$	23.84

Summary Title Insurance Order Counts

From Direct Operations

	Three Months Ended December 31
	2004	2003
Title orders opened:
October	208,000	182,600
November	212,700	142,500
December	187,100	158,700
Fourth quarter total	607,800	483,800
Title orders closed:
October	156,200	162,000
November	163,200	128,800
December	166,300	152,100
Fourth quarter total	485,700	442,900

(Additional Financial Data Follows)

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First American Reports Results for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2004

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Selected Financial Data

(unaudited, in thousands)

	Three Months Ended December 31					Twelve Months Ended December 31
	2004		2003			2004		2003
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Revenues
Operating revenues	$	1,759,228	$	1,563,410		$	6,570,746	$	6,032,643
Investment and other income		43,111		32,832			141,796		145,354
Net realized investment gains		678		15,824			9,784		35,717
		1,803,017		1,612,066			6,722,326		6,213,714
Expenses
Salaries and other personnel costs		557,524		462,415			2,111,215		1,799,553
Premiums retained by agents		528,050		477,107			1,869,536		1,729,104
Other operating expenses		392,966		350,156			1,464,937		1,319,875
Provision for title losses and other claims		94,536		88,298			349,618		324,404
Depreciation and amortization		35,301		34,720			128,978		114,424
Premium taxes		13,981		14,721			52,935		51,535
Interest		11,701		9,932			43,823		36,097
		1,634,059		1,437,349			6,021,042		5,374,992
Income before income taxes and minority interests	$	168,958	$	174,717		$	701,284	$	838,722
OPERATING REVENUES
Financial Services
Title Insurance and Services:
Direct operations	$	665,726	$	543,791		$	2,486,380	$	2,264,925
Agency operations		638,552		590,673			2,299,656		2,138,059
		1,304,278		1,134,464			4,786,036		4,402,984
Specialty Insurance		60,384		55,074			220,340		207,287
		1,364,662		1,189,538			5,006,376		4,610,271
Information Technology
Mortgage Information		159,280		182,847			653,562		642,684
Property Information		110,033		88,017			401,716		366,271
Credit Information		57,126		53,143			242,812		246,987
Screening Information		68,127		49,865			266,280		166,430
		394,566		373,872			1,564,370		1,422,372
Total operating revenues	$	1,759,228	$	1,563,410		$	6,570,746	$	6,032,643
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES AND MINORITY INTERESTS
Financial Services
Title Insurance and Services	$	100,194	$	101,947		$	422,777	$	504,629
Specialty Insurance		8,988		7,304			41,419		30,125
		109,182		109,251			464,196		534,754
Information Technology
Mortgage Information		43,839		65,325			174,868		238,508
Property Information		35,678		22,530			126,460		105,339
Credit Information		12,421		4,726			54,613		64,291
Screening Information		4,777		(1,753	)		18,593		4,505
		96,715		90,828			374,534		412,643
Total before corporate expenses and minority interest		205,897		200,079			838,730		947,397
Corporate expense		36,939		25,362			137,446		108,675
Income before income taxes and minority interests	$	168,958	$	174,717		$	701,284	$	838,722

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First American Reports Results for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2004

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Segment Margins

(unaudited)

(in thousands, except percentages)

	Three Months Ended December 31
	Total revenues				Pretax (A)					Margins
	2004		2003		2004		2003			2004		2003
Financial Services
Title Insurance and Services	$	1,332,769	$	1,156,260	$	100,194	$	101,947		7.5	%	8.8	%
Specialty Insurance		64,152		58,667		8,988		7,304		14.0	%	12.4	%
	$	1,396,921	$	1,214,927	$	109,182	$	109,251		7.8	%	9.0	%
Information Technology
Mortgage Information	$	159,566	$	199,327	$	43,839	$	65,325		27.5	%	32.8	%
Property Information		116,968		92,552		35,678		22,530		30.5	%	24.3	%
Credit Information		59,378		52,893		12,421		4,726		20.9	%	8.9	%
Screening Information		68,392		49,900		4,777		(1,753	)	7.0	%	-3.5	%
	$	404,304	$	394,672	$	96,715	$	90,828		23.9	%	23.0	%
	Twelve Months Ended December 31
	Total revenues				Pretax (A)					Margins
	2004		2003		2004		2003			2004		2003
Financial Services
Title Insurance and Services	$	4,875,524	$	4,494,883	$	422,777	$	504,629		8.7	%	11.2	%
Specialty Insurance		234,708		219,837		41,419		30,125		17.6	%	13.7	%
	$	5,110,232	$	4,714,720	$	464,196	$	534,754		9.1	%	11.3	%
Information Technology
Mortgage Information	$	660,780	$	668,765	$	174,868	$	238,508		26.5	%	35.7	%
Property Information		427,234		390,151		126,460		105,339		29.6	%	27.0	%
Credit Information		252,087		267,074		54,613		64,291		21.7	%	24.1	%
Screening Information		266,687		166,536		18,593		4,505		7.0	%	2.7	%
	$	1,606,788	$	1,492,526	$	374,534	$	412,643		23.3	%	27.6	%

(A) - Income before income tax, minority interest and corporate expenses

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