I remember it like it was yesterday. It was 1996 when I started working in the title business. The office was small and intimate. Typewriters clicked, the phones and fax rang. We checked voicemail quickly and returned calls right away. My favorite part was and always will be interacting with the Buyers and Sellers. By the end of the transaction, everyone knew everyone by their first name and understood the role each person played in getting the closing done. Marketing Agreements and Joint Ventures didn’t exist. We relied 100% on referrals received from building relationships. We stayed most Friday nights for a couple of drinks because we worked HARD all week long. It was a fun and rewarding place to work.
Yes, that was almost twenty years ago and a lot has changed. Technology has affected the way everyone does business. Email and text messages are how we communicate now and even then, responding to everyone seems nearly impossible. Marketing Agreements and Joint Ventures are now the norm, leaving little room for smaller title companies to compete. Most real estate offices have exclusive partnerships with lenders and title companies. The playing field is definitely not level nor is the general feel of the transaction.
What has changed? People are still people and they’re still buying a home, one of the most important and special events they’ll ever experience. There are stories behind every closing. Whether it is a single mom who has been saving for years or a couple that is newly engaged and so excited to start their lives or maybe the man who lost his wife and is selling to move closer to the grandkids. There is always a story and it’s our responsibility to know it. What has changed is that technology and laws have made it possible for companies to get very big, very quickly, and the personal touch is lost.
I always say I miss the George Bailey days. He ran a Savings & Loan in the classic movie, It’s A Wonderful Life. George knew every single person that came into his bank by name (and their whole family). He cared about them and everything that was going on in their lives. It was not about the next account or deal or closing, it was about the people and their stories.
The best part about this business is the closing day. When you sit down at the closing table and you know everyone by name and there are no surprises, the magic happens.
It is the responsibility of the Realtor, Lender and Title Company to give that experience to our clients. Let’s all be sure the only reason we recommend our clients to another service provider is because they share the same values as we do. Period.
