I was one of the agents who got Wes Foster's missive....  I choose to do what's right by the client first and everything else falls into place.  If the affiliate works out for them great but there are always other choices as well.

I've settled at many places and experienced a consistent level of great service.  But one of those stands out with his availability.  He emails updates to the laws, he teaches classes, he provides phone support for any question.  Is my client better served by this?  Yes.  He just happens to be a title partner.

I've yet to get paid a dime from any affiliate nor should I ever.  What a way to scam the consumer.  But it's certainly eye opening to see how this is perceived by so many others and to see where the abuses are.  I recognize there are many hands in all these transactions but if my client pays no more for the service and gets a better outcome then it serves them well. 

Wes shouldn't have sent that note.  But if he must, then he should have touted the benefit to the client first.  Instead he whined that he can't make a profit center work and tied it back to advertising, igniting RESPA concerns and leading back to commentary that agents are getting paid to use an affiliate over another choice.  Great.  Yet another way to make us look greedy.

I think I need to read more of the title folks' blogs.  So much to learn!

Fran, thanks so much for your kind words.  I had no idea you even knew who I was...  But to address your point, I do give the consumer the choice.  But who do you think they look back to for help?  And I give them my answer the same way each time which is among the companies I've used this one has consistently provided great service.  It's exactly the same thing I do with lenders and any other service provider I'm asked about.  They do this once every 5- 7 years and have no idea how to pick out the ancillary services.  Far from taking the choice from them or trying to evaluate every title provider I can only speak to past experience as an indicator of future success. 

And it's no less than what I want those clients to do for me.  Refer.  Not because someone forced them to use me but because I was better and the entire team behind served them well.  I think the gist of this post is that's what you'd want me to do for you.... refer to you because you are the best.  Not because I was forced to use you.  It just so happens the title company I refer to is an affiliate.  If they sucked they'd be history.

I know this is a sore spot.  And I also know that I'm in a unique postion that our affiliates are very strong in a very strong office.  I've never once felt pressured to use them in any way and I have no idea what the financial arrangements are.   Don't care.  On the contrary, they feel the need to prove their worth daily.  And on the lending side I rarely use our affiliate, though they are very good.   They end up not really being good enough when so many others raise the bar. 

Hope you don't mind my commentary...  As I said earlier it is enlightening to me to hear the other side of this argument and to learn.  It sounds like if I had started somewhere else with my same attitude I'd have been driven crazy by the non client focus of getting paid more to use the affiliate.  Not consistent with my philosophy or my rather headstrong nature :)