Last week I responded to a request from Stewart Title's corporate headquarters in Houston. One of Stewart's newest Business Development Officers had been invited to speak to a group of Realtors, and he was looking for sample PowerPoint presentations he could use as a template. So, I sent one I had prepared last year when I had given a presentation to a commercial brokerage.
One slide in my presentation drew a chuckle from HQ. It said:
"According to studies*, not one child in the United States wants to grow up to be a title abstractor, title examiner, title sales rep or title closer.
* (I made this up, but it's probably true)."
What makes it funny is that it really is probably true. I would venture that unless a child's parents work in the title insurance industry, most kids will have never even heard of title insurance until (if) they buy a house someday. Even then, from most accounts, they will pay little attention to it. There are no title insurance commercials on television or the radio. Title companies do not send mailers, buy space in newspapers or offer coupons. Internet advertisements, if any, are limited to Realtor and other business-to-business sites. No shows, movies or novels depict characters who work at a title company.
Given the lack of glamour, then, what draws individuals to the title industry? I confess that my own initial involvement was accidental. Years ago when I opened a law practice, I shared office space with a title agency. I started working with my neighbors and, within a year, I was the agency's president. For me, the following aspects have been compelling to keep me involved with title:
- Assisting others with major transactions: I routinely help my clients (brokers, lenders, attorneys and developers) to help their clients buy, sell, refinance and build commercial properties ranging from "mom & pop" gas stations to huge office complexes. Last Friday I assisted a banking client with his customer's renovation of a church. Playing a part- even an unheralded one- in providing peace of mind in these matters is very satisfying.
- Intellectual challenge: I view my role as helping to complete deals, not figuring out ways to cancel them. And though I would rather have nothing but "clean title," there are times I am called upon to come up with creative solutions and negotiate their resolution. Those are the closings I remember the most.
- Meeting a variety of people: I am very thankful that not only do I have great coworkers, but I have the opportunity to encounter many different folks on a daily basis. As a Commercial Business Development Officer, between frequenting networking events, giving presentations, meeting with clients and attending closings, I interact with people from a myriad of industries, not just real estate. Every day I hear new stories and learn something new.
So, while no boy or girl may have dreams of a career in the field of title insurance, if they have aspirations to help others, to exercise their minds and to work with a broad spectrum of the public, they may find- as I have- that it's not a bad place to be.
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