Special offer

Finaglers, Finessers, And Finishers...May The Best System Win...!

By
Title Insurance with Patriot Land Transfer, Inc.

I just completed an engaging, informative, and thoroughly rewarding and enjoyable Monday morning discussion with my office manager, Gil (who happens to be my son in law and father of 3 of my 4 awesome grandchildren)...!  

We discussed the real estate business as it was, is, and promises to be!

Discussion centered around our role as title insurers and our relationships with real estate brokers and agents...and how that role has evolved over the last 4 decades...the evolution provided both positive and negative results in the overall professionalism of the real estate industry...  

Also discussed was our duties as practicing Christians in this whole scheme of things...  

Which brings me to the title of this post...  

Our conclusion, after a fair amount of good discussion, was that "In the end, the one with the absolute best system(s) wins"...  

I don't mean the one who markets the best...but rather the ones who PRODUCE the best...there is a distinction...  

At first, when you lack expertise, knowledge, and experience you may rely on a fair amount of FINAGLING (some will refer to this as BS)...as you grow in overcoming those deficiencies you may resort to FINESSING (a somewhat sterile or polished form of BS)...when you mature to a true professional and are like fruit at its finest and ready to be picked...you are FINISHING...  

Now let this all sink in while I digress a moment!  

Oddly enough there were such schools known as 'FINISHING SCHOOLS'...look it up in the dictionary and you'll find that they were "private schools for girls to train them for life in society"...as if boys were fully prepared to enter society properly without such training...or somehow boys were already 'FINISHED'...BALONEY, I say...  

But the devil is in the details...there was much merit in such training and would that it would have been offered to the male segment of society...but that's a topic for another time!   

Think about how all this relates to real estate and title insurance...then devise a system that works professionally for each and every consumer...the best system wins don't forget...  

Fran, where are you going with this???  

I'll put it bluntly...don't invent a system from the top down beginning with how many dollars are at stake and available to 'capture'...devise a system that works better than the competitions, then make sure you have a sufficient amount of capital to make it work...  

And oh, by the way, about the Christian aspect of this discussion...Humility demands that we give God full credit for anything good that we accomplish...for even our best and wisest efforts in the end are nothing but GRASS...!

                                                

 

Tom Braatz Waukesha County Real Estate 262-377-1459
Coldwell Banker - Oconomowoc, WI
Waukesha County Realtor Real Estate agent. SOLD!

Frean

Nothing will ever compete with good old fashion service.

Sincerely

Tom BRaatz

Sep 15, 2008 03:02 AM
Steve Homer
The HBH Group (Keller Williams affiliate) - Round Rock, TX

Fran:  Great post and timed VERY well since most of us in the industry do our annual planning for next year in October.  This post will be mandatory reading for my entire team!  Thanks!

Sep 15, 2008 03:03 AM
Fran Gaspari
Patriot Land Transfer, Inc. - Limerick, PA
"The Title Man" - Title Insurance - PA & NJ

Tom: But some feel if it's old fashion it can't be good!!! Shame!

Steve: Glad you like it and can use it!!!

Thanks,   Fran

Sep 15, 2008 03:30 AM
Jan Gaweda
Realty Mark CityScape- BUY SELL FIX FLIP RENT - Norristown, PA
BUY SELL FIX FLIP RENT

Service, Service, Service. If you surround yourself with good people and stick to old fashioned values, it is bound to reflect in the clients you attract and work with you.

Sep 15, 2008 04:53 AM
Gary Woltal
Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX
Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Fran, good proven systems cannot be beat. Something simple, that many overlook.

Sep 15, 2008 05:32 AM
Fran Gaspari
Patriot Land Transfer, Inc. - Limerick, PA
"The Title Man" - Title Insurance - PA & NJ

Jan: Some say it, and some deliver it!!!

Gary: Title Insurance involves minimizimg risk...and fail safe systems do the best job!!!

Thanks,   Fran

Sep 15, 2008 05:58 AM
Elizabeth Nieves
The Elizabeth Nieves Realty Group - Durham, NC
Bilingual Raleigh - Durham North Carolina Real Estate Team

This is absolutely brilliant and TRUE! There is something to be said for not re-inventing the wheel...but everyone has to mold the system to themselves. In the end, IF it doesn't work for YOU...id doesn't work...regardless of how well it worked for someone else.

I'm featuring this in C&RE. GBU!

Sep 15, 2008 01:12 PM
Fran Gaspari
Patriot Land Transfer, Inc. - Limerick, PA
"The Title Man" - Title Insurance - PA & NJ

Elizabeth,

Thanks for bringing that out of this post...and thanks for the feature!!! Thanks,   Fran

Sep 15, 2008 01:26 PM
Larry Bettag
Cherry Creek Mortgage Illinois Residential Mortgage License LMB #0005759 Cherry Creek Mortgage NMLS #: 3001 - Saint Charles, IL
Vice-President of National Production

Fran...I especially like your comments about the importance of humility.  All successes do come from our Almighty.  That's the most important thing.

Sep 15, 2008 04:06 PM
Fran Gaspari
Patriot Land Transfer, Inc. - Limerick, PA
"The Title Man" - Title Insurance - PA & NJ

Larry,

We should not be dissuaded from our best efforts, but gets all the glory! Thanks,   Fran

Sep 15, 2008 04:22 PM
Todd Clark - Retired
eXp Realty LLC - Tigard, OR
Principle Broker Oregon

I think you and your company are at the point of finishing, you aren't all about the BS and I can tell that from your posts. You are all about showing who you are and to most that is what real estate is all about. We work with people we feel we know and like and I can say from your posts and from talking with you on the phone that I like you!

Todd Clark, Helping Families Home - www.IFoundYourNewHome.com

Sep 15, 2008 05:41 PM
Jesse Clifton
Jesse Clifton & Associates - Fairbanks, AK

Fran... they don't send boys to finishing school because everyone knows... we're hopelessly unfinished.  :)

Sep 15, 2008 07:52 PM
Fran Gaspari
Patriot Land Transfer, Inc. - Limerick, PA
"The Title Man" - Title Insurance - PA & NJ

TC: As far as integrity is concerned, I feel you are my shadow on the west coast!!! You always say it well!!!

Jesse: You're probably right!

Thanks,   Fran

Sep 15, 2008 11:35 PM
Tracy Santrock
Santrock Realty Group Inc. , - Cary, NC
Raleigh - Cary Broker

Fran - "In the end, the one with the absolute best system(s) wins"...  I think this is one aspect of the game of real estate.

It's critical and you have to be organized.  That said, you have to have a "funnel" or mechanism that drives buyers/clients to you.  What's your market niche? Why do people want to relocate to your area? I ask this question myself on a daily basis.

My best wishes to you.

Sep 16, 2008 02:24 PM
Fran Gaspari
Patriot Land Transfer, Inc. - Limerick, PA
"The Title Man" - Title Insurance - PA & NJ

Tracy,

You're so right...sometimes our 'funnels' become 'straws'...and we need to make adjustments accordingly!!! Thanks,   Fran

Sep 16, 2008 03:03 PM