TNLTA Takeaways: Beyond the Booths

 We’re back from TNLTA in Nashville and catching you up on everything happening in the title world right now. In this episode of UNTITLED: Beyond the Closing Table, we’re talking industry updates, fraud prevention, FINCEN conversations, technology changes, vendor trends, and the things the title industry still refuses to modernize. From conference takeaways to hilarious title hot takes, this episode is a real look at what’s changing behind the scenes in real estate and what still feels stuck in 1997. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:27

Welcome to Untitled, the podcast that takes you beyond the closing table, where we're talking about life as it really is, the work wins, the personal chaos, and the messy middle where the two worlds collide.

SPEAKER_03 0:40

From deal drama to daily life, we're showing up for it all with stories, strategies, and the kind of honesty this industry doesn't always have time for.

SPEAKER_01 0:49

If you wear too many hats and still forget where you left your keys, you're in good company. This is Untitled. Alright, hey, hey, everybody. We are back. Episode two of our comeback recording day. I'm Tab, your title queen.

SPEAKER_03 1:08

I'm Mel, and I'm Caitlin.

SPEAKER_01 1:11

You got all three of us again back on the mic. Um, and we are excited for this episode because we just got back from our TNLTA, which is Tennessee Land Title Association. Title Convention. It was our annual convention, and if you can imagine an annual convention, it's literally networking, education, industry gossip, compliance updates, all the vendors, some old, some new that we've known for years and years. They're all trying to wow you, they're giving you all their swag. And then it's exhausted title people surviving on caffeine.

SPEAKER_03 1:52

And try not to think about all the things that they need to do.

SPEAKER_01 1:54

Yeah. Because you left your desk for two and a half days. Um, so we always leave the conferences with two thoughts. Well, our industry is changing fast, which we've got a lot to talk about on that, and while some things will literally never change, which again, so much to talk about on that. Um, I do want to say though that this year was awesome.

SPEAKER_02 2:22

It was.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

Because I was finishing up, I'm passing the baton to I mean, I'm not on the board. I've literally been on the board for I don't even know how many years. Past president was for two. Shanita um was our as our current Tennessee president. She did an amazing job, but I was able to just sit and enjoy.

SPEAKER_03 2:46

Be a guest. Be a guest. You were a guest. I was a guest.

SPEAKER_01 2:50

I sit on the back row.

SPEAKER_02 2:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:52

I literally also won three of the prizes.

SPEAKER_02 2:55

Yeah. You did. That was cool. Which is crazy. It's crazy.

SPEAKER_01 2:59

I needed that after my heart.

SPEAKER_03 3:04

No! Oh my gosh, I won four. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:07

What did I win?

SPEAKER_03 3:08

A gift card. I don't know how much.

SPEAKER_01 3:09

Oh my gosh, so that means I want a Yeti, a Yeti cooler, a spa gift certificate, and another gift certificate. So, okay, my daughters, you did not give me birthday presents. Somebody else did. Not all of them.

SPEAKER_03 3:27

Did you add too that this year was awesome because it was in Nashville? So our Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:32

Yes. Our commute was very short. Um, it was, yeah, it was in Nashville. Which, okay, another piggyback off that was the whole hotel that I was staying at. If you listen to our uh previous episode where I was staying with my mother for her treatment, you could see it from our hotel window.

SPEAKER_02 3:53

Literally, you walk to the window and point, that's the hotel. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:56

Like, where when am I ever gonna get away from Vanderbilt? But it was really, really cool.

SPEAKER_02 4:04

Quick plug. It was the Virgin Hotel and it was cool. It was cool, it was really cool. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:09

The speakeasy and um and what was it?

SPEAKER_02 4:14

Everything's everything in the speakeasy was decorated from Johnny Cash's estate. Yeah, his granddaughter. I never made it there. Oh, it was cool.

SPEAKER_01 4:22

It was really neat and chill, just our vibe.

SPEAKER_03 4:25

Just our vibe.

SPEAKER_01 4:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:28

Y'all stayed. I drove up. So Thursday, traffic fine. Friday, insane because everybody's coming into Nashville for the weekend. Oh, yeah. And I think that's one thing, even though we're only how many miles from Nashville? I think it's like 21 or something.

SPEAKER_01 4:44

Yeah, it's like 21, 23.

SPEAKER_03 4:45

We forget, you know, you drive an hour to Nashville.

SPEAKER_01 4:50

Or two? Yeah, I don't think the traffic's ever gonna change. No.

SPEAKER_02 4:54

I mean, it's gonna change, but it's not gonna get.

SPEAKER_01 4:55

Well, I mean, right, it's not gonna be better.

SPEAKER_02 4:58

Um but we got to do a fun excursion because there's always like one event we do at the conference each year that has to do with like whatever city we're in. Yeah. And like last year, was it Chattanooga? Yeah. And then we got to do it, we did the train ride and it was like a dinner cart and stuff. It was really cool. So this year we got to go to the country music hall of fame, which is cool. But we got to do this like group event where upstairs we had this private what is it, like a little mini show. It was it was a little mini show, it was about um songwriters. And so a songwriter was there, he got to talk about his songs and his he'd been doing it in the industry since 78, I believe. Um Byron Hill. He was cool.

SPEAKER_03 5:40

He so he like talked about the songs, he played a couple for us, and he had hit songs, um, Alabama, Alabama, George Strait, Jason Aldean, like so, so many different artists.

SPEAKER_01 5:53

Yeah, and it was neat to hear his story and get to see um that side of the hall of fame.

SPEAKER_03 6:00

You know, just say that he's wrote over 5,000.

SPEAKER_01 6:04

He did yeah, and he could play the uh guitar so beautifully.

SPEAKER_02 6:08

He did, he did a good job.

SPEAKER_03 6:09

At 70, what however years old he was, like he still sang and played very well.

SPEAKER_01 6:15

Um, it was really cool being in Nashville. Yeah, and I think everyone around the state enjoyed coming there. I think so too.

SPEAKER_02 6:22

So that's it. We had over 150 people there, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:25

And a lot of spouses came because it was so close.

SPEAKER_03 6:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:29

Well, it was easy to kind of come and go, you know?

SPEAKER_03 6:32

So the songwriter thing was a highlight. What else? What else stood out to you that was fun?

SPEAKER_02 6:38

You know what? Our silent, not well, it started out as a silent auction to raise money for our title pack.

SPEAKER_03 6:44

Or not so silent auction.

SPEAKER_02 6:45

Yeah, after dinner on Thursday night, it turned into a live auction. And the auctioneer was one of our members, and he was fun, and everyone was laughing.

SPEAKER_01 6:54

And his own and his Vanna White. Yes, yes, was I mean it was a great show. It was, it was a good time.

SPEAKER_03 7:02

Did they say how much they raised, or they don't know yet?

SPEAKER_01 7:04

Oh, yeah, we've we raised just at that auction. But for the whole title pack this year, we had like a record-breaking year, good, which was awesome in legislation. Um, and I don't know, Mel, you won a couple of things at the auction.

SPEAKER_02 7:21

Um, I won, I bid on several, but I won a cast iron um grill. It goes on top of your grill because my husband loves cooking and he loves cooking with cast iron. And it was the how southern is it? How southern is that?

SPEAKER_01 7:39

I mean, he's from Nashville. Well, and then everybody on the elevator once he won it was like, we love that.

SPEAKER_02 7:46

Yeah, I had several people tell me how great they loved theirs, and so I already gave it to him. It was supposed to be for Father's Day, but it's too heavy. I couldn't like I could have carried it inside, but where was I gonna put it? It's not like I could lift it up to a higher shelf. That's where I normally put things. So I was like, Do you want to just have your present now? He's like, sure.

SPEAKER_03 8:05

I think one of the funny moments was what's his name? He like sang Rocky Top.

SPEAKER_02 8:10

There were there was a cute display, like a what is it called? Like a setup on the stage. And so we had like cute chairs and like decorations, and then there were two guitars, and it was for like aesthetics. And so the the last session of the seminar, one of the underwriters got up and he was like, I just have to do this. So he like tuned the guitar real quick because I was not yeah, and then he sang Rocky Top.

SPEAKER_01 8:32

And it was awesomeness. So shout out JT. It was great. I mean, like memorable, yeah, for sure. Um, and gosh, he's been with our industry for such a long time, too. Oh gosh. It's it what's so important to me is that though a lot of most everybody there has been our colleagues for decades. And it is so cool to like catch up with them, get their take on things. I feel like Middle Tennessee or Middle Tennessee, Tennessee is so kind of divided, east-west, middle, and we've had a lot of challenges the past three years. Um, and it's just really cool to like get everybody in the room where you're face to face and like you can have a conversation, and um well, like we're all human. We're all trying to make it, we're in the it city, like there's enough business for everyone to go around. And I know we've had episodes about this, like it is so much easier to collaborate than to argue. You know what I mean? So I don't know. That was really exciting to see this um this year, and our membership um oh yeah, it grew.

SPEAKER_02 9:44

Grew a lot.

SPEAKER_01 9:45

New members awesome, yeah, and like just you know, newer energy or new energy coming in for whatever that means. Like it was great.

SPEAKER_03 9:54

We also had a lot of vendors, so many vendors, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:58

And um, I think it just goes to show like we always try to stay like in the know. I think we do a really good job at that. Um, because our our industry is um, I mean, you're just there's just so much to do on any given day, right? Like I think a lot of people um just don't always think innovatively, is that a word? Yeah, right? And I think that there's always like at the convention some like little like I don't know action items that they take away, and it makes all of our lives easier. Yeah. Because we are innovative. So it's nice when the other title company you're working with down the street is there as well. It gets there with us, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:45

I agree, because it's you know, we're in it, so like it's like we know who's doing what and who's not doing what. So whenever they're like talking about all these programs you need and like all these safety measures and all the things, and you're just like, are you listening to it? Sure.

SPEAKER_01 11:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:08

Okay, so what are conferences really like behind the scenes? I feel like you know, everybody's like so business during the day, but at night they're just all wanting to cut up and like have a good time and catch up. It's like one time a year. It's like a little like reunion, like a reunion.

SPEAKER_01 11:27

It's like a reunion.

SPEAKER_03 11:29

And like, you know, sometimes you sing karaoke and sometimes you I don't know, Johnny Cash will speak easy.

SPEAKER_01 11:36

Yeah. Yeah, and I think that it is just everybody like it is just like a reunion. You're like, oh my gosh, how have you been? And it and honestly, it's every year, but it feels like it hasn't been that long. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:50

And but it is a conference, so people do like to have fun.

SPEAKER_01 11:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:55

And we have a great industry. Even during the sessions, people would still tell jokes and laugh and stuff, so it's not as stuffy as you would expect it to be.

SPEAKER_01 12:06

But it was great to hear the Ulta uh president, incoming president, also compliment our state because he was like, You guys have so much fun, but you're also so organized. And we might make it look easy, but that is not always easy. So, anyway, the convention committee did a great job this year. And you know, all already by the end of the convention, you're looking forward to next year.

SPEAKER_03 12:33

So all right. What's the most overused buzzword this year? I can think of AI immediately.

SPEAKER_01 12:41

I say AI.

SPEAKER_03 12:43

I was gonna say FenCon.

SPEAKER_02 12:45

Yeah, FenCon.

SPEAKER_03 12:46

And split closings.

SPEAKER_01 12:48

Oof, yeah. I think I'll be able to do it.

SPEAKER_03 12:49

So AI Fence and split closings.

SPEAKER_01 12:53

Um, FenCon, just because it's so disappointing, we spent so much time. I mean, yes, we're glad it's not happening right now, but it's not going away.

SPEAKER_03 13:01

I mean, how many meetings did we like five?

SPEAKER_01 13:04

So many hours of our life over the past year have been devoted to Fence and they owe us money.

SPEAKER_02 13:11

I mean, I had to create documents specifically for this. I had to revise our um computer program to like for automated things in related to fence that now I'm like delete it because we don't need it anymore. But don't delete it because don't delete it because they said it probably is coming back.

SPEAKER_01 13:28

Oh, I mean it's going to come back in one shape or another.

SPEAKER_02 13:32

I hope she just comes back better.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

Yeah, and split closing, so much time, like no secret, my opinion on those, like still legislation happens, it's gonna continue to happen, it's just gonna be another battle we're gonna just have to keep on fighting for. And AI, like I think that it to us is because I mean AI has been a part of our lives for at least three years. Yeah. Like on a daily, hourly basis. So it's crazy to still think that people are not using it.

SPEAKER_02 14:14

You just gotta figure out how to use it properly.

SPEAKER_01 14:16

Yeah, or use it for your best use, but there's still so much I think at this point if people are not using I IA.

SPEAKER_03 14:25

Let's change it up. I got that's my new thing, I guess. No, if people aren't using AI, it's just strictly stubbornness.

SPEAKER_01 14:33

Yeah, yeah, just like uh retaliating against it. Like this is not gonna heck no, we won't go.

SPEAKER_03 14:42

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 14:43

I can totally see a few people doing that in my mind right now. Um, but yeah, that's three buzzwords. Very good.

SPEAKER_03 14:49

Uh, okay, so best fender swag.

SPEAKER_02 14:53

Um gift cards.

SPEAKER_01 14:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:56

Well, that wasn't the swag, that was the prize. The swag is what everyone gets in that. Okay, I love a highlighter.

SPEAKER_01 15:02

I was gonna say every time. You can never go wrong with highlighters or pens. I always need a charger. Blue and chargers.

SPEAKER_02 15:09

Do not bring your black ink pens to the title title conventions. We don't want it.

SPEAKER_03 15:15

No, I'm a sucker for like cups and um cozies.

SPEAKER_02 15:19

Cozies, cups, there were some. There were some stickers this year. Yeah, and one company made their like sticker specific to our conference name. I was like, Amplify your life or something like that.

SPEAKER_01 15:32

It was really cute.

SPEAKER_02 15:34

Cute.

SPEAKER_01 15:36

Oh, we have great vendors too, and a lot of them we've been friends with for so long.

SPEAKER_02 15:40

I got a lotto ticket. Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah. I didn't win, but I haven't gone online yet to do the like second try.

SPEAKER_03 15:48

Yeah. Okay, nice. If you win the lottery, remember us small people.

SPEAKER_02 15:52

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 15:53

Uh, okay. What every title person at the conference is secretly thinking. When is lunch?

SPEAKER_02 16:01

When is lunch? Where is the snacks? How come there's no Dr. Pepper?

SPEAKER_03 16:08

Which coffee makers ours down?

SPEAKER_01 16:10

I think I'm always like, how many sessions can I sit through before I have to find the restroom? Yeah, yeah. Uh I mean, there's a lot. I don't know. Yeah. Uh okay, so I wonder what the most thought-about thing is, though, really. I really would like to know the answer to that. That should be a survey question.

SPEAKER_03 16:30

Uh, okay, most awkward networking moment. Well, I've got one. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01 16:34

Oh, go for it. When the vendors I've known for how long? And I and I still have not accepted their service yet, right? I think they call you out. And I've just learned to just nip that in the bud right from the beginning. You know what I mean? Like, we're happy with our service. We love you being a vendor here. I have loved getting to know you. I will share you with whomever. And that used to be super awkward, but now not so much. And then some that I've I would literally say and milk and attested this, like, you know, taught to me in three years. Like, we've got to get some other things squared away. And then you see them again. I'm like, don't give up on me. Like, we may need it. And then, you know, I feel like there's a couple this year that we were really like, we could utilize this. Um, so I think it's always like hear people out, you know what I mean? And then like, it's okay to be honest.

SPEAKER_02 17:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:34

Don't waste their time.

SPEAKER_02 17:36

Um and then also I've really learned over the years that like just because they have a job and a product that you don't want doesn't mean that that person isn't someone that you don't want to be around. Yeah, exactly. And there's so many times where they will change jobs. Maybe they end up in a company you do want stuff. Yeah. And even if they don't, like, there's just cool people. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:57

There's so many people.

SPEAKER_02 17:58

What do you think it is?

SPEAKER_03 17:59

The most awkward networking moment. I mean, like, I think the like the after the initial, like, hi, how are you? Or like not remembering names. Like either the awkward silence. Because some people they're just awkward, they're just good at it. And you know, I'm Tad can like conversate with a wall. I can conversate as long as there's like a flow going on. But the minute it gets silent, like I'm like, okay, like walk away, like see you later.

SPEAKER_01 18:29

Yeah, you gotta you gotta be ready, you have to be prepared for like that one phrase, like, okay, I'll catch you later.

SPEAKER_03 18:34

Yeah, so I feel like when people know my name and I don't know theirs, that makes me feel awkward because I'm not good at names. And then awkward silence before the walk away.

SPEAKER_01 18:44

Yeah, you can always introduce the other person. Like this is Mel, and then they'll say, Okay, I'm tab, and then you'll know their name.

SPEAKER_03 18:53

Perfect.

SPEAKER_01 18:54

I don't know, there's a few exercises. I really do try to work on those.

SPEAKER_03 18:58

And what is your awkward networking moment, Mel?

SPEAKER_02 19:01

Um, I think it is when um like I'm at a vendor that provides notary services, uh-huh, and I saw his pricing, and I was like, oh, you charge more than who we currently use, and we like who we currently use. And and he was very nice about it. He was like, Do you have a notary? So I was like, Yeah, we use this company. And he's like, You're happy? He's like, Yeah, we're really happy. He's like, Good for you. Take this just in case you need us, that's totally fine. Yeah, exactly. I mean, I really want to be like, Yeah, I don't need anything from you, but I would like to take your pen. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 19:33

Like, that's awkward. Great pen, great highlight, thank you for the mint.

SPEAKER_01 19:38

Well, listen, this is what I have learned throughout all the years is most of the vendors do not want to take that those items back with them. They're there to get rid of them. And we know the same thing when we, you know, are vendors at events, like nobody wants to pack it back up.

SPEAKER_02 19:53

Um especially if they're having a flyback.

SPEAKER_01 19:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:56

So okay, so before we get into the more serious educational value portion of TNLTA, what do you think about how title people party versus how people think title people party?

SPEAKER_01 20:14

I think we definitely know how to party.

SPEAKER_02 20:18

I think people picture us like they think we're like sitting around, like holding a brandy glass, like having intellectual discussions about whatever. Right, and that's absolutely not what we're doing.

SPEAKER_01 20:32

We may be karaokeing Katy Perry at some point.

SPEAKER_03 20:36

I think that people don't think title people party.

SPEAKER_01 20:42

Yeah. But yeah, and I think that there is like with the realtors and the lenders, and I was I was literally listening to a podcast this morning about a mortgage broker, um, and she was talking about partying, and she was like, our business is so stressful. Like it's like you work hard, you know, you party hard, but it's like is not like a stuffy like cigar room where everybody's like, let's look at this dude. Yeah, we're all nerds, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:11

We're all a little nerdy, so we're all like very goofy, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:17

Like clever, yeah, yeah, yeah. But we know how to make it back to those meetings at 8 a.m. Yes, that is true.

SPEAKER_03 21:26

Some uh people don't look as perky on day two as night one.

SPEAKER_02 21:30

No shame with the back row. No, all right.

SPEAKER_01 21:33

Um, we have fun, that's for sure. And we take care of each other.

SPEAKER_02 21:36

I liked the room this year because it was wider more than being longer, so there was like a lot more back row room. Yeah, I agree. It made it feel smaller, even though we had more people at the conference.

SPEAKER_03 21:47

We let's hit on before we wrap it up and go on to our third and final episode of the day, right? Uh, what are the biggest educational points, the value that you think that you got a from the that you think you got from the seminar or the conference this year.

SPEAKER_01 22:06

I know what mine is. Go for it. I mean mine 100%. The most important thing is consumer education. We've talked about all the other things forever and ever and ever. We have talked about consumer education, but it matters more than ever. That is gonna be my top one.

SPEAKER_02 22:23

Yeah. Um I think um I've got two one is FinCEN. They're saying it's probably gonna be coming back in some way, shape or form at some point. So keep your hats on. And then um the other one I thought was interesting is I believe Alta which is the American Land Title Association for the whole country um they are putting into best practices getting the um verifying people's IDs at the beginning of the process not at the closing table. Yes. And so that's we've got a vendor, we use closing lock that's our secure portal is how they call it and you've got to prove that you are who you say you are right at the very beginning so that we know we're not dealing with fraudulent. Yeah. We're not wasting everybody's time exactly I agree. And I I think that's a good change.

SPEAKER_03 23:18

I like that I do too I think mine was um the compliance you know and I think that everybody needs to get on the same page because you have these companies out here spending thousands and thousands of dollars on compliance and then you have companies who don't and it's just really not fair. Because they can cut corners and I mean we don't do that because one corner cut can ruin you.

SPEAKER_01 23:46

Absolutely yeah well it says you know scammers are getting smarter so our industry has to get smarter too which all of those things goes into consumer education. Yeah absolutely you know yeah and those in the industry who are not keeping up are probably not going to be around much longer.

SPEAKER_03 24:04

Yeah. So again another reason why we have this podcast is to educate people on what to be asking your title companies.

SPEAKER_01 24:10

I mean I do love the technology and automation is that how you say that word yeah automation oh the AI. I think that's really helping us be more efficient because with everything we just talked about brings more tasks to our plate that we have to do on any given transaction and I think that consumers don't understand this could be on a $10,000 transaction this could be on a $10 million transaction. Like we have to do all the tasks all the steps all the ID verification all the wire fought awareness all of you know all the security measures have to go into every transaction and so when we have these vendors and we have you know our colleagues and we're going back and forth and we're talking about the technology like AI like we added a program this year how it helps us be more efficient.

SPEAKER_02 25:04

And I want to explain that just a little bit because when I hear AI like as a non-title person I think chat GPT Gemini co-pilot you know and that's not what we're talking about in the title industry because our computer program that we use to like have everyone's information in we've got the like numbers for the settlement statement all the documents everything that they've added an AI component to that computer program so it will help us um run a like review a title search faster it will help us it will read the legal description if you've got a meets and bounds legal description it will literally draw a map and make sure that that is the full legal description and there's nothing wrong with it.

SPEAKER_01 25:46

Instead of us taking three hours to read every call yeah and then have another set of eyes read it. You know what I mean? Like it's just such a time saver.

SPEAKER_02 25:55

It is and then there's just so many automations that help us on our end to you know just make sure we're efficient. Yeah it's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 26:03

It really is yeah just in and understanding the importance of which one of those programs actually helps us and some of them are not as good as the others I would say I'm not trying to stir the pot.

SPEAKER_03 26:21

But you're stirring the pot if you are a processor at a title company who is not utilizing any of the new AI or stuff like you do not know how much easier your life could be.

SPEAKER_01 26:32

And send us your resume.

SPEAKER_03 26:33

Right? Like I'm just saying really think about it.

SPEAKER_01 26:36

Like if you're at a conference if you're a processor at a conference which you should be your manager should be bringing along their processors that we're another advocate for that.

SPEAKER_03 26:48

And your mind is just blown by all the I don't know new technology options and technology and like you're sitting there thinking wow like we need this we need that and if they're not hearing you out and they don't want to spend money on these programs maybe think about going somewhere that is spending money on these programs because it really is such an advantage innovation is happening right they're mind blowing like they really are they really are mind blowing especially when you've been especially when you've been here since typewriter days I was gonna say when I started I had to fax a lot of stuff oh my gosh I had to go faxing that was a whole thing.

SPEAKER_02 27:34

Oh speaking of faxes do we want to hit on what's still stuck in the old ways with all the AI the innovations the new new what's still you're just like what why can we not move past this I think faxing like especially when I have to request a payoff and if the only way I can do it is faxing in the authorization form and then the worst part is when I they send the fax over and then it takes them 24 48 hours to get that authorization in their system then I have to call back to actually request the payoff because I will tell you within the last month I've had at least two times where I've sent the authorization where they told me to I have called back I've waited the time period I've called back and they're like oh we I don't see that we ever got this it's so it's oh it's so frustrating it's so exhausting and then when you do all three things yeah and you're still like oh M G like it's OMG outdated communication resistance to technology like literally what I just said about if you're at a company that uses to upgrade or update like maybe think about going somewhere else.

SPEAKER_03 28:55

Evolve people it's your life will be so much easier maybe you'll smile what's next Caitlin I I don't know I'm still stuck on the companies refusing to evolve I and this may have nothing to do with that but I like keep thinking about that company that emailed me last week and they're like about the split oh yeah they wouldn't do the work because they didn't need the the our underwriter was requiring a specific thing but theirs didn't so they're like you're gonna have to solve that on your own yeah that's not teamwork yeah and that's oh my god that's gonna make me say bad words yeah so anyways um so what do you think the most outdated thing still happening in title is I immediately think well also I kind of think that this goes with feeling ancient swaps. Like the whole swap thing feels so old school but I don't think that'll ever change.

SPEAKER_02 29:53

Well it's actually gotten better because it used to be um well we used to have to have the checks ready and so when like the seller's title company would bring the yeah they pick up checks yeah they'd pick up checks and so now at least we can get their docs and be like okay I'm gonna fund it as soon as I'm ready and it's not quite as frustrating.

SPEAKER_01 30:15

It's better and with the with the companies you want to cooperate instead of retaliate.

SPEAKER_03 30:22

I feel like with the new territory we've kind of gone into this year like I've seen more refusing to evolve mentality and a lot more like back in the day type swap deals go on and I'm just like I think it's because it's a area.

SPEAKER_02 30:41

I think it's an area.

SPEAKER_01 30:42

I think though that that's bringing a positive note to our agents supporting us more like understanding because I we've said we're gonna be very vocal about why this is time consuming and why this isn't working and there are better options. Yeah. So let's just throw them out there and eventually go back.

SPEAKER_03 31:00

Yeah and I yeah I think it's 100% having to do with the market shift like everybody kind of going outside of Nashville and Murphy's burrow to try to find more affordable places to live. Yeah with more land. Yeah so I'm just like ooh okay like I'm gonna nicely talk I'm gonna nicely tell you how it can be done.

SPEAKER_01 31:19

Yeah yeah exactly exactly um what's one thing you wish the industry would modernize immediately e-signing yeah let's do that Ron that was a right what was that it's because of fraud that it's not stuck I know but now I think that bringing on best practices ID verification is gonna help us get there but but the lenders have to get on board oh yeah but I'm saying that's the hardest part to start somewhere yeah and like Tennessee's pretty up there in legislation making those laws happen.

SPEAKER_03 31:58

So catch me on the hill this year. That literally reads it reads us good that literally leads us into our final segment of this episode the rapid fire hot take the first one was literally remote online notarization love it or hate it I don't know I feel like what was it earlier saying it's just difficult because it's not in every state.

SPEAKER_01 32:26

So it's like and there's always an underwriter rule changing on it. So I love it if everybody could get on the same page um but I hate it when someone tries to give me the incorrect information and it causes a whole it needs work. How about that?

SPEAKER_02 32:44

It needs work yeah that was the buzzword from years ago before Fincent before AI it was uh Ron Everything was Ron this Ron that which also uh you know also shines a light on our industry we're always trying to evolve and come up with the best way to handle people's biggest investments yeah but that one needs work all right next AI necessary I mean I like it I like the what our program does and I don't think it matters if you hate it anymore it's definitely here to stay you gotta embrace it embrace okay love it or hate it texting clients after hours I mean I hate it yeah I mean I have to love it have to love it I have mixed feelings I feel like it depends on who it is if you are and what the problem is yeah yeah and I think that is also educating um agents and consumers because I had a late Friday closing two weeks ago and the notary I gave him my cell phone number and he called me and he had questions and I was able to help him and it was so easy. Yeah it was great I was like this is a 10 minute solvable problem whereas if we had waited till Monday and it would have been a bigger idiot. Yeah exactly so like it is it can be very good. Yeah but then there are some where it's like this isn't even a contract yet you're asking all these hypotheticals and we don't need to have this conversation at six they're making up problems that are not actually problems.

SPEAKER_03 34:12

Yeah so before you pick up the phone and call someone at nine o'clock at night ask yourself is this important does need to happen right now is this realistically gonna happen yeah yeah okay um get my notification silence and I'll be back with you at 5 a.m.

SPEAKER_01 34:28

Are you gonna love my 5 a.m day?

SPEAKER_02 34:30

My husband loves to have those types of conversations listen when I was pregnant with our first kid he would say things like if our son is 10 years old and he does this thing how do you think we should punish him I'm like well we don't even know his personality we don't know anything about this like being proactive you know okay love it or hate it reply all on email hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it oh my gosh I get so many of your emails Caitlin I really try to not do that for you mail I appreciate that I do take closings off I do copy Caitlin on a lot of things though it's okay uh yeah oh my god like you know what I hate whenever I take you off and then people put you off I know well that's also like that's also a you know what mood like when you're shady like not gonna get on to me like I have done nothing wrong yeah yeah it's I like keep taking I'm like I know exactly what you're doing that is not proper email etiquette no should I keep that in real life real life coming at you okay so reply all people if you're getting removed do not add back if you got a complaint send a separate email and don't copy me on it um okay a hundred page lender packages oh my god bye like bye like we are tree murderers like it does it is not necessary yeah it's not necessary like half those documents can be e-signed they don't require a notary yeah like it's like people are so not cool can we sign the note the deed of trust the CD and be done with that well first of all if you're still doing that like that's you need to evolve and I'm just gonna be very frank because now for I don't know five to seven years people have been e-signing closing docs yeah and they and your customer loves to come in and sign 10 documents and leave and go move in their house or leave and go spend their seller proceeds like you should not have a hundred pages. If I do a closing and they've done the hybrid where they've e-signed half of it and there's only a few documents I tell them you've got a great lender because we don't have that many docs to sign right now closing yesterday with the um whatever uh it was a hybrid the hybrid yeah the lender came in and he was like what do you think about that closing package and I was like it's so small I love it but it is and you know and honestly it was still too big and smaller you know but like half of that I will say I did look and like half of that was the LONAC which only has two signature spots it's just a really long document and the Deed of Trust was also long and there's only one signature do we really need to print out the amortization schedule guys no nobody's hanging it on their fridge and marking it off like come on I did one customer ask if I had that document in an Excel spreadsheet and I said no I'm sorry you're gonna have to make that yourself I mean it's and if they're asking for it very capable of making their own that was my friend Pierce so it's okay that I'm yeah I'm writing on sorry Pierce she'll show you how to do it.

SPEAKER_03 38:05

Okay last minute closing disclosures OMG literally waiting on you know closing instructions it's always gonna happen I know I mean it's not our favorite thing but it's never gonna go away it's life it's life it's our bread and butter and like that's what we're here to do. That's why we're proactive and oh can we still close today about that we have cutoff times we've gotten sometimes the answer's yes yes if it's a cash deal super fast. Yeah sometimes like I just found out I got one on Thursday oh there's actually a refite and then there's another closing and I'm like all right let's do it but sometimes the answer's no right yeah always gonna be a thing that's just it so I guess we're gonna wrap up by saying that every year when we leave the NLTA we come home with new knowledge we're hype new frustrations and new ideas for next year and a reminder that our industry is constantly evolving.

SPEAKER_02 39:05

New relationships and I want to say a quick thank you to all the customers that got my out of office and saw that I wasn't gonna be there and reached out to Lindsay or waited until I was back. You know nobody texted me nobody called me could with any kind of emergency and it was very it was very helpful.

SPEAKER_03 39:24

Yeah so I guess thanks for hanging out with us and um if you are in Tennessee and in the title industry and you're thinking about joining TNLTA oh I I agree I'm on the board so I started on the board.

SPEAKER_02 39:41

Yes congratulations Mel and uh TNLTA.org yes it's good it's a really good organization and it's got lots of information and there's a lot of collaboration and I just are you still leading the processor support group I am I am still leading the processor support group not retired from that nope and then I said yes to the membership committee I said no to the convention committee though but I was like I can't say no to everything.

SPEAKER_01 40:09

Yeah but I mean also in every state there is a association and if you are a title agent land title association yeah um a land title association you should be a part because uh we literally deal with things that affect our daily lives our business our daily lives consumers and you are missing out it's not why should you join it's why should you not join why not why not yeah all right all right thank you so much make sure to follow us creative.closers with an S on YouTube and creative.closer singular on Instagram or authority title and escrow on Instagram or Facebook. Let us know your feedback if you'd like to be a guest call us 61596 bye guys bye bye guys bye guys podcast hit home hit a nerf or give you something to think about we hope you'll join us next time we'd love to hear what resonated with you what stood out challenged you or made you think let's keep the conversation going. Until next time keep questioning the old rules and keep closing new deals