Emerald Coast Title Services w/ Ashley Bowen

In this episode, Chad and Maria sit down with Ashley Bowen of Emerald Coast Title Services to talk about who she is, the work ECTS does, and the important role title services play in the real estate process.

Ashley shares insight into how Emerald Coast Title Services support REALTORS®, buyers, sellers, and the broader real estate community by helping ensure smooth, professional closings. The conversation also highlights the long-standing relationship between ECAR and Emerald Coast Title Service, and why strong partnerships with trusted industry professionals are so valuable to members and the customers they serve.

From title work to closing support to community connection, this episode is a great reminder that real estate is a team effort — and relationships matter.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Welcome to Keys to the Emerald Coast, the official podcast of the Emerald Coast Association of World Tours. Each episode we unlock market insights, advocacy updates, and member stories to help you thrive one key at a time.

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Welcome back, Ecar. Thanks for joining us for another episode of Keys to the Emerald Coast. I am Chad Nelson, marketing and communications director with ECAR, joined by the amazing Maria Howell.

SPEAKER_03 0:24

Hello, Chad.

SPEAKER_00 0:25

How are you? It's good to see you again.

SPEAKER_03 0:26

Yeah, I know.

SPEAKER_00 0:27

Our listeners don't really know this because we we've scheduled out some shows, but I haven't seen you for a couple weeks.

SPEAKER_03 0:33

Yeah, a couple weeks. I did a little traveling.

SPEAKER_00 0:35

Got out to New York.

SPEAKER_03 0:36

New York City.

SPEAKER_00 0:38

Yes. Had a good trip. We talked a little bit about it.

SPEAKER_03 0:40

Yeah, it was a good trip. It was 95 degrees and I got in and then went down to mid-60s. So I had to pack appropriately. Yeah with a carry-on.

SPEAKER_00 0:51

So you knew you were you were prepared.

SPEAKER_03 0:52

I was prepared. Okay. I was prepared. Other than I forgot my little umbrella, but I found a little rain jacket at Old Navy on clearance.

SPEAKER_00 1:02

Got to do a little bit of the touristy stuff.

SPEAKER_03 1:04

Yes, yeah. Central Park was amazing. Oh my gosh. It was beautiful.

unknown 1:08

Cool.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

Well, awesome. Well, we are also joined in studio by Ashley Bowen with Emerald Coast Title Service.

SPEAKER_01 1:15

Hello.

SPEAKER_00 1:15

How are you?

SPEAKER_01 1:16

Good, thanks.

SPEAKER_00 1:16

Yeah, thanks for joining us. Thanks for coming in today.

SPEAKER_01 1:18

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_00 1:19

Yeah. We've kind of gone through, you know, the the e-car leadership and area directors and Corey and I have kind of gone back and forth on who do we start bringing in and who do our listeners want to hear from. And we we really kind of fell on a lot of our affiliates and people that um you know get the get the spotlight here and there throughout the year, but really wanted to give you a chance to kind of highlight your company, your association, your group, and then how it connects with e-car and really just get a chance to know you some more.

SPEAKER_02 1:54

Well, affiliates make the transaction happen now, don't they? That's right.

SPEAKER_03 1:58

Without a guest, they're very important team member.

SPEAKER_00 2:02

Yeah, we I mean it is. It's it's one of those things where we can't really offer everything that we have to offer without our affiliates, without a doubt. I mean, it yes, they they provide a massive you know financial piece to what we do and get to to offer members some extra benefits at events or the education, whatever it may be. But yeah, when it comes down to it, we've got a bunch of realtors that are trying to get to the closing table. And our affiliates are really the ones that do that more often than not. That's right.

SPEAKER_02 2:31

We need you and y'all need us.

SPEAKER_00 2:33

Yeah, that's great. Well, uh I guess for those listening in, for those that may not know you, give us, you know, a little bit, tell us your story, um, a little bit about yourself, a little bit about Emerald Coast Idol.

SPEAKER_02 2:43

Okay. Um, so y'all know my name is Ashley Bowen. I um am born and raised in Destin, Florida. My great uncle was actually the mayor of Destin for eight years and a charter boat captain. And my mom um has run the Dustin Fishing Rodeo for the last 35 years.

SPEAKER_01 3:00

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 3:01

Um, and my grandmother was broker of Sandpiper Cove real estate in the 80s and early 90s. So I have got Dustin um in real estate running through my blood.

SPEAKER_03 3:12

Yes, you do.

SPEAKER_02 3:13

And Emerald Coast Title Services um was opened in 1983 um by this tiny little female real estate attorney um named Delise Dearman. She, so it's been 33 years now that we 43. 43 years.

SPEAKER_00 3:32

I only know that because that's my birthday. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 3:33

So I'm just gonna say 43 years in um in business here on the Emerald Coast. Um Deleise passed away in 2014, and then all of the partners of a local law firm purchased the title company and purchased me along with it. Um, and so we are backed by this great big Southeastern law firm. Uh Dion Moniz is the president of our title company and a partner of the law firm. Um we have got four offices along the Emerald Coast in Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, and Freeport. I have the most amazing staff. I've handpicked all of them. Um I've got nine girls that work under me, the best closers, uh, the best customer service. They're all super smart. And then we have Dion if we need legal advice, and then the law firm if transactions need probate, or if somebody wants a trust prepared. Um if we're in foreclosure, we can get an attorney to step in and kind of pause the process. So I think that we have the best title company on the Emerald Coast.

SPEAKER_03 4:38

And isn't some of your ladies having babies over there at Doreen?

SPEAKER_02 4:42

We have a lot of babies right now. Um we have Paige just had a little girl um in April, and then I've got two pregnant staff members that are going to be due in October and November. So we're just spitting out the babies here. I don't want those filters.

SPEAKER_00 4:59

Baby fever.

SPEAKER_02 5:00

We're a baby factory. Yeah, we need to change the chairs and put a filter on the water.

SPEAKER_00 5:06

I love it.

SPEAKER_02 5:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:08

That's great. Uh well, obviously, we've got you know a lot of realtors that listen in. Uh, a lot of our association members kind of listen in. But we I mean, for those that may be listening that don't know anything about the industry, that maybe are just friends of a friend, um you know, they might not fully understand the the title side of real estate. Can can you explain just a little bit about what that role is in the transaction, about getting to the closing table, all that?

SPEAKER_02 5:35

I would love to. So um the title company is kind of what gets you from contract to the closing table. When you all go under contract, you submit your fully executed contract to a title company. We then run a title search of the public records for as far back usually it's typically about 30 years, but sometimes we have uh title work that goes all the way back to the original patent from the United States of America. Um so and the public records read like a storybook. So, you know, the first person who bought the property then sold it to this person, this person died, this person received the property in probate and then sold it to these people, they got a divorce, they followed their divorce decree, then they sold it to these people. So I get to see the whole history of a property um from beginning to end. And sometimes some of those documents have errors in them. And so our job is to correct the errors and make sure that we have clear title for closing. We order the seller's payoffs. If there's any judgments or liens on the property or against the seller, we've got to pay those off at closing. Um, we order estopples from the homeowners' associations, and we balance with the lender. We deal with the lender, we send them all of our title work, they send us their fees, we put it all in a settlement statement together. Um, once we're fully balanced, that settlement statement goes out to the realtors to approve, make sure that any repairs that happened before closing are included to be paid at closing or inspections. Um then we deal with the money. So then the buyer and their lender send us all of the money for the closing. We pay all of the things off that need to be paid and then send the seller their proceeds. So we're kind of like contract to closing table. We do all of that.

SPEAKER_00 7:30

A lot of work.

SPEAKER_03 7:30

How about the survey and home warranty? Because I know sometimes you know, titles pulls that, sometimes they don't, sometimes the lender, especially survey.

SPEAKER_02 7:40

So any property that is being closed with financing is going to need a survey. If it is a condo, that survey was recorded in the declaration of condominium. So we don't have to order a new one, it's already there in public record. Um, but anything else, a townhouse, a residential property, you're gonna need a survey of the property, which is I do have to explain this because not everybody does know that a survey is like a map of the property. It shows your boundary lines, it shows where all of like the house, the shed, the driveway, all of that are. And it shows if any of that encroaches on the neighbor, or if maybe the neighbor put their shed on your property. We need to know all of that. So um we can usually use an existing survey if no improvements to the property have been made. And if that surveyor is still in business. I recently um had a hand-drawn survey from the 90s that someone sent to me and said, Can you use this? And I'm like, that guy's still in business. And have there been any improvements? No, there have not. So yes, we can still use that one. Um, but it depends. I oh sometimes I'll have to send it to the underwriter if I'm unsure. But typically, if the guy's still in business, if it's signed and if there have not been any improvements, we can use an existing survey. So because of that, when we ask the seller, do you have a survey? And they say no, they always say no. They always say no. They don't know where it is, right? Or what it is, even. Um so then we'll call the prior title company and see if they have it. And all of us title companies help each other out. Thank goodness. Life would be so much worse if we didn't. And so if they call me and ask for a survey or a prior owner's policy, I send it and then I can call, I have a contact at every title company in the area and and they reciprocate.

SPEAKER_03 9:29

That's good.

SPEAKER_02 9:29

It is good. Um, but if there is no survey, if one can't be found, sometimes the old title company's out of business. We see that a lot. Um, or there was just a ton of cash transactions, or the title company might have been like in Orlando, and they're not as friendly as all the title companies on the Emerald Coast are. Yes. Um, so then we will need to order a survey. Um we do order the surveys for our closings. We will first get the buyer's authorization before ordering it because it's pretty expensive and they are getting more and more expensive. Um, I recommend getting a survey, even if you don't have financing, just to know like the boundaries of your property, to know what you're looking at, what you're buying. Um and if it's vacant land, I think it's really important to get a survey. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 10:16

I can attest because I just went through this myself personally.

unknown 10:21

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 10:21

I I think surveys are really important things. And if you don't have a survey, then you're not gonna have the survey um on your title policy. So we're not gonna because the title underwriter didn't know what the land looked like, if you know a year from now you have a neighbor saying, Oh, that's on my property, then your title insurance policy is not going to cover you. So it's a maybe a five or six hundred dollar fee, but it's really gonna protect you in the future. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:54

And the plat map's not correct on the county ever.

SPEAKER_02 10:57

Yeah. And well, the plat map. Plat maps should always be or you know, whatever. For the county, the property appraiser's website. Yeah, that's never right. Yeah. You can't trust that. Yes. No. Um, and then for WDOs, I prefer not to order them. I will if I need to, but typically um well, always the termite inspector is going to need to get access to the property. Yeah. And so if I make the phone call, I'm still gonna say, call her to get access. So y'all might as well order. Yeah, so cut out the middleman.

SPEAKER_03 11:26

I mean, that should be part of, I think, when you're scheduling the home inspection because it all should be done at the same time.

SPEAKER_02 11:31

Absolutely. And a lot of home inspectors can do the termite also. Um, so I think that's a plus, get it all knocked out on the same day. Um, or you know, call a termite inspector right now, surveys and uh termite inspectors seem to be very busy, which is good news for our industry. Um termites are two weeks out. So whenever you're doing the inspection period on your contract, you need to maybe even call the inspectors before you set up your inspection timeline so that you know what you're looking at. Um and surveys are sometimes three and four weeks out right now.

SPEAKER_03 12:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:11

So busy time.

SPEAKER_02 12:13

So much, so much to do with title. Good though.

SPEAKER_00 12:17

There's a lot.

SPEAKER_02 12:18

Well, and I love I love what I do because we open a file at the beginning, we get to do all this research, get all this stuff together, all the documents, and then we close, and then we issue a title policy, and then I never have to see that file again, and it's on to the next one. It's very satisfying, I think, instead of like the same monotonous thing over and over and over. Every every transaction is different. It's different. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:44

You get to open the story, but yeah, you also get to see that ending, which is which is nice.

SPEAKER_02 12:48

Yeah, very satisfying.

SPEAKER_00 12:49

Oh, that's good. Yeah. Well uh you kind of mentioned it a little bit, but um the connection, the the camaraderie between title company to other title companies. I know that uh uh Emral Coast Title has been a huge part of you know the affiliate program and that connection between yourself and eCar. Just speak into how important that is, the the relationship there and and how it's mutually beneficial.

SPEAKER_02 13:19

I mean, my relationship with eCar is everything um to our business. I meet most of my clients through an event or a class at e-car. Um I've built relationships through committees that I've been on. Um and way back when I've been doing this for a long time, when I started um being on committees and whatnot at eCar, all of my committee members were now all of the leadership at eCar, which is like incredible to see. Maria was um my first chair of the Camo committee. My very first committee. Maria was the chair.

SPEAKER_03 13:53

Um and look how far we've come.

SPEAKER_02 13:55

I know. And now you're past presidents. It's amazing. Um, but I think Melissa Skineki and Melinda Valquez were all on that committee, also just members with me. And I've been able to see all of the leadership, yeah, you know, everybody grow into their own through that. And so that's been amazing. Um, my relationship with Paula, she kind of like took me in and said, Hey, you should start doing classes here. And this was like 12 years ago. Um, and so Deion and I would go in and do little affiliate classes, and then she'd say, That was great. You need to do it again. You she pushed me.

SPEAKER_03 14:32

She is a pusher.

SPEAKER_02 14:35

In the best way ever. We love you, Paula. Um, she is the best. Um, but she was like, This is what you need to do. And through that, it has elevated my business so much. And then about four, well, probably started like six years ago, where she's like, You need to become an instructor. You need to become an instructor. And then finally she twisted my arm and said, You need to become an instructor. Take this class, I'm signing you up for it. And so I did. I took the instructor workshop and then went down to the mothership in Orlando and um did my audition. And now I'm an instructor for Florida Realtors. So now I can teach um CE classes, which is great. And then now I have classes all on my own. I don't even need my attorney boss anymore to do it with me. Um, and it's my relationship with e-car is everything. It's our whole business, I think.

SPEAKER_00 15:30

That's great. Uh what makes or what I guess do you value most, not necessarily just an e-car, but just kind of in the community here along the Emerald Coast?

SPEAKER_02 15:42

Um what I value most about like the the real estate community is the camaraderie that we have. I mean, everybody has to work together. It is more beneficial if we are all friendly with one another. Um, I think that through e-cart, I've met so many people that whenever I have a problem on a transaction, if some out of state lender can't get financing, um I know exactly who to call, who can get it done. And it's amazing having um my first transaction with someone I've known for years and years and years, and I'm I already know you. I mean, it's wonderful. You're not just a name without a face. I I know you, I like you. Um, and so I think that the physical community that we've built through e-car with um the realtor community, all of the affiliates is probably my favorite part of the friendships that we form.

SPEAKER_03 16:43

Yeah. Yeah, definitely. And I know you've, you know, been a huge supporter of our RPAC golf tournament and our bar campaign. Yeah, the big one, the leadership development program.

SPEAKER_02 16:53

So I never even knew what RPAC was until my first year sponsoring LDP. Um, I've sponsored LDP now for five years, which is the leadership development program. I always wanted that sponsorship.

SPEAKER_03 17:05

Yeah. Um it's it was coveted for sure.

SPEAKER_02 17:09

It was I always wanted it, and it was a big expensive um sponsorship to get, but it didn't matter how much it was gonna cost because I wanted that sponsorship. And I finally got it. Um and sitting in that class, we had someone, I don't even remember, who came in the first time to talk to us about I want to say it might have been Rick Gonzalez that was that was telling us all about um RPAC and what our political dollars do, um the lobbying, the bills that get passed, the money that it has brought to local realtors through different lobbying um sources. And it's it's just so incredible. And so I love to sponsor the RPAC golf tournament every year. Um the pull the wine event is really fun too. The blind wine blind wine, yeah. That's in September. That's really fun. Um, but the best part of it is is what RPAC does for our real estate community and for homeownership in Florida.

SPEAKER_03 18:09

Yeah, yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 18:11

We'll we'll kind of bring it back um I guess to the title side before we kind of close up here. But what are a few things that realtors can do early in the transaction to help title, to help that whole closing process go more smoothly?

SPEAKER_02 18:26

So I have a form called the Ohio form, which stands for only handle it once. And this is for listing agents. Um and it is a what are the names of your sellers? Are they an entity? Are they a trust? If they're an entity, we need their operating agreement. If they're a trust, we're gonna need their trust certification. Do you have a survey? Do you have a prior policy? Is your seller a foreign person or an American citizen? Um, gathering that information up front at the listing is so valuable because you don't know. You may get a cash buyer that wants to close in three days, and your seller may be out of town and not be able to get all of that information together. And so if the listing agent can, at the time of taking the listing, get all of this information that title will need. So once you do go under contract, you can just submit all of it to us. That's gonna help out tremendously. Um I think that's my my biggest piece of advice. Oh, and don't use a non-local lender.

SPEAKER_03 19:31

We try to tell the buyers how many times and they don't listen to us. I know.

SPEAKER_02 19:37

And you can't fit.

SPEAKER_03 19:39

But then we're scrambling to save it.

SPEAKER_02 19:42

And then you have to extend, and nobody's happy about it. Um, so listing agent, do the Ohio, and buyer's agent, don't let them use an out-of-state lender.

SPEAKER_00 19:53

That's my advice.

SPEAKER_02 19:54

Yes, there you go. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 19:55

All right, I'll close up with one more question, and I guess um, again, back to that connection. But what are you most looking forward to as this continued relationship between Emma Coast Title and ECAR?

SPEAKER_02 20:10

Well, I'm really liking my my classes, my education classes right now. Um I've done two so far this year. I've got one tomorrow and then one in July. So I'm hoping that I can have like six CE classes this year at e-car. Um, it helps me become better at what I do. And every time I teach a class, I learn something. Um, and so I'm just getting smarter and smarter about it. I really do need to audition for more classes. We were just talking about that. Yeah. I do.

SPEAKER_00 20:46

You've got two coming up in June, don't you? Do you have two tomorrow?

SPEAKER_02 20:48

She's got the one tomorrow. Well, I've got a CE, a four-hour CE, and then Dion and I are doing um two non-CE classes on compensation. Like how do you get paid?

SPEAKER_00 20:59

The 11th and the 16th of June?

SPEAKER_02 21:01

I think it's the 11th and the 18th, maybe. Um be on the lookout for that. Yeah, I think.

SPEAKER_00 21:07

It'll come out in the Ed Breed Wave in the Ed Breed.

SPEAKER_02 21:10

As I see, you know, probably six or seven hundred contracts a year come through our office. Um, and so I see more contracts than most real estate agents do. Yeah. I mean, by far, I think. Because I'm seeing everybody's contract. Um, and there's so much confusion on how am I gonna get paid, how to use these forms, what forms do we need to use. Um, and so that is what Deanne and I are gonna try to teach is the way that Florida Realtors is expecting you guys to use these forms.

SPEAKER_03 21:38

That's why we had the broker forum.

SPEAKER_02 21:41

And a lot of agents don't have a local broker. Yeah, you're right. Um, and so that's what this is for. This is for those agents who weren't able to attend the broker forum. And we're gonna all try to get on the same page here at eCar. And how are we gonna get paid?

unknown 21:55

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 21:55

I love it. No, it's fantastic. Well, well, thanks so much for joining us. Thanks so much for coming in. Yeah, it's it's always nice kind of having uh a new perspective and and bringing you know our membership and our listeners something else. Um, I think they get tired of listening to my voice, so it's nice to bring in something else.

SPEAKER_03 22:14

We have your voice, Chad.

SPEAKER_00 22:15

Exactly. But um, yeah, for uh I guess for those listening in, it's so glad to bring you another episode. Continue to uh shoot me an email, give me a call. Would love to bring you know uh another affiliate, another member, um, whatever you want to hear. Uh that's what we want to bring because this this podcast is for you. So um Maria or I contact us. We would love to continue to bring you the best and best of what the Emerald Coast has to offer. That's right. But until then, and until next time, we'll talk to you soon.

SPEAKER_03 22:47

Goodbye.