Archive for the ‘Gareth’ Category

Impacts of Non Decisions

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

Recently I found myself in a Fast Food Establishment, This particular restaurant (I know it was technically one because it said so on the sign) has 12 pre-established meals. It has been the same 12 meals since I was in High School some Twenty years ago, minus the occasional rib burger thingy or kids movie character sandwich. So you can imagine my frustration when the couple in front of me couldn’t decide between a # 3 and # 6, to say they where undecided would be an insult to people who have no cognitive activity at all. Apart from my general aggravation at this particular chain a # 3 and # 6 are no where near similar at all, “I can’t decide between buying a hamburger or a Parakeet”. So I started thinking how these people make it through a day, we all have to make choices, some lead to prosperity and some don’t”. But if you are one of these non-decision makers, think of the opportunities that you didn’t get (or actually never had a chance of getting). Whether it’s a hiring issue, or a customer service issue or one of the hundred other decisions you have to make each day, your ability to move forward will impact your short term business more than anything else.

To be honest, your ability to make these decisions have already impacted the business you currently have. These decisions you have made (or more importantly avoided making) have consequences. Are you missing out on opportunities, or advantages over competitors by simply NOT.

Gareth Beale is the Marketing Director for Choice Title LLC, you can respond here, or contact him directly Gareth@choicetitle.com

 http://twitter.com/gareth_beale

 His weekly Blog can be found here.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Consumers, For Lenders, For Realtors, Gareth, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Did you Fix the Experience or Just the Problem?

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

In our hectic lives we handle thousands of transactions each and every day. Most happen subconsciously and without problems, but the ones that stick in your mind, you know the ones that when your spouse says, “how was your day?” and your response is, “let me tell you what happened”, are the ones we want to focus on today, More importantly the ones that start off as problems.

In Business problems occur, it is how the problem is handled that separates companies, good companies will fix the problem so the transaction moves forward. Great companies will fix the experience so that the transactions move forward with happy and content clients. Is your business a Transaction company or a Service company?

Here are two examples, the first happened a few years ago, while ordering materials from a printing/ promotional company for an expo. All products were delivered on time, looked fantastic, high quality, crisp logo and print quality, and had vivid colors… Unfortunately they were the wrong vivid colors!! A frantic phone call was made, the printer accepted fault, quickly reprinted materials and delivered over night. The client ended up getting exactly what they paid for, But was it enough? Was the client’s experience what they expected? The answer is Yes, but not because the problem ended up being corrected, it was the experience that occurred after that really made the difference. A card was received apologizing for the inconvenience, along with a small gift basket for the office. Also a small credit was added to the account, that was used along with more orders for more expensive products. Did the printer loose money? Well Yes, That order might have been less profitable, but the relationship was strengthened and many more orders occurred from it.

This next example occurred last week at Sullivan’s Restaurant in Baton Rouge. My wife and I went out for dinner, With NO KIDS. Getting out is a rare occasion but without children happens less than lunar eclipses. Dressed up, a bottle of wine, great service, but my wife’s steak came under cooked. Amanda the waitress was called over, she apologized and quickly took the steak back, it was re-fired cooked to perfection and placed on a new plate with new garnish. Then delivered by a manager with another apology. The waitress then really stepped up her game, checked frequently to refill wine, but never was overbearing. As we were leaving my wife made a comment to the manager that even after the mistake, Amanda made sure we had a great time and we really appreciated it. We got what we expected, great food, great service, and a great time. It was what happened after that made the difference, a few days later we received a card from Amanda, again thanking us for coming and looking forward to serving us again. Which we most certainly take her up on, (My Birthday is coming up, Hint Hint) No food coupons or free drinks offered, just that little bit of extra attention turned a problem into a loyal client. I have an associate who says, “if you go the extra mile, there is very little traffic”. How true, plus you never know someone might mention you in a Blog, and Blast it all over Facebook. Happy Fourth of July.

Gareth Beale is the Marketing Director for Choice Title LLC, you can respond here, or contact him directly Gareth@choicetitle.com

 http://twitter.com/gareth_beale

 His weekly Blog can be found here.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Gareth | No Comments »

Why Have Clients, When You Can Have Fans?

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

I have been dwelling on whether or not to Post on this subject, but I think it is fitting right now. First we will work on identifying current Fans, and keeping them, then we will start work on transforming clients into our Company Fans. In recent years we have all seen a shift in the real estate industry from efficiency, and speed to service and assistance. While the 10 day process from contract to closing still occurs, it is now the exception not the rule. I don’t believe this is a bad thing, but an opportunity to make some life long clients instead of customers who get in and out as quickly as possible and develop no real relationship, and no real loyalty. While this process is not an easy one, it is something we can all do with no specific skills, or classes, it is something that takes time more than anything else.

What is a Fan?

 

Well it seems silly to ask this question in South Louisiana right now, because we see evidence of it every day. Whether it is the Saints Flags fluttering above car windows or LSU decals on every single car’s back glass (My European relatives thought that all the cars came like that from the factory). Baton Rouge is the only city I have been in, where it is perfectly natural to see grown men wearing bright Purple and Gold from head to toe on a daily basis. Fans by definition are supporters, enthusiasts even, in some aspect of your business or company. There is something about the way your company works or a specific employee that is essential to that fans business. Identify what that trait is, or why your current fans became fans in the first place.

Products don’t make fans, service does.

While I agree with about 90% of the above statement, there are some people who this does not apply too. MAC heads come to mind, not the guy who has the Ipad and the Iphone, but the guy who has the pad, the phone, 9 different Ipods, a Mac top and an Apple Tattoo. If you sell PC’s, don’t talk to this guy. But for the “normal” people service is where it starts, and in today’s economic outlook, it is a good place to concentrate on as well. But you will need to expand your search from just “customer service”.

Service doesn’t make Fans, Individual Service does!

We tend to group people, especially in business. It makes life tidy and easy to organize. This is something I am trying to break from in my own work day. Realtors, Brokers, Lenders, Agents, Bankers, Developers, FSBO’s, these are all groups that are made of individuals, who want and require different things. It is impossible to look at that list and imagine making Fan’s out of them. Does every Lender want 24/7 access into our online GFE calculator. I doubt it, there are some Lenders that I could say, “if you use the GFE calculator I will give you a Buick,” (which I wouldn’t because that would be a RESPA Violation) and they still wouldn’t trust the computer to give them accurate numbers. And that is Okay, we have processors to give that information as well. Don’t force the Fan into the Process, adapt your process to the Fan. Then educate Fans on why your company uses that process. A Fan will trust you, and allow you to serve in his/ her best interests. Make sure as your business grows, you don’t leave out the Fans who got you there.

Fans Can Be Profiled.

Profiling has gotten a bad rap here recently, but when it comes to gaining Fandom, it is essential. You might know a client likes coffee, but a fan will know where the pot is, and know how you take your cup as well. As a sales rep, it is a good idea to share your fan’s profile. Whether you store it in the company contacts database or just tell others in the office, the important thing is to let everyone know when a Fan is coming in. It is an opportunity to share a fan, it is a lot of work to maintain a client let alone a Fan, so share the load with the office. The more relationships the Fan has, the less likely that Fan is to stray.

Fan Tracking.

 

If it sounds like Fans are a commodity or an asset, well lets be honest they are. Keep them YOUR commodity. I promise you the competition is eyeing your fans, and why wouldn’t they? If a Builder only uses one realtor for all of his properties, there are several other agents waiting for a mistake to be made. Track your fans happiness, and give some appreciation when needed. If your fans start using the competition, find out why, IMMEDIATELY. Don’t wait 6 months, and then wonder why you didn’t get invited to the Christmas party. When a fan makes a switch, they tend to get very vocal about it, they want everyone they know to use their “NEW GUY”, they need to know they made the right decision, and will work to prove it. This is great if you’re the “NEW GUY”, not so much if you’re the one without the Christmas Card.   

Internal Fans!

Make sure your sales force has internal Fans, those people in the office who work hard to actually deliver the product or service on time and correctly. This isn’t always easy, communication, respect and appreciation is Key. If the sales force doesn’t have fans in the office, it is difficult to develop new ones outside the office. Just as No one wants ME processing closing documents, most processors have no desire to give a presentation to a room full of agents. But we can’t deliver the service fans require without the trust that our fans are being taken care of.

Treat office/ admin employees well. Those fellow employees are your internal customers and need a regular dose of appreciation. Thank them and find ways to let them know how important they are. It sounds silly, but I used to walk into each office and give a small round of applause, what started as silliness turned into me just letting the people who made my paycheck know I was thinking about them. Treat them with respect and chances are they will have a higher regard for your fans. Appreciation stems from the Outside In and from the Top to the Bottom. Treating customers and employees well is equally important.

Next: Turning New Clients into Fans!

Gareth Beale is the Marketing Director for Choice Title LLC, you can respond here, or contact him directly Gareth@choicetitle.com

 http://twitter.com/gareth_beale

 His weekly Blog can be found here.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Consumers, For Lenders, For Realtors, Gareth | No Comments »

Provision Extends Flood Insurance Program to the End of May

Friday, April 16th, 2010

A few weeks ago, the Senate left town for the Easter recess without voting on extending the NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program), thereby resulting in the program’s expiration. The House had previously approved, by unanimous consent, a $9 billion measure containing one-month extensions of several programs including unemployment insurance, COBRA subsidies for health benefits and flood insurance. Senate leaders of both parties hoped to have their chamber approve the same bill before the Easter break, but Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) objected to the House bill saying it was not funded. A similar scenario occurred in early March. Congress approved legislation last night that reinstated the National Flood Insurance Program. President Obama signed the measure into law within an hour after the House passed the measure.

The provision is effective until May 31. It is retroactive from March 28, when the fourth temporary extension since the program’s authorization originally ran out on Sept. 30, 2008. This will rectify and lapse in coverage and allow people living in flood prone areas to move on with their lives.

Officials of the American Insurance Association said the goal of congressional leadership is to finish work by May 31 on a so-called tax extender’s bill, H.R. 4213, “thus precluding the need for another short-term extension of the NFIP.” This Bill will extend and fund NFIP thru Dec 31, 2010.

According to officials of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, “in theory, the NFIP will now return to normal operations and since the extension is also retroactive, any new policy applications or renewals that were signed and submitted during the hiatus will be effective from the date of application (or in the case of waiting periods, the waiting period will start from the date of application).”

At the same time, the House Financial Services Committee plans to unveil legislation today providing long-term reauthorization and reforming of the program.

Understandably agents are “frustrated by these repeated one-month extensions and the periods of expiration that sometimes result from them.” The NFIP is meant to provide a level of stability and protection “for homeowners and businesses against dangerously unpredictable and costly flooding events, not to be an unpredictable ‘here one minute-gone the next’ program subject to monthly congressional action. The IIABA strongly urges Congress to pass a long term extension of this critical program,” Charles Symington, IIABA senior vice president of government affairs said.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Consumers, For Lenders, For Realtors, Gareth | 1 Comment »

Don’t Let Negative Attitude Block You from Your Success

Friday, March 26th, 2010

It is no secret that I have been focusing on getting to that “Next” Level this year. I have read several books recently from management to marketing , but without the right attitude no amount of knowledge can get you past whatever is blocking you from your goals. Recently I was discussing this with Ryan Lowe and shared my desire to write a blog on the subject, my problem was I am no expert on the matter nor do I wish to research it and take away from my current focus. “Just use my Blog posts”, was his answer. Hopefully his generosity is reciprocated in the additional exposure to his website and upcoming book. Ryan is an inspiration to all that know him which is only topped by his charisma and willingness to help a friend. Thank you Ryan for your help.

Don’t Let Negative Attitude Block You from Your Success

Originally Written By Ryan Lowe 02/02/2010

Blatantly Stolen By Gareth Beale 03/25/2010 (with permission)                                                 

The other night I was reminded by a close friend of mine why I decided to write the book “Get Off Your Attitude.”  She had mentioned that she thinks that most people let their negative attitudes block them from their successes in life. It could be any type of success; it could be in friendships, marriage or their career. We discussed several possible reasons for this, and the ones that really hit home to me are your past, your current situation and the influence of your circle of friends. The reason why these hit home to me is because they are areas in which I have personally struggled. Please note that I am writing these blogs and the book because I have know how it feels it how these areas can drain you and keep your from your success.  Our past is something that always reminds us of where we have been, and too often we let it dictate our present and our future. This is a habit that I think we have all struggled with at some point in our lives, and some of us have never learned how to let go of the parts of our past that haunt us. We simply must learn to let it go.  No one on this earth can change it, rewrite it or relive it. We must accept that it is over. The one thing you can’t do is forget the lesson.  There is beauty in every lesson of our past, and is the most important aspect of our past. Have you ever noticed that when we first choose not to see the lesson, that it just keeps coming back at us until we do?

Your Past

I firmly believe that one of the most powerful things we can do to discover these lessons in life is to journal.  I write in my journal every day. I write down the good, bad, and the ugly. I write it down and move on. This is one way that can help you know that you are moving on and that you are a student of life. Whether your current situation is good or bad, always remember that it will change. We all seem to think that the current situation is forever, but it is important to realize that it is only for a season. This is true whether you are in a bad relationship, a bad job, or in a bad financial situation.

Your Current Situation

One of the things you can do to get into a better current situation — it doesn’t matter what it is, how bad it seems, or how long you’ve been in it — is to have a game plan to make it better. You also must have goals. Your goals and game plan will keep you on track to a better situation. One the things I have learned is that you can’t change this overnight, but you can work on it a little bit daily and take it one day at a time. This will put you in control and it will definitely help you to develop a better attitude. The people you are surrounding yourself with will dictate your future. I remember growing up and my mom and dad always saying things like, “birds of a feather flock together,” or my favorite is: “You lay down with dogs and you will get fleas.” I never really understood it until I was older and I must admit I didn’t listen to them. I thought I could hang out with anyone and I could keep on moving towards my goals in life. Take it from me, it does not work that way. You must surround yourself with people that are on the same playing field you are on. If you are looking to live a great life and you are looking to better yourself, you must.  I remember going to one of my first motivational seminars at a young age and the speaker said, “If there is someone in your life that consistently stresses you out, get rid of them.” I did exactly what he said and it worked. I focused on others that could lift me during tough time. Remember also that you don’t want to be the person that they want to get rid of, and so make sure you bring value to your relationship to them. The way you can do that is to be positive with them and be truthful when it comes to helping each other.

 Your Friends

One of things you can do is write down the top five people you surround yourself with.  Ask yourself, are they bringing a positive effect and bringing joy to your life and are you doing the same for them? Also, you must ask yourself, “Are these individuals people that you can trust and are they people you wan to help achieve success their own lives?” This will be one of the most important things you do to help yourself achieve and maintain positive attitude.

Keep in mind that these three areas are only a few that I decided to write about in this blog. There are more that I will discuss in future blogs and in the book.  I strongly welcome your feedback and I ask you to please let me know if this has helped you and if you have any suggestions on how to work on these areas and make them better. I love to hear how people have gotten of their attitude. Also, please feel free to share this blog with any of your friends who you think will benefit from its message. I truly want help others reach their dreams and goals in life with a positive attitude.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Consumers, For Lenders, For Realtors, Gareth, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

New RESPA Guidelines to change REO Procedures???

Friday, March 12th, 2010

RESPA Section 9 covers the rights of the buyer to choose the title company in a purchase transaction.  Sec. 2608 of RESPA under the heading of Title companies; liability of seller states:

(a)    No seller of property that will be purchased with the assistance of a federally related mortgage loan shall require directly or indirectly, as a condition to selling the property, that title insurance covering the property be purchased by the buyer from any particular title company.

(b)    Any seller who violates the provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall be liable to the buyer in an amount equal to three times all charges made for such title insurance.

Now ask any realtor, banker, or  asset manager and this is not the way the REO market has been run. In fact it was the complete opposite, statements like “seller to choose closing attorney”, or “title company seller’s preference” is not only the norm but expected. The original idea was that systems and tools could be put in place to handle large volumes of closings. RESPA obviously saw some risk for corruption, or at the very least, dealings that may not serve the consumer.

The Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) must have finally heard this loud and clear because they have now made a dramatic change to their REO addendum on Section 2B, page 1 line 4 to state, “The closing shall be held at a place so designated and approved by the Purchaser.”  I would imagine we will start to see many banks follow FNMA’s lead in the future.  We’ll see…

For more information on REO Properties go to our Closing 101 section or contact Gareth.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Consumers, For Lenders, For Realtors, Gareth, News | No Comments »

Saints

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

New Orleans Saints more of a litmus test than you may think

“It’s Just a Football Game, is it really going to change your life”, That’s what was being said to me as I kneeled on my hands and knees hoping that the football Gods would somehow speed up the fabric of time and end the Super Bowl with the Saints leading. It got me thinking this morning, would the New Super Bowl Champs change my life? Well maybe it would change my life in a 6 degrees of separation kind of way. Stick with me because this could get messy.

I am sure everyone noticed the roadside Saints merchandise tents popping up all over town. Well there is a reason that they are there, people are spending money. I myself spent $112.00 on new hats for the kids, a more feminine jersey for my wife, the NFC championship hat (the Super Bowl hat is notoriously ugly, and once again they didn’t disappoint) and some sort of car flag that lets everyone know I am a card carrying member of the “Who Dat Nation”, and please don’t steal my car. All this before the Saints even won “The Game”. Who knows what I will be purchasing now, Reggie Bush Bobble Head, Lock of Drew Brees’ hair in a super dome locket, Colts toilet Paper?

So if I’m typical of the middle class, mid thirties, balding, chubby (in a good kind of way) family man, and I’d like to think that I am, then we all went out spent some money on frivolous Black and Gold Stuff. Why is this out of the norm? Well for the last 8 months to a year I, like my chubby brethren have been hording our dimes and nickels like the Monopoly Banker holds on to blue 50’s. I’m talking meatloaf instead of New York Strip, hitting the 89 button instead of 93 button at Shell, the whole nine yards. Heck I re-gifted kids Christmas presents. Not that I made any less money, but I watch Television and by the looks of things I thought by now we would be half-way to Mad Max Beyond Thunder Dome type living (if you haven’t seen it, you should). Now before you do something crazy like eating your one year emergency food supply, I am no expert on world economy. But it felt good, putting the brand new Saints cap on my son’s head, and I went one step further this week and booked a weekend to take my wife to a Mardi Gras Ball. The Saints Winning the Super Bowl, makes us feel good. Maybe good enough and for long enough, that some people who have been too petrified to buy a house, actually pull the trigger and purchase that house that they are qualified to buy. Even if it was previously owned by Tina Turner’s hair dresser (Ubiquitous Mad Max reference).

I don’t really care what tax credits, or incentives the federal government gives. If purchasing a home doesn’t FEEL right, people aren’t going to do it. And lets be honest things haven’t FELT right for a while around Southern Louisiana. Maybe all that talk about Normalcy that politicians and pundits were talking about isn’t what we needed at all. Maybe what we all needed is a good ‘ol shot of feel good Saints the whole time. I can give no guarantees that the real estate business will go into hyper drive, or even that in 6 months we all won’t be eating dog food out of unmarked cans, driving cars with chicken wire across the windshield, and running from Mohawk clad renegades (really go rent the movie). But driving around town today, no one was complaining about the New HUD-1, or the Chaotic nature of the new Good Faith Estimate, everyone was just happy to be living in area blessed to be part of the “Who Dat Nation”.

Oh and getting back to the original question, how will this all change my life…well I DO work on commission. “BLESS YOU BOYS”

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Gareth | No Comments »

Welcome to the Choice Title Blog

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

Welcome to the new Choice Title website. We created this website based on what our clients wanted and ideas given to us from sites outside the industry. Our aim is to have this Blog not only give you a place to learn what is going on in the world of real estate but also an insight into Choice Title. With new HUD-1 changes going into effect this month, we wanted to ease the turmoil and concerns of clients. With the use of our GFE calculator, lenders can develop our fees for their Good Faith Estimate without having to pick up a phone, or even a calculator. Realtors can contact our processors through live chat without having to navigate phone systems, or download potential harmful software. Consumers can ask for help or information packages 24/7.

Our new software is in place, we have taken all the classes (and even given some) and we are ready to help you get through the process of a home transaction, no matter if you are the consumer, the realtor, or the lender, our goal is to help you through the new process.

So browse the website, follow us on twitter and add this blog to you RSS feeds. Check back often, because this is just the beginning for www.CHOICETITLE.com.

Posted in Consumers, For Lenders, For Realtors, Gareth | No Comments »