Originally posted 9/3/22

n what industry can you start at the head of the table? The top dog or the master of the program? Not many, but if you didn’t know it- when you became a realtor, that's exactly what you are. Top of the real estate market food chain, as it were. Loan officers and escrow agents want to work with you; you are who they market to. There is a power in that. And when used correctly, it can give you a massive advantage over your competitors in your area.

You may have teams you work with at your real estate agencies, but the team I am talking about today is YOUR team. A team that gives you a level of control over the entire home buying or selling experience for your clients. Today, I want to give you three simple steps to create your perfect real estate team.

Choose your Lender

You heard me right; this will be a running theme. I said, choose. That means the lender you prefer to work with is your choice. When you find and develop a relationship with the lender you trust, you can present yourself to your clients with the answer to every step of their home purchase or sale experience. Choosing a lender, or loan officer, you trust with the same values and level of customer service will allow you to ensure your client's experience is exactly what you want it to be. Check out this article by Ownup on “How to Choose a Mortgage Lender.” The same qualities that would attract a homebuyer should attract you as long as the other lender and lending officer fit your outlined requirements.

Choose your Title/ Escrow Company

Like your opportunity to choose your lender, the next step and the following professional you need on your team is an escrow company and preferred escrow officer. This you may already be aware of, and I am sure your agency has a preferred title office. That's great, and unless it is a written part of your contract that you can’t work with any other title company, this is your second step to building an excellent team. The fun part is that if you want to meet new escrow professionals, all you have to do is ask because you are their ideal client. Do a little research, and ask colleagues outside of your agency who their favorite escrow agent or company is. You can ask other real estate professionals like lenders and home builders. They all have their go-to escrow company and officer. Find them, set up a time to have coffee, and evaluate who aligns with your ideal framework. When this works, you now have one or two lenders, escrow companies, and officers on your team. Are you seeing how this could be to your benefit? One more step to complete your perfect real estate team.

Chooses your Notary Public/ Loan Signing Agent

That's right; you get to pick this professional as well. As a notary loan signing agent myself, I have to say, your notary is the most valuable asset you can have. You, your lender, and the notary are the only people who will deal directly with your clients. Think about that for a second. You have done the hard work to get these clients, right? A bit of blood, sweat, and tears. The home buyers or sellers are yours. So, are you okay with some random, unprofessional, poorly trained notary sitting at the closing table? I'm sure you're not, and trust me, those notaries are out there. That's what makes this last team member one of the most important. They are the second face your clients will see. Your clients may deal with the lender on the phone and via email, but as far as face-to-face interactions, your clients will deal with you and the notary. So how do you find the notary that will perfectly fit your powerhouse team? Same as the steps before, ask around. Go to networking events, and ask your title office. Very often, they have a preferred list. Your lender might have a preferred notary. Something to note: here in Fresno County and the Central Valley of California, some title offices have a 2-year requirement for their notaries. Specifically Fidelity, Chicago Title, and Stuart title. So if you have met a notary you love whose values align with yours, but they haven’t met the experience threshold of some of these title offices, you might have to wait to use them. That's ok. Having excellent team members in the wings is a great place to be.

Building this team won't happen overnight. It will take some work and a few failed attempts. Like any project, it won’t start out perfect, and perhaps this team's first members will not be an excellent fit. That's ok, and actually, that's perfect. It gives you what you need to fine-tune your team. This idea, this project will allow you to become one of the most valuable real estate agents in your area. You can promote your business; sharing that you have a killer team to take them from the beginning of their real estate journey to the end.

In addition to the presence this team gives you, it also can prevent bad feelings from your buyers when one or more of the real estate professionals screw up. If lending makes a mistake, it falls on you. If escrow makes a mistake, it falls on you, and it's the same if the notary makes a mistake. Mistakes, terrible treatment or lack of professionalism will all fall back on you. So, if that’s the case, take control of the perception of your clients by choosing the best of the best of professionals they will work with.

I hope you found this information helpful, and if you are looking for the last but most important member of your team, look no further. I would love to join you as you grow your business. Feel free to reach out to see what title companies I work with and get an overview of my experience.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you next week.

Till Next Week-

Jennifer Cooper- JKC Mobile Notary

559-212-4706