Category: Mortgage and title industry (general)

As I prepare to attend a few trade shows over the next few weeks, I’m reminded of the things I like about them.  Let’s quickly dispense with the things folks don’t like about them first.  more

The sky is falling.  Wait, no it’s not.  Oh, I guess it is, just slowly.  Nope, strike that.  It’s in a free-fall.  And now it’s scraping along the bottom, awaiting a double-dip, but with a possibility were almost out of the woods. 

Until it falls again. more

We do this from time to time in the settlement services industry.  A negative article runs in INSERT YOUR FAVORITE MAINSTREAM, CORPORATE-OWNED PUBLICATION HERE which glibly mentions the surprise of a settlement services fee, the injustice of a HUD-1 which looks little like the GFE provided weeks ago or the poor attitude of the closer at the table.  Suddenly, a few who don’t actually do real closings spring up, screaming (with lots of exclamation points, of course) “IT’s TIME TO ENGAGE THE BORROWER.” more

This blog’s metrics will never be mistaken for those of Google.  I wax loquacious in my little corner of the Internet to show prospects, clients, friends, family and spammers what I do and how I think.  It doesn’t take a lengthy review to realize that, if my posts do inspire conversation, they aren’t being recorded here.  (Unless I’ve inspired multiple Canadian pharmacies to offer really cheap prescriptions…) more

There is a dramatic change taking place across the mortgage and settlement services industry.  It concerns how professionals take in, and disseminate data, information and knowledge.  

Why don’t many of the trade organizations and publications serving the space get that? more

By now, you know I’m a fan of social media.  I believe it has enormous potential, and is enormously underused in the title and mortgage industry. In fact, I think there are a lot of communications and marketing tools out there that we’re not taking advantage of. But you know what?  In some cases, that’s for the best.  more

Let’s be honest.  The settlement services and even the mortgage industry are what we would politely call “traditional.”  On good days, that means old-fashioned values like loyalty and honesty.  But on the not-so-good days, shall we say it means, ahem, conservative? more

Although it would be easy to do, this is not a BP-bashing post (tempting, but…).  Recently, a  pretty good article about where BP failed in its branding efforts did get me thinking about implications for my own industry. more

For some, “marketing” is little more than a flyer extolling the virtues of one’s product or service.  There’s actually some truth to this.  But when the “strategy” behind a marketing piece starts, and ends, with little more than a look in the mirror, it’s more likely than not that your marketing piece isn’t going to be that effective.  Not with today’s prospect. more

Just when you (all 3 of you!) thought you’d never see another blog post from me, here it is.  But I’m cheating a bit this week  by doing a list.  If you’re one of those hoping to see 1,000 words from me, this ain’t the week! more