Our Blog

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…)So I was surprised, and pleased, to see a terse (and, mercifully, private) response to last week’s blog.  A reader!  Moved by my words to respond!  In essence, my reader felt that I hadn’t shown enough of the positive going on in the industry, or recognized those that are “turning the page” on indifferent customer service, archaic publishing models or the clunky dissemination of information already available widely and easily from multiple sources.

Y’know, that reader was right.  So my thanks to Karenlee Oreo of the Virginia Land Title Association for calling me on it.  What can I say? I was in the mood to be in a bad mood, and didn’t acknowledge some of the good stuff going on right under my nose.  In fact, Karenlee and I spoke shortly after I received her note.  Turns out we’re both on the same page when it comes to a need to rethink how we offer information and benefit to subscribers and members.  And she’s right.  There are some good ones out there.  So this week, let’s recognize some of those whom I feel are doing a good job of adapting to a dramatically changing mortgage and settlement services industry when it comes to communications and information.

By the way, if your organization isn’t on this list—thanks for reading anyways!  It doesn’t (necessarily) mean I don’t love you, although there are definitely a few I feel just don’t get it.  But I just can’t list every single organization or publisher doing a great or good job.  This list is intended to provide a few examples of what information distributing entities might consider doing to catch up with the industry.

• Of course, I have to start with Karenlee and the VLTA.  This is one of the few state title associations with an active presence in social media—especially LinkedIn.  Just the fact that Karenlee is out there reading blogs across the industry tells me she’s interested in what folks in the industry have to say, and what they’re thinking.  Pretty important for an executive director, I think, to know what his or her constituents/peers/members are thinking.   I’ve also heard great things about VLTA’s customer service at seminars and conferences, and it’s doing some great things with its newsletter as well.
• HousingWire.  Love the model.  The hard news and columns are generally free, but you pay to advertise or to see the print edition each month.  Their news feeds (hint:  EASY way to draw traffic back to your site…and yet, so many pubs and associations don’t allow them or provide them!) And the print edition is not just a rehash of the Web stories.  It’s really worth buying.  That’s good, because nobody has a monopoly on the hard news anymore.  But they can lock up the best analysis.  The editorial team and columnists do a bang up job of analyzing the industry.  These guys are familiar with the industry, and it’s clear from their story selection and discussion.  Kudos!
• Inman News.  This publication has about 1,000 reporters, I think…and on top of that, does a marvelous job of collaborating with bloggers and industry notables.  Instead of trying to corral the news, Inman appears to have built a community using a progressive pricing model.  The result is a blog and article-fed discussion, rather than a one-way diatribe.
• Real Estate Services Providers Council (RESPRO).  Kudos for this group’s use of a very practical model for trade conferences.  At a time when many firms are tightening their belts, most trade organizations and publishers are still asking people to invest hundreds to thousands of dollars for the privilege of attending their conference (plus travel, time out of office, etc.).  RESPRO still has its annual show, but in the fall, they run a content-based, bare bones affair in two cities (cutting travel costs for many).  They don’t contract with the hotel—so their members aren’t on the hook for costly room blocks.  (Want to see an archaic business model?  Get to know the hospitality industry’s approach to hosting conferences!).  For a reasonable fee, you get a day with Phil Schulman, and several of the industry’s best and brightest.  No fuss, no muss.  No fancy spreads—just good content and good networking for a price that won’t force you to make more layoffs upon your return.
• Texas Bankers Association.  I’m including TBA here because, unlike too many trade organizations I’ve dealt with, they really seem to get that they exist because of their members, and not in spite of them.  Friendly, proactive and genuinely concerned with getting their members a return on their investment.  My hat is off to the good folks in Austin.
• Source of Title.  Owner Robert Franco has his hands full with his new law practice.  But this grass roots Web site serves as a rallying ground for the forgotten foot-soldier of the title industry, the abstractor.  And it does this well.  Like Inman, he’s built more than just a place to read stories for a profound fee.  This is a community.  Sometimes it squabbles.  Sometimes it complains.  But it’s always a multi-voiced conversation…just like “real life” is.  Source of Title and Inman were doing blogs and forums before most of the other publications knew what they were.  As the result, Source of Title is a good example of how to turn communications into dialogue.

Again, there are plenty of others doing good work out there.  And I am not bashing any of the solid writers or editors toiling at the thankless job of covering the mortgage and settlement services industry.  Instead, I’m calling on the world of mortgage/title executive directors, board members, publishers and editorial directors to consider that the community and industry have changed dramatically.  We’re moving past the time when one charges a single (large) fee and proceeds to jam one-size-fits-all content down the subscriber/member/sponsor’s throat.  As Karenlee points out, there are plenty who do get it, and I applaud them.