Message from the CEO | Full Time Focus

I had the honor and privilege to serve as the Texas Land Title Association (TLTA) president from June, 2017 to June, 2018. At the TLTA Annual Conference last month, I reluctantly passed the gavel to John Martin, President of Lone Star Title. My only hesitation was that I was giving up a role at the TLTA that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is a role which serves the entire industry – independent agents, associate members, underwriters and direct operations. The industry that I have been a part of for the past 34 years. The president works in conjunction with the full board of directors and professional staff of the TLTA, but It is the responsibility of the president to determine the direction and focus of our industry. That is what makes it such an honor to serve. Our long lineage of great past presidents understood this role and have contributed greatly to the success of our industry. I am confident in John Martin’s ability to lead our industry for the next year. He has the experience and knowledge to navigate the complexities of the coming year.

June 2017- June 2018

I have come to grips with the title “immediate past president,” and am now committed to spending 100 percent of my focus and efforts on First National Title. And the first thing I am going to do is get out on the road to visit our agents. In the past year, we have grown our agent base and agent revenue. We have added staff and created positions and responsibilities for them to help you grow your business. Our Texas title plant operations have been expanded to include 33 Texas counties using the Title Data, Inc. plants and four counties using Data Trace. We have increased our staffing at the plant and are now providing title evidence to many of our agents throughout Texas. In Florida, we have added experienced help to our plant operations and continue to add new agents all over the state.

We continue to seek new ways and new ideas to earn your business. The title industry is constantly changing and we are committed to keeping both our company and yours up to date and ahead of the learning curve. Our recent Bulletin on Remote Online Notary (RON) is just the starting point. There are a variety of options available to the independent agent to capture this segment of the market and we have the tools and connections to make that happen.

Having an FNTI team member available to train and educate your staff is one of our top priorities. We strongly believe in the benefits of education. Through our partnership with the TLTA, we offer over 40 on-line courses – at no cost to you. Our legal team is conducting regional seminars and will soon be in your area. The FNTI webinar, held on the second Tuesday of every month, attracts over 175 title professionals at each session. Plus the legal and sales team deliver at least five to ten specific events every month for those agents focused on realtor business. Therefore, I am pleased to announce that the most recent addition to our staff is a training and education specialist. April Roberts just joined FNTI and will soon be in touch with you to review your educational needs. A formal announcement will be sent out soon, so please watch for additional information.

Please contact me or any member of our team to give us suggestions, ideas and insights as to how we can help you grow your business. I appreciate the opportunity to be of service and to finding ways to expand your business.