Happy Spring, everyone! Depending where you are, Spring came in like a lamb or lion. Or maybe the whole first quarter of this year has been a lion.

The market has slowed down but, for many of us, the demands of running our desk and closing transactions have not. For those that have experienced a reduction in your workload, now is a good time to look at reviewing your workflow systems and your sources of business.

Other things that can be focused on are: How can I prepare myself for the adversities I am facing? Where can I go to hear more about the changing market and the client base we serve? How can I educate myself?

Your answers? CEA. As a member of CEA, you are afforded opportunities to share and receive information from other escrow practitioners affected by the same market conditions. You’re able to hear speakers discuss pertinent and current topics of relevance to our industry and our livelihoods. You’re able to keep abreast of the legislative and regulatory matters being discussed and potentially impacting the way we do business. And most important, as a member you have a voice in “Making a Difference” in that legislative process.

Most of us wouldn’t dream of not having representation at a court hearing or not having insurance against earthquakes. Can you imagine what it would be like if CEA, represented by our own Mike Belote, had not given testimony several years ago before the Senate Insurance Committee against the Radian product (SB 344) wherein the CEA message was very simple, “On a policy level, escrow practioners spend much of their days helping clear title to real estate, which often involves paying off liens and judgments, including delinquent child support. If this ‘curative’ work is not done, the entire system will suffer”.

What about all of the changes in the California withholding where CEA’s involvement has made a difference? Remember, at one point the proposed bill AB 1338 had language that made escrow officers jointly and severally liable with buyers for failing to withhold. This, of course, was opposed by CEA and ultimately removed.

And in our most recent issue, CEA has continued to present necessary and valuable arguments against the proposed rate reductions by the Department of Insurance and the falsehood that the industry is not competitive. As we all know, the proposed rate reduction will impact all segments of the escrow industry. To quote Mike Belote, “CEA will be prepared to defend the value and integrity of the escrow function, whether performed in the context of title companies, independent escrow companies, broker escrow, or others.”

It is these types of benefits that we can neither take for granted nor do without.

CEA is the members. CEA is for the members. Members are the lifeline of the Association. I ask each of you to remember all of the benefits of membership in CEA and share those benefits with others. We cannot afford to let our strength in numbers wane.

I know with the downturn in the market, many companies have experienced layoffs or cutbacks. The membership dues may have been paid by your employer, but your membership is a benefit to both you and your employer. It is imperative that your employer know how valuable your membership is in CEA. It is important they know that by you being informed and involved, it strengthens their position in the market with their clients. It is likewise as important and vital for YOU to realize, that whether your employer pays for your dues or not, it is a most valuable investment for you.

I ask you to consider the cost of $0.58 per day or less in the big scope of our profession, our livelihoods and our families. That is the cost of membership in CEA. Is that too high a price to pay for such a worthy investment? The value is so much greater.
Remember our agreement:

If you are a member, I ask that you help me “Make a Difference”.
• Make A Difference by educating your clients about the services we provide and the value of that service;
• Make a Difference by educating yourself through our online education classes or Regional meetings and workshops;
• Make a Difference by being informed about the issues and practices impacting our industry;
• Make a Difference by being involved, being a part of the process, part of the solution, part of the change; and finally,
• Make a Difference by supporting the goals of CEA, by being an Ambassador for the Association and telling others about the benefits of being a member of the California Escrow Association.

If you are not a member, I encourage you to join us. Join in and be a part of a team of professionals that are proud of the service we provide and serious about the industry we belong to.

Invest in CEA. Invest in your future. We need you and the Escrow practioners that you know to join in to “Make the Difference” in our industry. It is so important.

FRAN BUTLER