30 Deals vs. 1,000: Sam Trimble’s Title Company Playbook
20+
Hundreds
1,000 vs. 30
Meet Sam: The Collaborator Title Agents Call When Things Get Tough
Sam Trimble has spent more than 20 years in real estate and technology. He has led business development for a Texas title company, founded his own marketing and sales consulting firm, and worked with hundreds of title companies, law firms, and lenders across the country.
Today he is Vice President of Strategic Growth and Development at Fidelity National Financial, where he helps title agents and attorneys grow. More and more, Homebot is part of the playbook he brings to them.
The Challenge: Title Agents Are Feeling the Squeeze
Independent title agents are under real pressure. Big players are moving into their markets and making life hard for small businesses. Many of these agencies are family-owned and have been passed down for years, and some owners worry they will have to sell or walk away.
“These independent title agents across the country are feeling very vulnerable right now. It’s becoming hypercompetitive.”
Part of the problem is built into the work. Title research looks backward, digging through property records, plat maps, and old surveys. Sam says the industry’s technology, marketing, and sales habits looked backward too, until recently.
Most title companies also stay away from reaching homeowners directly. They worry about stepping on the toes of the agents and lenders who send them business. That leaves hard questions:
➔ How do you stay connected to past clients without upsetting your referral network?
➔ How do you hand off leads in a way that actually helps REALTORS® and lenders?
➔ How do you stand out when every title company promises great service?
Most title companies tried to answer these with a patchwork of one-off efforts. Nothing tied it together into a system. What they needed was a way to grow that lifted their network at the same time.
Finding a Better Way to Stay Connected: Grow Your Network First
Sam’s approach starts with one idea. A title company only grows when its REALTORS® and lenders grow. So the smartest move is to bring them something that helps them win.
Homebot fits that idea. With Homebot for title companies, title reps send co-branded monthly digests that keep homeowners engaged after closing. The REALTOR® and lender stay top of mind, and the title company stays part of the relationship.
When Sam brings Homebot to a lender or agent, he puts it plainly:
“I’m bringing this thing to you that I truly believe is going to help you grow your business, and my hope is that it helps me grow mine too. But if it doesn’t work for you, it’s certainly not going to work for me.”
How Homebot Helps Sam’s REALTOR® & Lender Network Win Every Day
1. A Follow-Up System Title Companies Never Had
Before, most title companies pieced together their retention and lead handoffs. Some follow-up here, a one-off effort there. Homebot gives them one repeatable way to stay connected to homeowners, month after month.
2. Value Welcome Instead of Resent
The fear of overstepping has kept many title companies quiet after closing. Because the digests are co-branded with their REALTORS® and lenders, the title company shows up as a helper, not a competitor. Everyone in the deal looks good.
3. Scale That Works in Your Network’s Favor
Sam points to a big gap in volume. A top REALTOR® or lender might close 30 deals in a month. A top independent title company could close 1,000.
That reach is the title company’s edge. One title team can bring value to hundreds of collaborators at once.
4. A Smarter Way to Earn Purchase Business
Lenders can often steer a refinance to a title company. On a purchase, the REALTOR® usually decides. Since title companies touch more REALTORS® than anyone, Sam’s answer is to help those REALTORS® grow, and give them a real reason to keep the title company close.
The Results: A New Lease on the Business
➔ Independent title agents leave with a few simple, affordable, easy-to-implement growth strategies, with Homebot as part of the mix.
➔ Title teams move from patchwork follow-up to a consistent system that keeps past clients engaged after closing.
➔ REALTORS® and lenders get a co-branded tool that helps them earn repeat and referral business.
➔ Title companies put their scale to work, supporting far more opportunities than any single agent or lender could reach.
➔ Title reps can add value for homeowners without the worry of overstepping their referral network.
The bigger shift is in the relationship. The title company stops being just a vendor and becomes a collaborator. And owners who were thinking about selling start to see a future again.
“I can go into an independent title agent who’s afraid they’re either going to have to sell or get out of the business, and with a few relatively simple, affordable, easy-to-implement strategies, I can walk out, and they can feel like they have a new lease on their business. That’s powerful.”
Looking ahead, Sam believes the best title companies are the ones comparing themselves to businesses outside their industry. In a complicated transaction, the companies that make it simple and focus on customer experience will win. His advice to title leaders on the fence: choose tools that only succeed when your network succeeds.
