when watching In the home buying process, I have always found it fascinating and impressive that the title agent usually wins buyer driven social media posts. The homebuyer wraps up this lengthy process with their real estate agent and mortgage loan officer, but it’s the photo with the title agent that they post on social media as they hand over the keys to their new home. To add to the story, buyers usually don’t even choose a title agent – the seller does.
This overview isn’t the focus of the issue — title and escrow companies are — but the issue involves some of the top behind-the-scenes and consumer-facing companies. So why do I bring up that social media observation? The title is intended to indicate the increased focus on consumer experience in the process. This is also a topic that all companies in housing are trying to address – how to create a beneficial and educational experience for buyer and seller.
In both this year’s list of TECH100 winners and the comments in this issue of thinkers in the headline space, the consumer is at the center of the conversation. The concept isn’t necessarily new, but after a few years of record-setting demand, the race is on to see who will win the consumer as competition within the industry hits a new high.
Lastly, I’d like to extend my heartiest congratulations to this year’s esteemed list of Tech100 winners. Here’s a list of how it’s evolved, shifted, and adapted over the years, and I can confidently say that these companies are driving the market and continue to push the envelope in housing.
