Please introduce yourself.
My name is Sharon Shkrelja, and Speedy Title and Escrow Services, LLC is a business that I own and operate in Clinton Township, Michigan. We now have licenses in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Michigan, and Ohio. We have 15 staff members who together have hundreds of years of expertise in the title business. We were recognized in 2021 by one of our underwriters, Westcor, for being among the top 10 producers in the title industry in Michigan. Most other title firms are unable to handle the transactions that our organization can. We tailor our services to the needs of our customers; for example, we do personalized searches for auction properties and conduct internal tax title clearing, which eliminates the need for someone to shell out more than $3,000 for a quiet title. We also have a focus on investors and wholesalers, and we provide those clients with double closures, transactional finance, any assignments, and buying or selling portfolio packs.
How did you get started in the real estate business?
My career was actually in one of the big three as an information technology specialist in charge of large-scale systems across the United States and Mexico. As it turns out, life introduced me to mortgages in the early 1980s, and I later discovered that I liked the title side of real estate transactions. The rest, as they say, is history.
What are some hot markets for real estate that you are excited about?
The rates are not thrilling at the moment, but since I want to diversify my business and focus on other business areas, we are extremely enthusiastic about the investor market as business is flourishing despite the unattractive rates.
How do you source your real estate deals?
Through word of mouth, we have expanded. Many of our business partners are from clients who have used our services.
What are some checks and balances you’ve put in place to protect your real estate transactions?
We never conduct any transactions without a policy in place to safeguard the customer. We use the knowledge and processes of the three largest underwriters in the country, whose approval we received, to keep everything under control. We have three internal inspectors who make sure that our clients will be assured that the property they are purchasing is safeguarded and that, in the event that anything goes wrong and anything or someone comes up with difficulties, we will make it right.
What is one piece of advice you would give someone starting their real estate career?
Service is essential, and it takes a lot of work. Keep trying; start small and expand later.
What is one software you use for your business and recommend to others?
We use Softpro Select. It has excellent functions including processing, distribution, policy formulation, recording, etc.
What is your superpower in life?
My two grandkids, my granddaughter who is 2 and my grandson who is 4 and whom I adore more than everything, are my superpower in life. In terms of my professional life, I consider myself to be very organized and a fantastic multitasker who can manage several jobs at once.
What is a failure you’ve had in life that set you up for eventual success?
This is a challenging question for me since I have had numerous accomplishments in my life. However, I would say that throughout the Great Recession, my title firm only had one underwriter, and I honestly believed I would never need a second one due to our excellent working relationship. In any case, as the market tightened, the underwriter stopped supporting many agents, including myself, leaving me without an underwriter. I had more than one underwriter as soon as the economy recovered, and I haven’t looked back since.
What is one book that has influenced your life the most? Why?
I was motivated to work extremely hard by my parents. Life was really challenging for them since they were first-generation immigrants from Europe to this nation. As you can see, I would be doing them a disservice if I failed since they came to this nation so that life would be better for us.
