Opening the Business section of Long Island’s Newsday this morning imagine my shock to read the following headline:
‘REPLACING 1940 FOOD HOME‘ with a photo of Zorn’s Poultry Farm in the background!
As someone who picks-up food from Zorn’s of Bethpage when I’m in the neighborhood, whenever we have guests at the house or for our Thanksgiving turkey, this came as quite a shock to my system.
It was only after reading the somewhat smaller print below that I realized Zorn’s wasn’t going anywhere, but was merely building a new and likely larger structure elsewhere on the property to replace the iconic one that sits there now. And, the old facility will be in operation until the new one is completed. Phew!
For Zorn’s the time had simply come for change. And while losing their ‘home’ after 78-years is likely not an easy thing for them to do, for any number of reasons it was obviously necessary.
Change Is Hard – Change Can Be Good – Inertia Can Be Easy But Not Always So Good
This made me think about business in general and the fact that for most of us change can be extremely difficult no matter how necessary it might be.
In the New York title insurance business we know this reality only too well!
As many of the readers here know from my previous articles, the business development aspect of the title insurance business in New York may have been changed, depending on various circumstances, forever (New York State Title Insurance Industry: ‘I’m Mad As Hell And I’m Not Going To Take It Anymore’!)!
Among many of the things that this change entails based on the New York Department of Financial Services Regulations 206 and 208, a title insurance provider in New York or its salespeople cannot legally do as much as buy a cup of coffee for a current client or prospect. The potential penalty? Loss of license that would basically shutter a business.
Of course, given that the title insurance industry is very much based on relationships, some clients and prospects may have gotten used to some of the ‘perks’ title insurance companies may have lavished on them which could have been much more than a cup of coffee. But for now, however, those days are over!
What Has Hallmark Abstract Service Always Offered To Its Clients?
So what does a company like Hallmark Abstract Service provide to its clients, and what might entice someone to give HAS the opportunity to EARN their trust? We hope that the items in this list and any others I may have left out are what our clients are looking for in their title insurance provider…
- The top underwriters for our clients purchase or refinance transactions,
- An impeccable record in terms of title claims,
- Laser-focus on protecting the best interests of the purchasers and mortgage refinancers that our company represents. If there is an issue that we think may compromise those best interests, we aggressively pursue a resolution. However, in those rare instances when an issue cannot be resolved, we do not put earning a title insurance premium above protecting our clients,
- In any transaction Hallmark Abstract Service works to take as much off of the plate for the attorney’s we work with as we possibly can, freeing them up to work on their own business development,
- Fast turnaround times for title reports that allow issues to be pinpointed, ensuring that there is smooth sailing to a closing at least in terms of the title insurance,
- Clients receive a dedicated person at Hallmark Abstract who will be their go-to if an issue or question ever arrises. And, there is always a smile in their voice,
- Until the implementation of NYSDFS Regulations 206 and 208 the firm always had among the lowest non-title insurance premium fees in the industry. Now, with ‘junk fees’ that are regulated and normalized, we still do not nickel and dime our clients or an attorney’s client by putting what are considered every allowable new charge that exists,
- Finally and as an aside, having opened Hallmark Abstract Service in 2008 at the depths of the financial crisis when deal flow had sharply declined and underwriters were hesitant to bring new companies onboard, the fact that HAS has grown and thrived I believe is testament to the quality of our work product and the level of service we provide!
If you have any questions about either the food at Zorn’s or the way in which Hallmark Abstract Service can be of service, please contact me at the email address or phone number below.
Michael Haltman, President
Hallmark Abstract Service
mhaltman@hallmarkabstractllc.com, (646) 741-6101