The story of any property transaction begins with a ‘For Sale’ sign, draws attention with a tour, progresses to an offer, goes back and forth in negotiation, and settles on a price. The completion of that transaction requires that the purchaser receive a clear title to the property.
That’s where Southeastern Title, LLC comes in. The company, located at 204 E. Morrissey Drive in Elkhorn, has been serving buyers and sellers in Walworth, Racine, and Kenosha counties for the past 11 years.
“We’re here to make sure the buyer gets a clear title to the property and the seller gets the proceeds of the sale quickly,” says Southeastern Title manager Trista Smith.
For most people, buying or selling a home happens on a few occasions in a lifetime. A visit to a title company to complete the paperwork to seal the deal is unknown and can even feel a little intimidating.
“A lot of people don’t understand the process,” Smith says. “We’re here to explain.”
Southeastern Title’s eight employees come from a variety of backgrounds, but many have experience in banking or real estate. Each employee who handles a property transaction earns a Title Insurance License and gains valuable experience through hands-on training. “Every transaction is a little bit different,” Smith says.
The process of guiding the parties through a closing begins with clear communication in the days prior to the appointment. Southeastern Title lets buyers and sellers know exactly what they need to bring to the closing in order to complete the transaction. For buyers and sellers who are working with real estate agents, Southeastern Title communicates through the agents. In ‘For Sale by Owner’ situations, communication is directly with the seller.
“We try to make everything as smooth as possible for everybody,” Smith says.
Southeastern Title maintains working relationships with lenders, builders, and realtors. “We prove the work that we can do and earn that business,” Smith says. “We take care of them and their clients.”
Because southeastern Wisconsin has “a very heavy second-home market,” Smith says, the title company stays busy nearly all year, with spring and summer the busiest times for property sales.
“Employees don’t take a lot of vacation time between spring and Labor Day,” Smith says.
While most transactions are done at the company’s headquarters in Elkhorn, Southeastern Title can accommodate out-of-office closings when necessary. In addition, with its parent company in Madison and sister companies throughout the state, Southeastern Title can recommend a title company to buyers who are purchasing outside its own three-county area.
While Southeastern Title has had long standing relationships with some real estate agents, others bring in clients for the first time. “We do the same job for a new agent as those we’ve worked with for years,” Smith says.
