Q & A with Meka Dixon from Texas Title Company

Meet Meka Dixon from Texas Title! She has been in the title business for 22yrs and at Texas Title for 18yrs and counting. We did a Q & A and drilled her brain to bring you some quality knowledge on a side of real estate that can be confusing for some, the title company.

QUESTION: Can you describe a title company as if the audience knew nothing about it?

ANSWER: The best way to describe what a title insurance company does is by giving you a small synopsis. When you want to purchase, sell, or refinance real estate in any state, title insurance is your best bet. We make sure that the person selling the property is actual the right person to sign the documents to make the purchase legal and valid. You don’t want to purchase, sell, or refinance a property without insurance. It is up to the title company to confirm that when you obtain this property, there are no liens or encumbrances that will cause someone to step in and claim what you’ve purchased as their own. It is peace of mind to know that what is yours IS YOURS.

QUESTION: What inspired and motivated you to get into the title company business?

ANSWER: I love knowledge, numbers and diversity which is why title worked out for me. Something about seeing a family walk away with a key to the home they worked so hard to get into makes my soul smile and it fuels me to keep doing what I do.

QUESTION: What is your work day like?

ANSWER: My day starts at the sound of my alarm at 4:30am (yes 4:30am) and although my body doesn’t look like I go to CrossFit (because I don’t), I do however do my yoga stretches every morning to get the blood to the brain flowing. I live near the Woodlands so I make sure that I am out of the door by 6:45am because everyone knows it take 1 hour to get from Houston to Houston.I usually make it to the office by 8am and that is when I prepare for my day. I am a paperless processor so majority of my paperwork is in the file system. I know it sounds scary, but it saves me a lot of time and gives me the ability to be accurate and on point with my files.I can typically take care of 3 files at a time. My desktop screen is huge and I can have a lot of items opened at once. I encourage people in the title business to work on 1 file at a time so that you can focus but I get a lot of emails and phone calls so I try to obtain each information quickly which is why I have more than 1 file at a time open.Working in title can be demanding which is why I work late a lot. My key way to communicate is via email which is why I refuse to leave the office until all emails are read and answered. Because I am an Escrow Officer, I am also a processor and funder on my own files. So I work on the closing statements and communicate with sellers and buyers for setting up their signings as well as submit all the paperwork to the courts to legitimize the transactions.

QUESTION: What do you consider the main differences between those people who have been successful in your industry and those who have failed?

ANSWER: Dedication, ethics and loyalty are needed in this business. You cannot work in an office with people who are determined to work against each other; you must work as a team a family even in order to be successful in the title industry. Brenda Nieto and I have been working together for 16yrs and counting. I trust her and she trusts me that is important when dealing with people’s lives (realtors, investors, buyers and sellers) each person no matter their title need to trust that you will take care of their transaction ethically.

QUESTION: What’s the most common rookie mistake when it comes to choosing the right title company?

ANSWER: Not doing your research. Get to know your title company, meet with them get comfortable with them find out if their working habits fit your needs. Every file is as different as my fingerprint to yours. Each case must be treated carefully and with open eyes. You need to make sure that your title company is able to get the job done by talking to them about the file before opening it to make sure that they are able to accommodate whatever the closing situation may be.

QUESTION: If a first time home-buyer walked up to asking for your advice and you only had a few minutes to give ‘em your best tip, what would it be?

ANSWER: Take your time this is not a race this is where you plan to live and raise your family. The right home will come to you. But do not close without title insurance. Make sure my name is on that contract so that I can make sure you are taken care of. And even if they do not close with me, call me if you are confused about where you are in the process. I am here to help.