Johnny Collins II has made the groundbreaking history of being the first black person to be elected to the Texas Land and Title Association (TLTA) board in its 115-year existence. He is a prominent business leader and owner of the thriving title company, Community National Title in Dallas, Texas.
Currently, there are over 4, 485 title agents employed in the United States. The most common ethnicity of title agents is as follows: White (68%), Hispanic (15.4%), Asian (7.0%), and Black or African American (5.9%).
One may ask, what type of mindset, leadership skills, and networking capabilities are needed to unlock the door to this level of success? Follow along as Johnny-rightfully known for his big energy that’ll win over any audience shares his business gems.
How did you get into the title business?
The short version-I originally owned a mortgage bank
and like clockwork every Friday, my business partner had an ongoing issue with an escrow officer. After witnessing that repeatedly, I told my partner let’s just start a title agency. I won’t minimize the journey like it was smooth, moving from mortgages to the title business was a horrific process. The reality is we were making so much money on the front end in a business that we knew nothing about.
In all honesty, the best thing that ever happened to me and humbled me was business failure. Contrary to popular belief, the best time to start a business is when the economy is bad because it levels the playing field. We got the word out through our business colleagues who were the real players in the mortgage industry and that’s how we became an overnight success. It’s true, there were many business lessons or takeaways during this process. But the one that stood out to me is- sometimes you got to just do it; it’s that simple, not easy. My father ingrained that in me years ago to not trip over a problem, and find solutions.
What is the client experience in business?
In the B2B industry, like my title business, people rarely remember who they used. We figured out a two-fold process that’s been solid for our business and it’s rooted in the client experience. The first part is to compliment and motivate the business that’s sending us the end user, then we make sure the end user’s needs are met and their thirst is quenched. With this powerful combination, it’s a win-win for all and it sets the tone for impactful networking.
My partner and I understood the nuances of customer service and we branded our client experience around giving people options they love to see. We care about making our clients feel good and adding to their happiness. Most companies don’t give people what they need, they give people what their system provides.
What is the secret ingredient in the power of networking?
The secret ingredient is to view networking as a lifeline to the next profitable step in business, life, and friendships. Pause for a moment and ask yourself, do the relationships that I foster with people that are born out of networking, inspire me and broaden my mindset to think bigger?
The process of impactful networking starts and ends with three goals:
- Meet and win new relationships
- Flourish and fertilize the relationship to maintain it.
- Take the relationship to the next step and create memories that will turn into years that you can treasure.
You must have a firm understanding of how to network beyond your success. Learn to appreciate the small steps of being a conduit in someone else’s success story. Remember, it is a privilege for someone to make time for you, receive you into their space, and give you what you need. Great networking is when you get things you didn’t even know you needed out of the encounter.
What mindset is needed to pivot throughout life, business, and relationships?
In business, the ability to be agile, adapt, and change with the wind is everything. For example, right now in our business interest rates are going crazy and getting higher. The industry is contracting and it’s making it tougher for everyone including realtors and mortgage loan officers. These partners are our clients and it’s a challenge for them to go out and win business because the average consumer doesn’t want to pay what they perceive as and is more than what they would have paid a year ago.
The problem-business owners must now sharpen the knives in their toolbox on how to sell people the truth about what it takes to be in homeownership positions. Since this change in the economy happened overnight, those who didn’t have the ability to adapt, they’re out of business. From our perspective, not only do we have to have the ability to pivot with our clients, but we also must have the ability and resources to pivot internally.
This calls for us to do something different to change our approach. This is a truth that’s hard to swallow for most companies because it requires you to have some money in the storehouse and be prepared. Normally, people don’t often plan for the shifts in the market, they just ride the wave for good or bad. But when it happens, everyone has a few choices; you can go down with the ship or you can buy champagne for everybody. We’re not like that-we sit down and forecast. We ask ourselves, what could the industry look like within eight months or a year when things change? We map out a solid plan to make sure we can do the right thing for all the families that we support. Simply put- that is the powerful mindset of knowing how to pivot.
How are you and your team preparing people for the future of real estate?
The way we prepare people for the ever-changing future of real estate is by doing our part. I wanted to provide people that look like me with a place to go to ask questions and receive answers that will benefit them in their everyday life. CNAT University is our mentorship company that offers high-level insight into laws and standards, diversity, ethics, sales, and mental empowerment. We will equip underprivileged, underserved, and overlooked potential homebuyers and future title agents with the precise knowledge they need to be successful.
For more info, follow Johnny on:
Facebook: JohnnyCollins2817
Photography Credit: Kauwuane Burton Studios
Author Bio: Nikki is a solopreneur, author, and seasoned ghostwriter. She has a never-ending dedication to impactful writing-primarily writing for the business, music, and book-publishing industries. Her best work comes from working with CEOs, community leaders, publicists, influencers, independent musicians, and published authors. She takes great pride in being a rarely seen “publishing insider.” In her downtime, she can easily be found soaking up the beach scenery in Wilmington, NC, attending concerts, and spending quality time with her family and friends.
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