Title Insurance

What I’ve Learned in the Past Five Years Working for a Title Startup

Life at Spruce
Jonathan Gearhart
October 28, 2022

It’s a question I get asked pretty frequently: how did you end up in title? We often joke that no one dreams of working within title insurance–kids dream of being astronauts, teachers, or firefighters–but it’s less about our path to title, and why we stay that really matters.

Having come from a relatively traditional professional real estate background, I was immediately fascinated by what a company like Spruce had to offer–as a small, venture-backed company, there was an element of flexibility, the opportunity to combine the best of both old and new, and potential to reach the most customers possible. Building a digital platform from the ground up was an opportunity I couldn’t resist. Five years later, and amidst some of the most tumultuous market conditions I’ve witnessed, I’ve still never been more optimistic about the future of real estate transactions and the role Spruce plays in making that future come true.

It’s safe to say I’m learning every single day–but there are a few lessons I’ve taken from my nearly five years working at a title startup.

“We’ve always done it that way” might be the biggest threat to your business  

In most legacy industries, it’s not common to challenge something that has been done one way for decades, or even centuries. There are many people who might question that if it’s worked so far, why wouldn’t it continue to do so? But Spruce was founded with the belief that real estate transactions were no longer serving individuals and institutions in the best way possible. There was a need for scale, predictability, and cost-savings–and now we have the technology to do it.

So what did I learn? Just because that’s the way it’s always been done, doesn’t mean that’s the best way forward. While there hadn’t been a direct need for change within title and closing even ten years ago, the landscape underwent a shift, technological advances grew, and the demand for a better, more seamless solution was clear. Today, it’s clear that technology has the potential to touch every part of the closing process–for example, Spruce’s proprietary technology and API integrations can speed up time to close by up to 40%, while saving up to 20% on closing costs. We are working to reach the most amount of people in the most meaningful way. And that’s just the beginning. 

Two (or three, or four…) brains are better than one

Not everyone at Spruce is from a title background. We have folks from local agencies, big tech like Amazon and Google, smaller startups, and big four title underwriters–among many others. By bringing people together who all think differently, we’re able to pressure test ideas and bring new perspectives to persistent problems. Instead of approaching challenges with a singular view, we encourage one another to think outside the box, often tapping in colleagues from various departments. Some of our most meaningful product developments (like our client dashboards) have been outcomes of this type of brainstorming.

The power of a team with a wide range of backgrounds, skill sets, and perspectives has resulted in meaningful growth, consistent learning on both an individual and company level, and fewer gaps in strategy. We’ve brought together title titans with deep industry expertise but little tech experience with technical thinkers with no real estate background whatsoever. Our unique group of people and our own platform behind us helps us to understand our clients’ problems, and build or apply the best possible solution. It’s unconventional, but that’s what sets us apart–and what positions us to solve problems in a way no one else has before.

I’ve learned more lessons in the past five years than I could ever list in one blog post–and I’m learning new lessons each day. Not a small local company, but also not a monolith–we take the best of both worlds to enable the personal touch with tech-forward capabilities. 

The fundamental takeaways–try something new and work as a team–are also what sets Spruce apart, and why I believe in our mission and the future of digital real estate transactions. 

Interested in talking with me about how Spruce could help your business scale faster? Email me at jonathan@spruce.co, or request a demo.

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Article by
Jonathan Gearhart

What I’ve Learned in the Past Five Years Working for a Title Startup

It’s a question I get asked pretty frequently: how did you end up in title? We often joke that no one dreams of working within title insurance–kids dream of being astronauts, teachers, or firefighters–but it’s less about our path to title, and why we stay that really matters.

Having come from a relatively traditional professional real estate background, I was immediately fascinated by what a company like Spruce had to offer–as a small, venture-backed company, there was an element of flexibility, the opportunity to combine the best of both old and new, and potential to reach the most customers possible. Building a digital platform from the ground up was an opportunity I couldn’t resist. Five years later, and amidst some of the most tumultuous market conditions I’ve witnessed, I’ve still never been more optimistic about the future of real estate transactions and the role Spruce plays in making that future come true.

It’s safe to say I’m learning every single day–but there are a few lessons I’ve taken from my nearly five years working at a title startup.

“We’ve always done it that way” might be the biggest threat to your business  

In most legacy industries, it’s not common to challenge something that has been done one way for decades, or even centuries. There are many people who might question that if it’s worked so far, why wouldn’t it continue to do so? But Spruce was founded with the belief that real estate transactions were no longer serving individuals and institutions in the best way possible. There was a need for scale, predictability, and cost-savings–and now we have the technology to do it.

So what did I learn? Just because that’s the way it’s always been done, doesn’t mean that’s the best way forward. While there hadn’t been a direct need for change within title and closing even ten years ago, the landscape underwent a shift, technological advances grew, and the demand for a better, more seamless solution was clear. Today, it’s clear that technology has the potential to touch every part of the closing process–for example, Spruce’s proprietary technology and API integrations can speed up time to close by up to 40%, while saving up to 20% on closing costs. We are working to reach the most amount of people in the most meaningful way. And that’s just the beginning. 

Two (or three, or four…) brains are better than one

Not everyone at Spruce is from a title background. We have folks from local agencies, big tech like Amazon and Google, smaller startups, and big four title underwriters–among many others. By bringing people together who all think differently, we’re able to pressure test ideas and bring new perspectives to persistent problems. Instead of approaching challenges with a singular view, we encourage one another to think outside the box, often tapping in colleagues from various departments. Some of our most meaningful product developments (like our client dashboards) have been outcomes of this type of brainstorming.

The power of a team with a wide range of backgrounds, skill sets, and perspectives has resulted in meaningful growth, consistent learning on both an individual and company level, and fewer gaps in strategy. We’ve brought together title titans with deep industry expertise but little tech experience with technical thinkers with no real estate background whatsoever. Our unique group of people and our own platform behind us helps us to understand our clients’ problems, and build or apply the best possible solution. It’s unconventional, but that’s what sets us apart–and what positions us to solve problems in a way no one else has before.

I’ve learned more lessons in the past five years than I could ever list in one blog post–and I’m learning new lessons each day. Not a small local company, but also not a monolith–we take the best of both worlds to enable the personal touch with tech-forward capabilities. 

The fundamental takeaways–try something new and work as a team–are also what sets Spruce apart, and why I believe in our mission and the future of digital real estate transactions. 

Interested in talking with me about how Spruce could help your business scale faster? Email me at jonathan@spruce.co, or request a demo.