Blum will focus on empowering the underwriter鈥檚 regional agents to grow their businesses.
海角吃瓜黑料mpany, the title insurer that is uniquely responsive to the needs of independent agents, is excited to announce that it has hired Christina Blum as Underwriting Counsel Southwest Region.
For over 11 years, Blum has been a fixture in the title industry. Her career began in 2013 when she worked in the claims center of a national underwriter. Starting in 2018, she served as underwriting counsel for two national underwriters and worked as a real estate and banking attorney for a large, regional law firm in San Antonio.
In her new role as Underwriting Counsel Southwest Region, Blum will focus on supporting 海角吃瓜黑料鈥檚 policy-issuing agents with their underwriting needs. This will include extensive research, risk analysis, and issuing insurance decisions, as well as creating and disseminating educational and underwriting materials.
鈥満＝浅怨虾诹� is well-known in the industry for the unique support it offers independent agents,鈥� Blum said. 鈥淗aving the chance to join an organization like this during a period of rapid growth is an exciting opportunity. I look forward to navigating the evolving and challenging real estate landscape with the rest of 海角吃瓜黑料鈥檚 expert team.鈥�
鈥淐hristina will be a major asset for our team and for our policy-issuing agents,鈥� said Jean E. Bailey, VP, Regional Underwriting Counsel at 海角吃瓜黑料. 鈥淪he brings significant experience that will enhance our operations, grow our footprint and assist our agents in addressing their most critical underwriting priorities.鈥�
In addition to her professional roles and responsibilities, Blum is highly active in the title community. She is a member of the Louisiana Land Title Association and the Texas Land Title Association. On the latter, she sits on the institute committee, the legislative committee and acts as a local legislative liaison. In addition, she is part of the Oklahoma Land Title Association, the American Land Title Association and holds membership in the Commercial Real Estate Women, San Antonio Chapter.
Blum received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Elmhurst University and her Juris Doctor from Louisiana State University. She lives in the San Antonio metropolitan area with her family.
海角吃瓜黑料 supports its independent agents by combining expert residential and commercial underwriting with a passionate heart for service. The company delivers uncommon help that promotes the well-being of agents and the communities they serve.
About 海角吃瓜黑料mpany 海角吃瓜黑料 is on a mission to empower independent agents while protecting property owners with secure title insurance. The company partners with its agents and never competes against them with direct or affiliate operations. 海角吃瓜黑料 serves thousands of title professionals as a licensed underwriter in 32 states and the District of Columbia.
This year, 海角吃瓜黑料 marks 20 years of serving independent agents. Celebrating Our Past and Building Our Future Together, we look back at our founding, the vision that set us apart, and how the challenges of the financial crisis strengthened our commitment鈥攆irmly establishing 海角吃瓜黑料 asThe Independent Underwriter for The Independent Agentsm
In 2005, 海角吃瓜黑料 was founded on a radical idea: to create an underwriter that served independent agents rather than competing against them. The inspiration came from Dave Ginger, who had spent decades working with both small independent agencies and large national firms. Ginger saw firsthand how national companies often viewed local agents as a revenue source rather than as true partners.
In a 2011 interview with the Times-Call of Longmont, Colorado, he reflected on the clear differences he saw between companies that aligned their interests with independent agents and those that did not.
鈥淚 had been involved with an agent-owned company earlier in my career, and the biggest thing I saw was the feeling toward the independent agent versus what I saw at the national companies,鈥� Ginger said鈥�.
A Texan with a reputation for bold action, Ginger teamed up with Bob Grubb, a Colorado businessman with experience in commercial finance, private equity, and technology-based manufacturing companies, as well as Scott Hendrickson, a CFO with a background in manufacturing, distribution, and insurance. Together, they formed 海角吃瓜黑料, a title insurance underwriter with an intriguing core philosophy: local independent agents deserve an underwriter that works for them鈥攏ot against them.
From the outset, the founders made a defining decision that set 海角吃瓜黑料 apart: it would never operate its own direct title offices.
鈥淥ur model was, we鈥檙e not going to compete against you, period. We鈥檙e going to have no direct operations, no Alliant stores,鈥� Grubb later told the Times-Call鈥�.
This AgentsFirst philosophy resonated quickly, as Grubb would later recall during a speech marking 海角吃瓜黑料鈥檚 10th anniversary in 2015.
鈥淭he 鈥榮eedling鈥� was 鈥榯ended to鈥� by our founding agents and the staff. We searched for, and found, agents who shared Dave鈥檚 vision and gave us a chance to prove it. We sprouted up in late 2006, gained some strength,鈥� Grubb remembered. 鈥淲e grew twice as tall in 2007 and most of 2008.鈥濃��
But just as it seemed the company was firmly establishing itself, the world changed.
Weathering the Financial Crisis
The 2008 financial crisis hit, bringing the housing market to a near standstill. The impact on the title industry was devastating.
鈥淭he land title industry as a whole did about $17.8 billion in revenue in 2007,鈥� Grubb later recalled. 鈥淏y 2010, that had dropped to $9.5 billion.鈥濃��
Transaction volumes plummeted, and some underwriters pulled back or shuttered their operations. Independent title agents across the country were left adrift, struggling to navigate a rapidly shifting market.
鈥淥ur agents were battling radical declines in transaction volume,鈥� Grubb remembered in 2015. 鈥淔or many, their underwriters were either closing their doors or indiscriminately cutting their agent base as they raced to adapt to the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.鈥濃��
Unlike many of its competitors, 海角吃瓜黑料 took a different approach. Rather than retreat, the company dug in, delivering resources agents needed to survive and adapt. The upstart underwriter invested in education programs, marketing workshops, and compliance initiatives. Despite the economic turmoil, the gamble paid off. By 2011, 海角吃瓜黑料 had grown to 200 agents鈥攁 testament to the strength of its independent-focused model鈥�.
Regulatory and Industry Shifts: Strengthening the Independent Agent
The greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression was followed by the most sweeping statutory and regulatory reforms the industry had seen in decades. The Dodd-Frank Act, the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure (TRID) rule, and the rise of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) reshaped the mortgage and real estate landscape. Agents faced increased compliance costs, heightened oversight, and new expectations. At the same time, the rise of cyber threats, social engineering, and wire fraud introduced new risks. Fraudsters increasingly targeted real estate transactions, exploiting gaps in communication and security protocols to misdirect funds.
Recognizing the challenges and deep confusion agents faced, 海角吃瓜黑料 went to work again, providing training materials, webinars, and white papers to help agents adapt. The company also set the benchmark for security compliance, becoming the first title insurance underwriter in the nation to obtain SSAE 16鈥攏ow SSAE 18鈥擳ype II certified status. It later completed its first ISO 27001 audit and went on to become the first title underwriter to obtain ISO 27701 certification for data privacy.
20 Years Later: A Company Built on Care and Innovation
Today, 海角吃瓜黑料 is, in many ways, a very different company than it was in its early years. It now employs about 100 people, operates in 32 states and Washington, D.C., and serves thousands of title professionals; but while its reach has expanded, its core mission remains the same. 海角吃瓜黑料 CEO David Sinclair says that while the company has 鈥済rown up鈥� in terms of systems and capabilities, it remains fiercely committed to its founding ideals鈥攃ontinually looking for ways to put AgentsFirst.
鈥淎s a company grows, it鈥檚 always challenged to hold on to its vision and culture,鈥� Sinclair noted. 鈥淏ut there鈥檚 something different about this place. The commitment of this team to that vision is remarkable, and together we鈥檝e done a lot of work around articulating the culture that helps us deliver on our fundamental commitment to our agents.鈥�
That culture is built around the three Cs: Competence, Care, and Commitment. Sinclair says the team at 海角吃瓜黑料 strives to embody these principles every day, ensuring that the company’s mission is more than just words. At the center of it all is Care鈥攃are for team members, stakeholders, and most importantly independent agents.
鈥淲e all know there are a lot of places to spend a career in this industry,鈥� Sinclair said. 鈥淭he people who work at 海角吃瓜黑料 choose to be here because of the care we show.鈥�
And as in past challenges, that philosophy of care has led to new innovations. It is what drives the company to continually improve and develop new solutions to support agents in a changing industry. One example is SecureMyTransaction庐鈥攄eveloped to help agents combat the latest fraud threats. The company is also working to expand its title production capabilities and improve its digital education offerings.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited for what鈥檚 ahead鈥攏ot just for 海角吃瓜黑料, but for our agents and the industry,鈥� Sinclair said. 鈥淭his company is a special place, and I鈥檓 honored to be part of it. But at the end of the day, it鈥檚 always about the agents. That was true in 2005, it鈥檚 true today, and we鈥檙e making the investments to ensure it remains true for the next 20 years.鈥�
For 海角吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Tracy Pace, title insurance remains a passion.
Many find it difficult to remember what led to important phases of their careers. Tracy Pace doesn’t have that problem. Her journey to the title industry began during a national tragedy that forever imprinted itself in our collective memory. 鈥淚 had been working as an executive at a New York-based cosmetics company,鈥� she said. 鈥淎fter September 11th, our business declined, and I began to consider a career change.鈥� This was an all-too-common situation at the time, as New York鈥檚 GDP dropped precipitously following the attacks and many professionals evaluated their options. However, it wasn鈥檛 long before a silver lining appeared. A recruiter contacted her about a job with a title underwriter, an opportunity which ironically transformed this dark moment into one of the brightest periods of Pace鈥檚 career.
The title industry, it turned out, would prove to be a great fit for Pace. It offered her the chance to make a tangible and positive impact on its many stakeholders. This continues today in her role as 海角吃瓜黑料鈥檚 South Florida Agency Manager.
Of course, Pace鈥檚 transition to the title industry wasn鈥檛 without its challenges 鈥� nor was it instantaneous. 鈥淚 reluctantly took the job only after considering it for several months,鈥� said Pace. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 primarily because, in the beginning, I knew very little about the industry.鈥�
Over time, however, she came to learn the ins and outs of the business, developing a passion for title insurance by taking on a “diverse range of responsibilities鈥� that kept her 鈥渃hallenged and engaged.鈥� Once she joined 海角吃瓜黑料, she found ample opportunities to apply this drive for the benefit of the underwriter鈥檚 agents. 鈥淓very day I get to help our agents grow their businesses, start new businesses, the list goes on,鈥� she explained.
Given the many challenges the average title agent faces today, being able to rely on passionate and accomplished professionals like Pace is critical. 鈥淭he industry is currently experiencing dramatic upheavals, with advancements in technology and data accessibility driving rapid transformation. There are also more stringent rules around compliance, consumer protection and privacy,鈥� she explained. At the same time, consumers are increasingly valuing businesses that prioritize human connection.
As a seasoned professional with many years of experience under her belt, Pace understands these competing interests completely. She also knows how to equip agents with everything they need to navigate both simultaneously and thrive.
For instance, Pace works hard to ensure agents know about the various tools, resources and knowledge 海角吃瓜黑料 provides to its agent community. 鈥満＝浅怨虾诹� has invested in cutting-edge fraud prevention tools like SecureMyTransaction, as well as ongoing education to help agents spot and mitigate threats,鈥� she said.
Pace also encourages others to never lose sight of the importance of relationships in the industry. She is adept at helping folks build the connections necessary for creating shared wins while achieving robust growth. 鈥淚n this industry, relationships are everything,鈥� she explained. 鈥淲hether you鈥檙e working with agents, clients or internal teams, being reliable, approachable and responsive creates lasting, meaningful connections that are the drivers of mutual success. It鈥檚 also essential to show integrity in every interaction 鈥� big or small.鈥�
Although it may have begun on a somber note, Tracy Pace鈥檚 career in title insurance has proven to be anything but. For over two decades, she has applied her passion to meeting agent needs and helping them excel while navigating an ever-changing field. 海角吃瓜黑料鈥檚 agents can rely on her extensive experience and expertise as an invaluable resource to build the business they want and deliver the service their customers deserve.
Westmoreland joins the team as Underwriting Counsel for the Southwest Region.
海角吃瓜黑料 is excited to announce Jamie Westmoreland has been hired as Underwriting Counsel for the Southwest Region. With extensive experience in the title insurance industry stretching back well over a decade, Westmoreland is a valuable addition to the team. She will play a pivotal role in supporting 海角吃瓜黑料鈥檚 independent agents and underwriting operations.
Westmoreland鈥檚 title insurance career began shortly after earning her Juris Doctorate from the South Texas College of Law. She worked for 10 years as an examiner and attorney for an independent agency. Later, she transitioned to a national underwriter, where she served as underwriting counsel for two years. These experiences afforded her strong knowledge in underwriting and agency operations, making her an ideal fit for 海角吃瓜黑料鈥檚 鈥渁gents first鈥� approach.
鈥淚 could not be more excited to join the 海角吃瓜黑料 family and help our agents be as successful as they can be!鈥� said Westmoreland when discussing her hiring. Jean E. Bailey, Vice President, Southwest Regional Underwriting Counsel, echoed that sentiment. 鈥淲e are excited for Jamie to join our Southwest Underwriting Team! Her experience will allow her to jump right in with assisting our agents. I know she will be a great fit with the team.鈥�
In this new role, Westmoreland will work closely with agents, providing them with education, answering questions and offering guidance on complex title insurance issues. Additionally, she will focus on risk analysis to assess title insurability and develop helpful insurance standards and guidelines.
When Jeannette Black looks back at her real estate career, she can safely say that she has done it all. Ran her own real estate brokerage? Check! Provided continuing education for one of the largest and most respected real estate companies in the industry? Check! Served as a regional and national real estate trainer, and an adjunct faculty for the Texas Realtors University? Check, check and check!
Yet even with this enviable career defined by a wide range of roles, Black sees herself in straightforward terms. 鈥淭hing is, I was always a teacher,鈥� she said. 鈥淏y age 12, I was teaching other students at night what the teachers were not able to get across to them that day.鈥�
Currently, Black is 海角吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Lead Texas Real Estate Instructor, and she uses her gifts to provide real estate agents with the information they need to execute for clients with speed, efficiency and confidence. In doing so, she delivers an important service to 海角吃瓜黑料鈥檚 agents and to the larger title and real estate communities.
Early days in real estate
Even though she has long identified as a teacher, it was not initially clear that education would become a cornerstone of Black鈥檚 professional life. 鈥淚 was good at math so I thought accounting might be good; however, I was also interested in real estate.鈥� Eventually, Black parlayed that interest into a full-on career. She obtained her real estate salesperson license in 1978, her broker鈥檚 license in 1980, started her own brokerage firm and then became a part of Coldwell Realty鈥檚 franchisee network after five years in operation.
It wasn鈥檛 long, however, before Black鈥檚 long-standing affinity for teaching, training and education reentered the picture. 鈥淭here was not much in the way of education for real estate agents in 1980,鈥� she said, 鈥渢herefore, I read everything I could and went to every training I could find, which was mostly through the Texas Association of REALTORS庐.鈥�
Black then turned her attention to improving realtor education and training within her own firm. 鈥淚 wrote my own training program for agents I hired,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n four years, we were out-performing brokers who had been in the business 20 to 30 years and had become number one in the marketplace.鈥� Seeing these results was a powerful confirmation of Black鈥檚 long-standing belief that 鈥渒nowledge and preparation hold the key to success.鈥�
Embracing her role as an educator
As Black鈥檚 career progressed, so did her involvement in education and training, which made her realize something about herself. 鈥淚 was good at selling real estate,鈥� she reflected about that time. 鈥淏uyers and sellers trusted and respected me. I was innovative. However, I realized that my happiness was in assisting other agents and helping them be successful 鈥� not in my own individual success as a sales agent.鈥�
Thankfully, she continued to find ample opportunities to pursue this passion and began to make an impact on a state and national level. People were taking notice of her success with realtor education. She was invited to teach other Coldwell Banker franchises in her geographical area and 鈥渁lso started training for the National Association of REALTORS庐 under REBAC.鈥� Later, she worked as a trainer through the Texas Association of REALTORS庐.
Black discovered other ways to contribute to realtor education during this period. She served as the Education Chairman for the local Board of REALTORS庐, writing and giving the first orientation for folks wishing to join the association. Black would become a fixture of the organization, acting as Education Chairman 20 times over 38 years.
Although she enjoyed each of these positions, Black still had one last itch to scratch. She had long wanted to take on the challenge of being an instructor full-time. As chance would have it, just such an opportunity would come calling in 2012 in the form of 海角吃瓜黑料.
Putting agent education first at 海角吃瓜黑料
When Black learned that 海角吃瓜黑料 was looking to hire a full-time instructor, she leapt at the opportunity. What made the role particularly attractive was that it coincided perfectly with her life circumstances at the time. 鈥淚 had a longing in my heart for 20 years to be a full-time instructor,鈥� she explained. 鈥淏ut with my real estate firm and children, traveling was not something I could take on.鈥� 海角吃瓜黑料, Black continued, gave her 鈥渢he opportunity to fulfill [her] dream at the age 66.鈥� Originally, she thought she would only work at the company for a few years, but to her surprise, it blossomed into a second career.
Now 12 years on, Black considers joining 海角吃瓜黑料 one of the best things she has done professionally, as the company鈥檚 employees 鈥渉ave become family to me.鈥� She has also had the opportunity to play a direct role in shaping the underwriter鈥檚 Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) education program. 鈥淏ack In 2012, we began to expand the number of classes offered by 海角吃瓜黑料, as well as the number of title agencies we served,鈥� she explained. By 2018, Black herself was conducting hundreds of different classes, traveling far and wide throughout the state of Texas. Further developments occurred when COVID-19 struck in 2020. Black became heavily involved in migrating 海角吃瓜黑料鈥檚 education offerings online to ensure that agents could continue learning despite the shutdowns.
Along with other 海角吃瓜黑料 employees, Black saw this shift as not just a temporary response to a world-wide health event, but part of the underwriter鈥檚 long-term educational goals. 鈥淲e were working toward the goal of advancing real estate education at 海角吃瓜黑料.鈥� The company needed an 鈥渁ll-inclusive website that included both on-demand or pre-recorded classes, as well as live, in-person classes.鈥�
It was around this time that 海角吃瓜黑料 Academy was established. The Academy represented a major commitment on the part of the underwriter to agent education. As Black explained: 鈥淭he platform requires a team of personnel 鈥� made up of real estate instructors, technology staff and communication staff. In other words, staff to advertise and promote it, staff to run the system, staff to schedule instructors, not to mention the instructors themselves.鈥�
These commitments have continued up to the present day, as the underwriter has steadily increased the technological capabilities of its education platforms and expanded its offerings to new agencies. 鈥淲hat we have done with the 海角吃瓜黑料 Academy over the last three years has really advanced our educational program,鈥� said Black. 鈥淲e are embracing digital education, which has enhanced and will continue to enhance our visibility.鈥�
For Black, however, the increased access and visibility afforded by the 海角吃瓜黑料 Academy is just one way in which the platform is taking agent education to the next level. It also has improved the customer experience and streamlined access to a team of instructors that is second to none. When asked about this point, Black remarked, 鈥淥ur instructors each have different strengths. One advantage of our program is that, instead of one specific instructor servicing a title agent, title professionals have the ability of using the entire team of instructors via our scheduling system. It is innovative, professional and convenient for title agents. They enjoy top-notch instructors and a wide variety of courses. I am proud and grateful to be a part of the team behind the Academy.鈥�
Continuing to serve her community
After decades of being a real estate professional, educator and trainer, Black can look back on all she has accomplished with pride. From her early industry days to her Board of REALTORS庐 work, to her current role at 海角吃瓜黑料, she has made major contributions to the industry and to the company on a regional and national level. It is a testament to not only the power of education and training but also the impact someone can have when they are driven to serve.
Perhaps most amazing, however, is that childhood drive to teach remains undiminished. Even with nearly 50 years of experience under her belt, her passion to help others succeed is as strong as ever. 鈥淚 love sharing my knowledge of the real estate business. It gives me a special feeling when I see that I have taught an agent something they did not know,鈥� she said, commenting on what keeps her connected to her work. 鈥淚 know that when I decide it is time for me to retire, it will be the saddest day of my life, but there will also be other opportunities for me to serve in my community.鈥�
