🤖 + 🤝Automation vs. Human Touch: The 3 Strike Rule For Title Agents

We’ve all been there. A shiny new piece of software comes along promising to save your team hours of time, reduce errors, and maybe even give you your weekends back. Sounds amazing, right? But then reality sets in. Adoption is slow, staff are frustrated, and clients are wondering why the “personal touch” feels a little less personal.

This is the balancing act every modern title agent faces: how do we take advantage of automation without losing the relationships that make us trusted?

Where Technology Can’t Replace People

No matter how advanced the software, there are moments when people still matter more:

• Closers – Clients need that reassurance when they’re signing their name on a stack of documents.

• Client Services – When something goes sideways, no automation beats a calm, knowledgeable person on the other end of the line.

• Relationships – Agents, lenders, repeat clients… they trust you, not just the updates coming from an app.

Automation should support these roles, not replace them.

The 3-Strike Rule for Tech Adoption

Here’s a simple framework we’ve used that keeps shiny objects in check and makes adoption less painful:

Strike One – 30 Days
Roll it out, train your team, and define a couple of specific use cases. For example: “We’re using this tool for client updates” or “We’re testing it for file snapshots.” Are you seeing any quick wins, excitement and initial adoption from your team?

Strike Two – 60 Days
Check in. Is the team still actually using it? If not, re-train and figure out the barriers. By this point, you should know if the tool is starting to deliver value, like fewer manual steps or saved time.

Strike Three – 90 Days
Decision time. If it’s working, make it part of your standard process. If it’s not, cut it loose. No hard feelings.

This timeline gives new tech a fair shot but also prevents it from hanging around and dragging down morale.

The Bottom Line

The future of our industry isn’t “all tech” or “all personal.” It’s both. The right tools can make you more efficient, but the human side—your closers, client services team, and the relationships you’ve built—will always be the difference-makers.

Give new technology a fair trial, use a clear 90-day plan, and don’t hesitate to move on if it doesn’t serve your clients. That’s how you stay modern and trusted.

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Cheers!

The Modern Title Agent Team