As an auditor, I get "boots on the ground" new member feedback when I conduct their initial audit after they have closed a few deals. I have encountered many members who have told me they wished The Fund had more "in depth" new member assistance available following new member training...especially those who are sole practitioners or have no staff in the office with real estate experience already. Someone to run their "field questions" or "how-to's" by; someone to visit their office to take a look at their initial file set up and closing procedures, someone to review their first few sets of closing documents; someone to review commitment requirements with; someone to remind them of what clauses need to be in deeds or that they need to prepare a trust affidavit … someone to give them experience-in-the-field guidance. I have had more than one member tell me that they repeatedly had to go to their fellow attorney colleagues in the field for this type of guidance, and I had two in particular tell me that if it were not for their fellow attorney colleagues, they would have given up on trying to be RE closing agent altogether. New M ember Training is excellent but there is so much to learn and every real estate file is its own animal. As a former real estate paralegal and RE transaction closer myself for 25 plus years with my employers being Fund Members, which was my career before becoming an auditor, I can relate to the areas the new members are telling me they struggle in and I agree they could use this kind of liason help. I have reminded the members to contact their MAE or Underwriting with their questions but they are telling me they would like someone else on staff to call for all things real-estate-closing-preparation related as I have described herein. Several new members have asked me to relay their desire for more help to The Fund and this seemed like a good place to do so. :)
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