Jessica Mercado had been feeling the relentless pace of an industry that never sleeps. Managing relationships, navigating shifting regulations, staying ahead of constant changes—it all adds up. So, she and her husband escaped to Wine Country, hoping for a rare moment of quiet.
But even in the calm, frustration found her.
A routine customer service call—nothing urgent, just a straightforward question—turned into a headache. Automated responses. Endless website redirects. Chatbots that missed the point. She just wanted to talk to a real person.
"I love technology, I really do," Jessica says. "I appreciate efficiency and automation, but when you need an answer quickly—especially in an industry as complex as title—you need a human. And I worry that we’re losing that."
That moment of frustration became an epiphany: Automation isn’t the enemy—but when it replaces relationships instead of enhancing them, we have a problem.
Jessica’s journey into title wasn’t conventional. She started as a professional dancer, a career built on discipline, adaptability, and creativity. When the physical demands became unsustainable, she pivoted—first to writing, then grant writing, then commercial real estate.
Then came the pandemic. A recruiter reached out about a relocation position, and suddenly, Jessica was in title—quickly mastering underwriting and national title operations. The deeper she got, the more she saw the same frustrating inefficiencies repeating themselves.
The promise of technology wasn’t being fully realized. Instead of solving old problems, it was creating new ones.
Now, as a Relationship Manager at Title Resources Group (TRG), Jessica is focused on making title simpler, smarter, and more connected.
Title insurance should be getting easier. Digital tools, AI, and automation should be making transactions smoother.
But Jessica sees a different reality.
"Software and integrations should be making our jobs easier, but too often, they’re doing the opposite," she explains. "Policies vary by state, underwriters use different systems, and integrations are constantly shifting. For multi-state agents, it’s a logistical nightmare."
The real issue? A lack of standardization.
While national title operations offer massive opportunities, disconnected systems slow everything down. Instead of streamlining workflows, companies are stuck managing inefficiencies instead of focusing on growth.
"Imagine if we could eliminate all the clunkiness—if integrations, policies, and tools worked seamlessly across state lines. That’s where the future of title is heading, and that’s where we need to invest. But instead of fixing these problems, we keep adding more software, more rules, more complexity."
For Jessica, the industry’s biggest blind spot isn’t technology—it’s mentorship.
"Title insurance is complicated. And there’s a massive knowledge gap for people just entering the industry. We need more mentorship, more recruiting, and more intentional training for the next generation."
While technology moves forward, companies aren’t investing enough in the human capital needed to sustain the industry long-term. If the next wave of title professionals isn’t properly trained, innovation won’t matter.
"We’ve leaned so far into automation that we’re losing sight of what makes great service: relationships. The future of title isn’t just about technology—it’s about making sure we don’t lose the human element along the way. And if we don’t act fast, we might not be able to get it back."
Jessica’s role at TRG is constantly evolving. One day, she’s working on national accounts. The next, she’s coordinating marketing initiatives, hosting educational events, and helping agents navigate industry changes. Whether it’s training agents on tools like Canva or building digital forms in Jotform to simplify agency processes , her goal remains the same: add value.
"I’m always looking for the next tool, the next process, the next way we can make things better for our agents. We have to keep evolving if we want to stay ahead. But evolving doesn’t mean throwing away everything that made this industry work in the first place."
That weekend in Wine Country wasn’t just a break—it was a wake-up call.
The same frustration she felt as a consumer mirrors the challenges agents and homebuyers face every day in title. The push for automation often overlooks the simple reality that people want real interactions, not just faster transactions.
Jessica isn’t against progress. She embraces technology, efficiency, and automation—but not at the cost of trust, relationships, and service.
As title companies push forward, they have to make a choice—prioritize speed and automation at the risk of alienating the very people they serve, or find a way to strike the right balance.
For Jessica, the answer is clear. If the industry is going to evolve, it needs to do so in a way that makes processes smoother, not colder.
Because at the end of the day, when a client, an agent, or a homebuyer needs an answer, there should still be a real person ready to pick up the phone.
The Growth & Scale Report is published by CloseSimple, and explores strategies for growth and tools for scaling your title or escrow company. The report emphasizes the art of balancing growth and scale, with a focus on personal and organizational success stories. It aims to share insights from industry leaders who have navigated these challenges, providing a platform for broader conversations in the business landscape.