"Never forget that this is not about us" says Attorney George Megaloudis of Simple Title Closing & Escrow

Throughout my life I have been fortunate to meet many people from all walks of life and have been told by many of my friends and family that I was always the connector among us. The Carey Connector is a way of bringing new connections together each month through interviews with local service providers and my team members at Senné.

This month the Carey Connector features George Megaloudis of Simple Title Closing & Escrow

Carey Connector Service Provider Interview March 2019

George Megaloudis, Attorney Simple Title Closing & Escrow

1.     How did you get into your current profession?

I originally went to college with the idea of being a biochemist.  I vividly remember leaving my dorm room to walk to a chemistry lab at 7:30 AM just before winter break and as I walked I realized that being a scientist wasn’t for me.  Over the winter break, I took a career aptitude test and the results were I should be an attorney. I didn’t believe it. So I took another test and it came back with the same result.  It took me a semester or two before I took a “pre-law” class and it turned out that I like it. I took a few more pre-law classes in college and when I graduated, law school was the next step in the journey.  Out of all my core classes in law school, I enjoyed real estate law the most and wound up with an internship my first year at a boutique real estate law firm. That internship was a great fit for me and as a result, I focused myself on real estate law.

2.     What do you like most about being in your profession?

I am not one hundred percent sure in what I like best about being an attorney.  The people and the transactions are varied, but the work can be monotonous. I do believe what keeps me going and makes the work exciting is that at the end of my work day, I have helped someone achieve a personal goal, whether it be buying, selling or refinancing.  I love to see the excitement in first time buyers’ eyes. That inspires me and gives me a great sense of satisfaction.

3.     What don’t you like about your profession?

Off the top of my head, I cannot think of one specific thing relative to the profession.  If I had to choose one thing relative to my everyday practice, I think the lack of information I receive out of the gate.  Usually, I am given a draft agreement and contact information for a buyer or seller. I then spend a lot of time digging for information in order to be able to review the agreement.  For example, asking for the offer, going onto MLS to get the property listing, etc. While all the information is available to me, usually the parties to the transaction already have it electronically.

4.     What’s the greatest challenge you see right now in this market?

From the legal perspective, technology seems to be the greatest challenge.  Here are some examples: There is a lot of information available to consumers via a few clicks of a mouse and some of that information may or may not be specific to Massachusetts law – it is sometimes hard to compete with “I read it on the internet, so it must be true.”.  Another example is that federal and state laws are forcing lenders to use technology to document compliance with disclosure regulations. To that end, lenders have adopted electronic signing and “click here to accept the terms and conditions”. This is slowly evolving into electronic signing of other loan related documents.  While I think this is a great idea overall, the average consumer isn’t reading the documents and does not have much appreciation of what they are signing. This is resulting in the commoditization of my industry.

5.     What are your plans to overcome this challenge?

I try on an everyday basis to help the community understand that buying real estate is not the same as ordering something from Amazon.  There is usually no return policy or cancel the order feature. I also try to make sure that my office is constantly updating our technology and teaching our team to use it efficiently in order to keep up with the marketplace.

6.     If I was going to ask a colleague or client what makes you good at your profession, what would they say?

They would all say I have the gift of gab.  As a result, I can usually calm the most nervous of buyers and resolve closing table issues pretty quickly.

7.     What are your passions outside of your profession?

I love to go fishing and traveling.

8.     What charitable organization(s) are you involved with?

With two young kids and a very busy practice, it is hard for me to get involved on a regular basis with charitable organizations.  That said, I have an affinity for charities that help empower girls and young women. My family and I donate to Sitters Without Borders and Girls, Inc.

9.     What’s some good advice you can give to people new to your profession?

My advice is simple:  Never forget that this is not about us, but rather about helping clients get to where they want to go.

If you have any questions about the services that George and his team can provide please let me know or feel free to contact him directly at 978-558-4489 or by email at megaloudis@simpletitle.us and to learn more about the organizations mentioned in this post check out their websites at www.sitterswithoutborders.com and www.girlsinc.org