Since 1963, Yavapai Title Agency has been Yavapai County’s proud hometown title agency and real estate resource. The family-owned and operated business has eight branches across the county, including in Camp Verde, Chino Valley, Cottonwood, Prescott, Prescott Valley and Sedona, and has operated under the mantra “where excellence is tradition” since its inception. In November, the Camp Verde team will move into Rio Verde Plaza, once a revitalization project on the building is complete. The space will serve as a larger space for the branch and as a training center for employees of Yavapai and sister company Pioneer Title Agency.
As part of the update, the more than 6,000-square-foot building will minimize groundwater use through low water usage appliances, effective storm water management, and appropriate low water and native species landscapes. Eight team members will occupy the space full time, in addition to those visiting from Yavapai and Pioneer to attend various training programs. The training programs will be divided into three main areas – title, escrow and loan servicing – and will both help newly hired team members statewide as well as serve as a chance for current employees to cross-train and develop new skills to advance within both companies.
Beyond its current expansion plans, the past several months have been busy ones for Yavapai. As an essential business, each branch has stayed opened during COVID-19, and done so in the most responsible of ways. Whether someone is a first-time home buyer, a seller, a real estate professional or lender, Yavapai can provide information and services to facilitate the closing of the transaction. They can do it in both English and Spanish and from a safe distance, thanks to some help from technology and innovation.
In order to keep these transactions on track, each Yavapai branch has three clever ways they are helping:
First, when Secretary of State Katie Hobbs and Gov. Doug Ducey issued an Executive Order allowing Arizonans to use Remote Online Notarization (RON), they jumped into action. RON is the process of signing paperwork using audiovisual technology to appear before a notary instead of being physically present. Vocal advocates for it, both Yavapai Title Agency and Pioneer Title Agency had pre-trained a full staff of notaries statewide and thus were able to begin offering RON for real estate transactions immediately and at no additional charge.
Beyond this, the branches themselves innovated. Each branch now offers curbside signings for those who only have minimal paperwork that needs to be processed. The signee simply rolls down the window and a team member will come to them, in a mask and gloves, to help expedite the process with no contact.
There are, of course, some folks with a lot of paperwork to process, making curbside a bit tough for them to do. So, the agency has found a solution for them as well. As such, all of the Yavapai Title teams have installed a Plexiglas window in their signing rooms. The glass allows them to slip items under it using gloves and while wearing masks, and for the signee to slip them back without fear of getting too close to anyone or anything given the clear barrier.
Hand sanitizer, new pens and other products are also made available to customers at all branches.
Amid COVID-19, Yavapai still also remains an active member of the civic and business community countywide. They are proud members of the local Chambers of Commerce as well as the Land Title Association of Arizona, Arizona State Escrow Association, Women’s Council of REALTORs and many more. Giving back is also important to all team members at Yavapai. As such, the organization has its own community relations program called YTA C2C. Short for Yavapai Title Agency Commitment to Community, the program allows employees to choose seven local charities each year to support. Then, a portion of each team member’s choosing, which is optional, is taken out of their paycheck and set aside. At the end of the year, Yavapai matches the total saved and distributes it to the seven charities.
For 2020, the chosen charities are: Coalition for Compassion and Justice, Casa for Kids, Yavapai Humane Society, Meals on Wheels, Imagination Library, Angie’s House and Yavapai Exceptional Industries.
– The Arizona 100 reports