1. “Optional” Isn’t An Option: A New Chapter
Presented by:
Lynn Hightower-Moore | Common Bond Title
Wayne M. Stanley | American Land Title Association

2. ALTA CONSUMER RESEARCH
Homebuyers want more information about the real estate process. It’s critical for ALTA members to take control of the message and explain how an owner’s insurance policy protects a homeowner’s investment.
In 2014, ALTA conducted an online survey of more than 1,000 recent homebuyers. The results confirmed that there’s confusion about title insurance.
Survey showed that:
Early education works and has a quantifiable impact on a homeowner’s understanding of and favorability toward title insurance.
Respondents who received information about the option to obtain an owner’s title insurance policy when they were in the process of buying their house are significantly more likely to have a favorable opinion of title companies, title insurance, are more likely to know there are two policies, and are more likely to say they have both.
Homebuyers want information about title insurance up front.
Of those who did not receive information early in the home buying process about the option to obtain an owner’s title insurance policy, half wish they had.

3. 1 2 3 4 KEY AUDIENCES Homebuyers (Consumers)
ALTA Members (Title insurance professionals)
Realtors, Attorneys
& Builders (People who sell homes)
Lenders (Financial institutions)
Homebuyers are our primary audience for this campaign because owner’s title insurance is built specifically to protect their property rights. We talk directly to homebuyers in our messaging.
Additionally, to help effectively educate homebuyers about the value of owner’s title insurance, we are also targeting B2B audiences that include ALTA Members, Realtors, Builders and Lenders.

4. 2. Empower ALTA members & stakeholders
  COMMUNICATION GOALS
1. Protect homebuyers
2. Empower ALTA members & stakeholders
by educating them about the value of purchasing owner’s title insurance
to effectively educate homebuyers about the value of owner’s title insurance
To help maintain or increase the percentage of homebuyers who purchase an owner’s title insurance policy, we have two strategic communication goals.
First, we will:
Protect homebuyers by educating them about the value of purchasing owner’s title insurance.
Second, we will:
Empower ALTA members & stakeholders to effectively educate homebuyers about the value of owner’s title insurance.
This one-two punch helps us clearly communicate the benefits of owner’s title insurance with everyone involved in the home buying process.

5. Protecting the American Dream SINCE 1907
ALTA has been serving homebuyers for more than a century.
However, research shows that our slogan, “Protecting the American Dream Since 1907,” did not resonate with the homebuyers we serve today. They did not feel a connection to the way we were speaking because we were talking about ourselves.
Instead, we need to talk directly to homebuyers and deliver a message of value. We…
Protect your property rights
This is a conscious, strategic shift that will enhance our relationship with homebuyers.
You will see this new slogan on all ALTA communication materials and logos moving forward.

6. MESSAGING ARCHITECTURE
To help communicate the value of owner’s title insurance with our audiences (homebuyers, ALTA members, realtors, builders and lenders), we have established a messaging architecture for you.
This document streamlines the process and serves as a resource that helps align all of our communications.
Let’s take a look at the messaging for our primary audience—homebuyers.

7. In the next few slides we will explore the three homebuyer message themes, beginning with the strongest message – Peace of Mind, followed by Reduce Your Risk and The Smart Option.

8. TRUTH PEACE OF MIND THEME 1
Buying a home can be one of the most exciting times in your life. You want to feel confident that you’re making a smart decision. 8
Our first messaging theme is Peace of Mind.
The truth is, buying a home is a positive experience for many homebuyers.
You’re about to make one of the biggest investments in your life, and you want to buy with confidence.

9. HOOK PEACE OF MIND THEME 1
Getting owner’s title insurance gives you peace of mind. Because it’s the best way to protect your property rights as long as you or your heirs own your home. 9
Fortunately, getting owner’s title insurance gives you that peace of mind.
It’s the best way to protect your property rights, as long as you or your heirs own your home.
Owner’s title insurance provides an enduring value because, over time, your home will change . . . your family will change . . . but your peace of mind never will.

10. TRUTH REDUCE YOUR RISK THEME 2
Buying a home can be an overwhelming experience. There’s so much to consider, and you don’t want to make a costly mistake on the most important investment of your life. 10
Our second messaging theme is Reduce Your Risk.
The truth is that buying a home can also be overwhelming for many homebuyers.
You have so many decisions to make; it’s a huge investment. What if you make a costly mistake?

11. HOOK REDUCE YOUR RISK THEME 2
Getting owner’s title insurance reduces your risk. Because it protects your property rights financially and legally. 11
The good news is that owner’s title insurance reduces your risk.
For a low, one-time fee, owner’s title insurance protects your property rights legally and financially.
Owner’s title insurance lets you rest assured, knowing that you’ll always be protected from any threats to your property rights.

12. TRUTH THE SMART OPTION THEME 3
Buying a home is empowering because it’s all about choice—size, style, location and features. It feels good to have options. 12
Our third messaging theme is The Smart Option.
Homebuyers feel empowered when they’re buying a home, because, based on their budget, they get to choose where they will live, what style home they will buy—the choice is theirs. And it feels good when you have options.

13. HOMEBUYER MINDSET
Homebuyers want to feel protected from unforeseen threats to their property rights. 13
Now let’s get into the mindset of the homebuyer.
Buying a home is an exciting time for many homebuyers, but it can also be overwhelming. They have so much to consider.
As the experts in the home closing process, ALTA is here to help homebuyers feel protected.
Two quick notes as we get going…
First: In each messaging theme, you will see a Truth and Hook. This is simply a way to show you how we’re connecting the homebuyer’s mindset to our messaging.
Second: You will notice that some of the messaging says the word, “you.” That’s because we are talking directly to homebuyers, as we mentioned previously.
Okay, here we go.

14. Moving along to the three ALTA Member message themes, beginning with the strongest message – The Smart Option, followed by Keep it Simple and You’re the Expert.

15. MEMBER MINDSET
ALTA members need to feel empowered with information to educate homebuyers about owner’s title insurance. 15
Okay, let’s switch gears here for a moment. We just went through the Homebuyer messages.
And now we are going to be talking to our members. Because as ALTA staff, we need to be aligned in the way we communicate the value of title insurance.
I think we can all admit, that title insurance is a complex subject to talk about with homebuyers. However, it’s our job to educate them and help them buy their home with confidence.
Let’s take a look at the way we’re talking about owner’s title insurance, especially now that the home closing regulations are going into effect this year.

16. TRUTH THE SMART OPTION THEME 1
New regulations will simplify the closing process for homebuyers. As a result, they will raise awareness that owner’s title insurance is “optional.” 16
Our first messaging theme for ALTA members is The Smart Option.
It’s true that the CFPB is passing new regulations that will simplify the home closing process for homebuyers. The goal of the new regulations is to make it easier for homebuyers to understand closing forms so they can make better decisions.

17. HOOK THE SMART OPTION THEME 1
Fortunately, owner’s title insurance isn’t changing at all. It remains the best way homebuyers can protect their property rights. 17
The good news is that owner’s title insurance is not changing one bit.
Owner’s title insurance is the best way for homebuyers to protect their property rights—just as it has been for more than a century.
While the closing process is being simplified, the protection we provide through owner’s title insurance is unwavering.

18. TRUTH KEEP IT SIMPLE THEME 2
Owner’s title insurance is complex. Therefore, it has not been easy to communicate its value to homebuyers. 18
Our second messaging theme for ALTA members is Keep It Simple.
We all know how complex owner’s title insurance is, especially when we are talking to homebuyers.
Until now, we have been telling homebuyers “what it is.” Instead, we want to focus on “why it matters.” What is the benefit of owner’s title insurance?

19. HOOK KEEP IT SIMPLE THEME 2
There are many reasons why every homebuyer should purchase owner’s title insurance. (Don’t tell them how the sausage is made.) 19
Quite simply, there are many reasons why homebuyers should get owner’s title insurance.
Smart investment, because it makes sense to protect the largest purchase of your life
Reduces risk by protecting you legally and financially
Great value with a one-time fee, low relative to the price of your home. Usually just 0.5%.
Covers your heirs—the coverage of owner’s title insurance passes down generations
Nothing compares—there is no other way to protect your property rights
8 in 10 homebuyers agree—millions of homebuyers get owner’s title insurance every year
Peace of mind, because you can rest assured, knowing you’re protected
You’ll find specific supporting points for these messages in your Homebuyer Messaging Architecture.
And remember, we are not talking about the title search process here. Doing that will just complicate the discussion. Just focus on helping the homebuyer understand the value of owner’s title insurance.

20. Nobody knows more about the home closing process than ALTA members.
THEME 3
YOU’RE THE EXPERT
TRUTH
Nobody knows more about the home closing process than ALTA members. 20
Our third messaging theme for ALTA members is You’re the Expert.
Truthfully, nobody knows more about buying a home than we do.

21. HOOK YOU’RE THE EXPERT THEME 3
ALTA members should feel proud that they’re the experts who protect homebuyers. 21
ALTA members should feel proud that they’re the land title experts who protect homebuyers’ property rights. We want to empower them by saying:
We are the investigators, analysts and counselors—the protectors of property rights.
We inspect and advocate for homebuyers.
We are the authority in real estate transactions.
We provide peace of mind so homebuyers can rest assured.

22. That’s it for our ALTA messaging.
We’ve also developed messaging for our secondary B2B audiences.
Here’s a look at the messaging chart for Realtors, Builders and Real Estate Attorneys.
You’ll notice that they align closely with the ALTA themes. This is because we want all audiences to be on the same page when communicating the value of owner’s title insurance.

23. ALTA HOMEBUYER GUIDE
The Homebuyer Outreach Guide gives our members everything they need to educate homebuyers, realtors, builders and lenders on the value of owner’s title insurance.
It includes:
Templates for presentations, letterhead (with cover pages), and social media skins
Rack cards for homebuyers and realtors
One-pagers for homebuyers and realtors
And much more
Finally, I wanted to let you know that ALTA will be running print ads in several trade publications to help increase awareness of owner’s title insurance for homebuyers and our B2B audiences.
This will help make the conversation even easier for our members during the closing process.

28. The homebuyer checklist
Determine Your Budget
Select Your Lender
Find Your Home
Secure Your Offer
Select Your Title Insurance Company And Closing Agent
Get Title Insurance
Review Closing Documents
Sign Closing Documents And Transfer Funds
Buy With Confidence
Receive Your Owner’s Title Insurance Policy
Buying a home is an exciting time, but it can sometimes be confusing or even frustrating to finalize the transaction.
The safe and efficient transfer of real estate involves a number of steps.
This homebuyer checklist will help you buy your home with confidence.

29. Homebuyer Guide Resources More than 60 useful tools!
Blogs
Marketing One-Pagers
PowerPoint Presentations
Rack Cards
The Homebuyer Guide includes:
Blogs
Marketing one-pagers for homebuyers and Realtors®
PowerPoint presentations for Realtors® and closing agents
Rack cards for homebuyers and Realtors®
And much more
Finally, I wanted to let you know that ALTA will be running print ads in several trade publications to help increase awareness of owner’s title insurance for homebuyers and our B2B audiences.
This will help make the conversation even easier for our members during the closing process.

30. In addition to the Homebuyer Guide, ALTA also redesigned its consumer facing website, Home Closing 101. Walking the consumer through the steps to buy a home, the website provides information about the closing process, why they should purchase title insurance to protect their investment, a search tool to find ALTA members that serve their area, and news and advice on why purchasing title insurance is a smart decision to protect their investment.
With more consumers using mobile devices during their home-search process, ALTA used a responsive-web design approach to develop the new consumer website. This means the website provides an optimal viewing and interaction experience across a wide range of devices from desktop computers to mobile phones and tablets. Having a responsive website is crucial in reaching consumers as mobile usage passed desktop usage in With thousands of device types to optimize for with varying screen sizes and resolutions, having a responsive design helps ensure Home Closing 101 looks good on mobile devices and desktops.
ALTA members are encouraged to link to Home Closing 101 and use it as a resource to inform consumers about the value of an owner’s title policy and the closing process.
In addition to linking to Home Closing 101 from your website, you can also add a link to your signature line and promote in social media.
Information on obtaining the Home Closing 101 graphic can be found at

31. “change is almost impossible without industry-wide collaboration, cooperation and consensus.” Simon Mainwaring Author & Award-Winning brand consultant

33. Advancing an Industry Means Working Together
No longer can we rely on our underwriters and real estate partners...

34. Billboard Advertising
Typically $800-$2K per
month
12 month contracts
Artwork typically
provided by client

35. Questions?