Back to top
Join us on LinkedIn Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram
 
  OCTOBER RESEARCH STORE SUBSCRIBE LOG IN
AddControlToContainer_DynamicNavigation1
The Title Report > Trendsetters > The Mike Kirby Story
 

The Mike Kirby Story

Thursday, November 7, 2019
Email A Friend Printer Friendly Version
Exclusive
Love of history, tech turns into distinguished career

A  s a teenager growing up in Salt Lake City, Mike Kirby needed a typewriter to fill out a job application for a local grocery store. What he found was a prosperous career that has spanned more than three decades and has helped bring innovation to the industry.

"I wanted to get a job so I could have some money and hang out with my friends,” recalls Mike, now 52, president and chief operating officer of Truly Title, Inc. “We didn’t have a typewriter. I knew my handwriting was terrible, and I would never get hired at the grocery store if I wrote [the application] out, but I could type."

Kirby’s older sister, who worked for a local title agency, graciously allowed him to use the typewriter in her office as long as he didn’t tell their father, a decorated war veteran who wanted Kirby to forego a job and focus solely on his studies. While completing the application, a gentleman Kirby would later learn was his sister’s boss walked into her office.

"I jumped right up and said, 'Hello sir. How can I help you?'" Mike remembers.

Impressed with his courtesy and business manner, the owner offered Kirby a job that day — mowing the lawn, cleaning the parking lot and cleaning the restrooms. And what started out as a gofer job worked its way into more responsibility.

"I wouldn’t go home until everything on my breakroom table was completed," Mike remembers. "That caught on, because people just starting throwing things on the breakroom table."

“I realized very quickly that title insurance and the integrity of the public record is kind of akin to freedom.”

Mike Kirby

From a family connection to a career

As he continued to learn different roles at the title agency, Kirby also fell in love with the research and historical aspects of the industry.

"The research part of it and the historical part of it, working out of the courthouse, was really interesting to me," Mike says. "I started reading anything and everything you could throw at me about real property, rules and laws and insurance codes. I realized very quickly that title insurance and the integrity of the public record is kind of akin to freedom … Nobody really told me that. I just kind of figured it out on my own."

With a spark ignited as a young man, Kirby would go on to several roles in the industry, from mowing the lawn to owning the company, as he puts it.

After serving in the U.S. Army, Kirby became a title operations manager at Landmark Title Co.; a title operations manager/director of operations at Merrill Title Co.; a founder, managing member of Integrated Title Insurance Services and Integrated 1031 Exchange Services.

In 2008, he started and became president and CEO of GreenFolders, Inc., which provides electronic office management software solutions that help businesses become more efficient, using less paper, and collaborating more effectively.

GreenFolders was eventually sold to First American. Kirby then assumed a series of roles with First American Professional Real Estate Services, including director of business development and vice president-operations.

A new challenge

Earlier this year, Kirby joined the former CEO of Title365, Mike Tafoya, to launch Truly Title, which promises to combine relationship-centric title and escrow services with innovative title technology. Truly currently has operations in Texas and Utah.

Underwritten by Westcor Land Title Insurance Co. and First American Title Insurance Co., Truly is licensed in Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia.

Asked what interested him in launching yet another title agency, Kirby says, “There’s a need for an innovative, nimble, tech-forward company that is all based around knowledgeable, quality individuals that use great tech tools to win.

“If you can enable people by passing on a life full of wonderful experiences and great knowledge and know-how that’s the ultimate reward,” he says, further describing his motivation.

When not trying to apply technology to make the homebuying process quicker and more efficient, Kirby and his wife LeAnn (who have four adult children), enjoying traveling.

“We love to travel and we love to spend time on the water,” Mike says.

He also is an avid University of Utah football fan – “GO UTES!!!” he proudly says – and spent many years coaching youth football.

eSign + RON with SoftPro Sign

With SoftPro Sign, all parties involved in a real estate transaction can securely sign and/or notarize documents online. SoftPro Sign allows for digital closings and can be used exclusively for eSigning or for eSigning paired with RON.

 

 

Get Title Software You Can Trust

Are you facing increased costs for your title production software? You shouldn't be surprised by hidden fees, sudden unreasonable increases, or changes to the pricing structure of your title and escrow production system.

 

 

Integrations for Closing and Title Services

SoftPro 360 is a free vendor portal that gives you access to the closing and title providers you need all in one place. Order services like eRecording, CPLs and jackets, and more directly from your SoftPro software, saving time and money.

 

 



More
Trendsetters


Bud Moscony

Read more...


Kathy Kwak

Read more...


Bob Wuerfel

Read more...


Jerry & Debbie Core

Read more...


Brent Laliberte

Read more...


Matt McDonald

Read more...


Nick Hacker

Read more...


Laura Perry

Read more...


Jeffrey Sanderson

Read more...


Bart Patterson

Read more...


Jim Janson

Read more...


Tonia Sellers

Read more...


Lily Bergman

Read more...


Mike Kirby

Read more...


Josh Costner

Read more...


Camille Brannon

Read more...


Web Raulston

Read more...


Brian Cooper

Read more...


Julie Sewall

Read more...


Joe O'Kelly Jr.

Read more...


Shaul Greenwald

Read more...


Tony Payne

Read more...


Dan Foster

Read more...


Jim Pender

Read more...


Ronald Fredrick

Read more...


Tony Chavonne

Read more...


Jack Rattikin

Read more...


Mike Telford

Read more...


Dave Davis

Read more...


Vince Cassidy

Read more...


Aaron Davis

Read more...


Erin Sheckler

Read more...


Byron Lewis

Read more...


Marx Sterbcow

Read more...


Christopher Gulotta

Read more...


Michael Tafoya

Read more...


Jonathan Yasko

Read more...


Craig Haskins

Read more...


Chuck Kramer

Read more...


Jim Lamphere

Read more...


Cort Ashton

Read more...


Chris Black

Read more...


Barbara Griest

Read more...






News by Topic   News by Edition   Special Reports   Events   Subscribe
Announcements
Conference Coverage
Cyberawareness
Industry News
Market Data
People on the Move
Technology
Trendsetters
The TRID Journey
 
September 25, 2023
October 9, 2023
October 23, 2023
November 6, 2023
November 20, 2023
Archives
 
Title Technology
Sales & Marketing
2023 Voice of the Title Agent Report
2023 State of the Industry Report
eClosing Security
Real Estate Compliance Outlook
Trendsetters
Archives
 
 
National Settlement Services Summit (NS3)
Women's Leadership Summit (WLS)
Webinars
 
Newsletter Subscriptions
Free Email Updates
Try a Free Edition
  Resources   About   Other Publications  
 
eClosing Solutions Showcase
Best Practices Provider Directory
Industry Partners
 
The Title Report
Contact / Editors
Social Media
Advertise
Are You An Expert?
Subscriber Agreement
 
The Legal Description
RESPA News
Valuation Review
Dodd Frank Upate
 
                 
Copyright © 1999-2023 The Title Report
An October Research, LLC publication
3046 Brecksville Road, Suite D, Richfield, OH 44286
(330) 659-6101, All Rights Reserved
www.thetitlereport.com | Privacy Policy
VISIT OUR OTHER WEBSITES
> Valuation Review
> RESPA News
> The Legal Description
> Dodd Frank Update
> NS3 The Summit
> Women's Leadership Summit
> October Research, LLC
> The October Store


Loading... Loading...
Featuring:
  • Delivery 3X a week plus breaking news as it happens
  • Comprehensive title insurance industry news
  • Recent acquisitions, mergers, real estate stats
  • Exclusive in-depth coverage of the industry's hottest stories
Featuring:
  • Delivery 2X a week plus breaking news as it happens
  • Comprehensive Dodd-Frank coverage
  • The latest information from the CFPB
  • Full coverage of Congressional hearings
  • Updates on all agency actions
  • Analysis of controversial provisions
  • Release of newest studies and reports
Sign up today and...
  • Be one of the first to know where NS3 is being held
  • Learn about NS3 speakers and sessions
  • Save on registration with Super-Early Bird rates
  • Discover the networking opportunities NS3 offers
  • Find out if CE credits will be offered for your area
  • And much more
Featuring:
  • Delivery 2X a week plus breaking news as it happens
  • Preview the latest RESPAnews.com Top Story
  • RESPA related headline news
  • Quote of the Week
Featuring:
  • Delivery 2X a week plus breaking news as it happens
  • Legal, regulatory and legislative information impacting the settlement services industry
  • News from HUD, Congress, state legislatures and other regulatory agencies
  • Follow the lobbying efforts of all the major national real estate services organizations.
Featuring:
  • Delivery 2X a week plus breaking news as it happens
  • The industry's only full-time newsroom
  • Relevant, up-to-date appraisal industry news
  • Covering the hottest stories and industry trends
NEWS BY TOPIC
NEWS BY EDITION
SPECIAL REPORTS
EVENTS
RESOURCES
FREE EMAIL UPDATES
ABOUT
SUBSCRIBE
Announcements
Conference Coverage
Cyberawareness
Industry News
Market Data
People on the Move
Technology
Trendsetters
The TRID Journey
Sponsored Content
Nominate a Trendsetter
What is Trendsetters
Current Edition
November 6, 2023
October 23, 2023
October 9, 2023
Archives
2023 Title Technology Report
Cybersecurity & Data Privacy
Sales & Marketing
Real Estate Compliance Outlook
2023 Voice of the Title Agent
2023 State of the Industry
eClosing Security
Trendsetters
Archives
Nominate a Trendsetter
What is Trendsetters?
National Settlement
Services Summit (NS3)
Women's Leadership
Summit (WLS)
Webinars
Industry and Regulatory Outlook
2023 Economic Forecast Series
RESPA Compliance Essentials
Evolving Technology
Compliant Marketing Tactics
Avoiding Mortgage Payoff Fraud
CFPB Unconstitutionally funded?
Evolving Realtor Relationships
Drive Revenue with eClosings
Webinar Archives
Executive Interview Series
eClosing Solutions Showcase
Best Practices Provider Directory
Industry Partners
The Title Report
Contact Us
Social Media
Advertise
Are You An Expert?
Subscriber Agreement