Our Core Values: The Driving Force Behind Our Commitment to You

It’s time to use this space to brag a little. Recently, the Generes & Associates team has been working with a law firm preparing closing disclosures and HUDs for a significant, high-dollar development. During the preparation, we discovered that some of the purchasers may be foreign nationals – not really a problem or issue in the short term.

Yet, it got our Spidey-sense tingling.

Why? Because we know that when a foreign national sells real estate, it can trigger the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA). Unfortunate-sounding acronym? Yes, but an important tax law that addresses concerns about foreign investors avoiding taxes, nonetheless 

Though there seemed a low chance that anything might be amiss, we set out to learn more about FIRPTA just in case. We pored over reading materials, attended seminars and spoke to experts in the field. And while we became well-acquainted with FIRPTA, we also learned it’s not a subject for the faint of heart. We decided that an expert needed to be retained in the event the case was unconventional and fit one of the standard exceptions.

Do we share this to brag about how we go the extra mile for our clients?

Maybe a little. But it’s also a perfect example of how we are guided and shaped by our core values. 

What are Our Core Values?

For 30 years, Generes & Associates has served the title, escrow and settlement industry. We are the only title consulting services company in the market that is 100 percent independent and not beholden to anyone else – no holding companies, venture capitalists, or title agencies. 

Because of that, we can faithfully and transparently work for the best interests of the agent.

A lot has changed over the past year—both in the real estate market and with our company itself. Our team, though, will continue to be guided by our core values as we work to ensure your success, proficiency and confidence.

We Help First

Our No. 1 priority is always to solve the problem for anyone who needs assistance, regardless of whether or not they are our customers. Like an Old Western gunslinger, we shoot first with our trusted solutions, then ask questions later. 

We Listen, Understand and Solve

Of course, a solution-focused mindset is only possible because we carefully listen to understand the entire scope of our customers’ circumstances and details. Sometimes, problems are more complex, and it can be hard to grasp the full breadth of the situation. When you can only see the symptoms, our experience allows us to thoughtfully probe and peel away the layers of the onion to get to the root cause of your unique needs. 

We Are Adaptable and Flexible

In case you weren’t aware, our industry isn’t static. Our clients are constantly adjusting to changes in laws and regulations, advances in technology, and shifts in the real estate market. We consistently look for ways to stay ahead of the curve and provide the best possible service to our customers. We’ve also started doing a lot of Yoga. Different kind of flexible, sure… but still important. 

We Are Disciplined and Focused 

Like a well-oiled machine, each member of the G&A team has a role to play in our success and the success of our clients. We hold ourselves accountable and collectively commit to efficiency and effectiveness in our collaboration with you. There’s no “I” in team, and there’s no “I” in Generes! 

We Are Self Improving

Author and business strategist Tony Robbins is famous for saying, “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.” (He’s also famous for using a lot of profanity). The world is constantly changing. And each new technological innovation or change requires new skills. That’s why we commit to learning all we need to know to equip you with all you need to grow.

That’s our core values in a nutshell. You get the added success and help you need. We get to be your team of motivational, sharp-shooting yogis. Or, to add one more metaphor to the mix—think of us like your all-purpose, skeleton key to unlock the solution to any problem you face.

Our values are not just a catchy list to make our website look good. As we’ve said, they inform and guide everything we do in service of our clients. So, when we say we are “self-improving,” we mean that we’ll do whatever it takes to learn the new skills or insights needed to help our clients, like learning the ins and outs of FIRPTA. More often than not, it pays off in unexpected ways.

To return to our opening story, we also recently received a call from a customer who needed help on a complex transaction with another seller who is a foreign national. FIRPTA implications? You bet. 

Now, we’re not attorneys, so we don’t give legal advice, but we can provide legal information. We sent our customer everything we had gathered on FIRPTA, along with a referral to a firm specializing in these transactions. We may have been tempted to think, “We’ll worry about FIRPTA if and when it’s needed.”

But we didn’t. 

We understood that it might be an issue for our customers and set out to learn all that we could, just in case. It would have been easier to say, “No, we don't do that.” 

But that’s not who we are. 

Because we are guided by our values.  So no matter what the future holds, you can be assured that Generes & Associates will continue to do all we can to achieve our primary goal – to make you as successful as possible.