Kelli Burns has been with Independence Title from the very beginning. In fact, she was one of the “original 12.” She started in the title industry as a paralegal intern. “I worked in the plant as a title examiner and was recruited into the branch as an escrow assistant,” she says. “A couple of short years later, I became a closer.”
In 2012, she decided that she wanted to experience the other side of the transaction, and became a licensed Realtor®. “My daughter was no longer small, and therefore, I could branch out from the 9-5 routine,” she says. “I decided that if I were ever going to try the agent side of things, that it was the right time.” By 2014, she’d been diagnosed with breast cancer, and Independence Title was looking for trainers for the education department. “The timing was perfect, really,” she says. “The offer of health insurance and a regular schedule again made perfect sense. I was uniquely qualified to teach classes having experience as a title examiner, closer and Realtor®. Coming back to Independence was just like coming home.”
Because of her unique experience, Kelli taught Legal 1 and 2 classes in addition to everything MLS and transaction related. “I really enjoyed my time working with agents as a trainer. I knew exactly what they were going through, and what they needed to know to help them be successful,” she says, “but as an educator, I didn’t get to problem solve. I began to miss the action of the transaction.” She laughs, “I’m a rare breed, I guess.”
Kelli is back home in our Rollingwood office working as an Escrow Officer with her assistant, Terri Dellinger. “This place is like family. Coming back into escrow wasn’t weird or awkward. I had no ‘first day of school’ moments,” she laughs. “It’s a crazy, high-stress, high-pressure, long hours kind of job, and my brain loves it!” All of the different work experiences have given her perspective. “Working as an agent has definitely given me a different point of view from this chair,” she says. Being a trainer, especially of the Legal classes, gave her a different level of expertise on many topics, too. “It feels good to know that agents can call and email me with questions and feel confident they’ll get a good answer.”
She says she loves Independence Title and has loved watching Independence Title grow. “Having good leadership makes a huge difference. Watching our company leaders, who are involved in so many aspects of the title industry, do their jobs gracefully and ethically makes a difference. I have leaders I respect and want to follow. It’s important to me.”
When she’s not working, Kelli loves all of the “crunchy granola” things Austin has to offer. She enjoys hiking the greenbelts with her dogs, working out and yoga.
