Member Highlight – Agent: Gardner Richey

First American Title Insurance Company agents have come to know Gardner Richey as a talented and resourceful agent representative, but he recently began a new chapter in his career by joining the firm of Brock Maples, PLLC, in Madison, Mississippi.  Gardner actually got his start in the real estate industry while attending the Mississippi College School of Law by taking a part time job managing HUD and Fannie Mae listings for a real estate brokerage firm.  This early practical experience served him well after graduation in 2016 when he took the job with First American.  Speaking of his colleagues as First American, Gardner says,

[T]hey taught me so much about how to work together and how to treat people.  And their expertise and knowledge that they were able to pass down to me has definitely proved beneficial in what I’m doing now.

In his new position, Gardner is handling mainly residential closings.  “Buying a home is a special moment for most, and it is fun to hear their excitement,” he says.  Working in private practice gives him the opportunity to meet and interact with a lot of great people and to put his organizational skills to good use.  His advice is to “work hard and find a great team of people to work with” as he has at both First American and Maples.  For a small group like his new firm, Gardner says,

[W]e get a lot of work done.  We don’t have tasks that are below our pay grade – we all contribute.

Although Gardner has not been in the business as long as others, he is already seeing changes in the profession.  He is finding that more lenders are willing to accept electronic signatures on some closing documents and hopes that more will embrace available technology.  Borrowers appreciate the chance to see and review the documents on their own time in advance of closing.  According to Gardner, many of them are asking:

When will we be able to sign all of the documents online?

Gardner has been married to his wife, Lisa, for four years, and she is a dentist at Lakeland Dental Care in Jackson.  They have twin, 3-year-old boys, Cruz and Beckham, and another son, Brice, who will be 2 in November.  Gardner enjoys spending his free time hanging out with his family and getting out to museums, zoos, and parks as much as possible.  His other hobbies including programming, woodworking, and playing video games with friends.  In college, Gardner played in a wood bat baseball league that was well supported by the local community.  He once hit a home run that hit a promo sign for free Big Macs to all 1,300 fans in attendance.  “I talked to the franchisee for all the local McDonald’s the next week,” he says, “and she was not thrilled about giving away all those burgers.”

Learn more about Gardner Richey by visiting his member profile.