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64 versatility to your team. It is a good time to train specialists in multiple tasks and introduce them to other elements of the business. Although it is an investment in the short term, it can lead to increases in productivity as well as sowing the seeds for future managers (who generally are more effective when they have a broader understanding of the operation). It will also save on training expenses and time should there be a need to further trim staff in the future. Ours is an industry that, for decades, has been willing to outsource some services, but not others. A firm that outsources its tax, accounting and IT functions, for example, might balk at using title search products or vendor management providers. However, it's highly likely that some of the firm's highest expenditures (whether as a function of time or cost) can be outsourced with no loss of quality. Although many outsourcing providers, at one time, tended to cut quality for the sake of speed and cost, that is no longer the case. Any business process outsourcing firm or outsourced product producer won't be in business long if the services or products rendered fail to meet higher standards. An inaccurate or poorly composed element of the larger real estate transaction can have surprisingly major repercussions, and may be an indicator that the firm providing the product or service has produced subpar results on a larger, systemic level. e secondary market, government enforcement agencies, and clients won't tolerate the risk associated with poor products or services. us, the outsourcing industry is involved. As is the case with using any vendor, of course, decision makers should be sure to kick the tires on any potential partners, including but not limited to sending them sample orders and visiting their facilities if at all possible. Due diligence should also be performed by collecting formal references from the potential vendor and informally soliciting the opinion of all network connections about their experiences with the vendor. Engaging the right vendor after a sufficient vetting process could be the difference between profit and loss in a down market. CUT OPERATIONAL COSTS A slowing market also signals that it may be time to examine the entire operation, top to bottom, for needless or redundant costs. One major expense to any firm is the brick- and-mortar operation and its related expenses. Unless your function absolutely depends on having a physical presence, how many offices are needed need to manage the existing clientele and, perhaps, add some scalability through centralization of tasks? Centralizing standardized tasks is a way to reduce cost because it eliminates redundant staff and tasks within the organization and gives flexible capacity abilities when the need to reduce or add scale comes into play. Closing an office need not be the only recourse. Can you reduce the amount of space you are leasing in a particular building? Is the commercial market such that there is some leverage to renegotiate? Many firms open new branches when order counts rise. However, it's much more difficult to shutter those same sites when the market dips. Nonetheless, it may have to happen. Location isn't just important for those seeking to buy or sell a home. e location of the office can have an impact on costs. It may be time to trade an office in a trendy urban location for a suburban home if the difference in taxes, utilities and space is significant. It's easy to be sentimental when it comes to a business that has been in a certain office for a long time. But that sentimentality may be harming the actual business in the form of unwarranted costs. Even the layout of an office or offices can have an impact on costs. Is the workspace laid out efficiently to allow staff to capitalize on all of the re- sources available to them? For example, if the firm still utilizes copiers and scanners, are the personnel who use them located nearby? Are the resources the team needs to complete its tasks readily available to them? Is the office setting relatively pleasant en- vironment? Lean staffs tend to have lower morale, leading to lower productivity. Responsible execu- tives must do everything possible to ensure that the workplace is a setting conducive to a positive outlook from employees. e operation ultimately depends on the performance of the team. MANAGE RISK e threat of being audited and/or fined or losing a client because of a failure to comply with regulatory and client requirements is today higher than ever before. More lenders are doing more onsite audits to ensure NPI (Non-Public Information) is thoroughly protected. More state regulators are paying greater attention to our industry. If compliance and security is not a priority for the organization, now is the time. Business will be more difficult to gain in a down market. e success of the organization should not be impeded because of an in ability or unwillingness to acclimate itself to the new reality. Client and consumer communication regarding, encryption, the storage of sensitive data (limited server access ), and even which desks are near first floor windows (clean desk policy) are potential points of risk to the business if a cohesive strategy has not been implemented. Risk doesn't rest upon internal operations alone. Partners and vendors should be audited regularly with several contingencies considered. Are they protecting client NPI? How do they monitor the quality of their products or services? How does their compliance policy work? In a day and age where a mortgage lender is liable for the actions of its service providers, that lender will want to know how closely vendors down the line are being monitored. Now is the time to implement a successful vendor audit program. e potential financial consequences will seem doubly harsh in a down market. Trimming outlays in a down market is certain- ly no revolutionary concept. But it is something few enjoy doing. It's always more enjoyable to simply increase sales efforts in thriving markets to cover one's expenses. However, with foreclosed and REO inventory sinking quickly, it will be the businesses willing to answer the hard questions and make the difficult moves which maintain acceptable profit levels. "A slowing market also signals that it may be time to examine the entire operation, top to bottom, for needless or redundant costs."

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