We are ‘march’ing into this month’s employee spotlight and shining it on Kathy Kallok, Processing Manager and Senior Processor for Highland Title + Escrow.
Born and raised in Fairfax County, Virginia, Kathy graduated from George Mason University with a bachelor of arts degree in History in 1989. After graduation and while pursuing her paralegal certificate at Northern Virginia Community College, she worked for an Alexandria attorney who did real estate closings. After a few years, she began working in Falls Church for our very own Don Kipps while gaining more real estate industry experience.
While working with Don, Kathy learned real estate processing from the ground up and handled everything from order entry to title underwriting to disbursement. After years of working together, they both wanted to become part of a bigger organization and had heard great things about Mike McFarlane and Highland Title + Escrow. When the opportunity arose to join Mike and his team, they both jumped at the chance.
Considering her Highland Title co-workers to be a second family, Kathy enjoys going to work and seeing them daily. She knows who has her back, and they have fun together. She mentioned that on really busy days, it’s nice to be with people that make her laugh…even when she doesn’t want to! Highland Title + Escrow is a fantastic company to work for, in no small part, because of Mike McFarlane. She loves that she looks forward to her job because she feels there are a lot of people who can’t say that.
Kathy’s days are filled with reviewing files, ensuring all the information for closings is compiled, answering questions from realtors and clients, entering data into the settlement system, preparing CDs and documents and offering assistance to the processing teams when needed. She also works with Mike on software integration projects that make Highland Title + Escrow’s settlement system work even better for processors and the settlement process.
Communicating with people from all walks of life is what Kathy loves when working with clients. Buying and selling a home can be stressful, and she strives to be a reassuring voice in all the chaos. To her, nothing is better than smiling, happy people on closing day!
Are you interested in a career in the industry? Kathy says there is a lot to learn. Pay attention to the conversations around you because often, you’ll learn a huge chunk from listening and asking questions. She is still learning things thirty years later and is occasionally surprised by what she learns. Organizational skills are a must, as you’ll often juggle multiple issues and files at once. Not being organized can lead to a nightmare.
At Highland Title + Escrow, everyone supports one another, and there is no one that Kathy is uncomfortable going to with questions. The team works together with the same goal… to make the closing process as smooth and stress-free as possible for all parties involved.
Kathy considers herself a lifelong tennis player when she has spare time, although she hasn’t played in a few years. When did she start playing? She feels like she was born with a tennis racquet in her hand. (Both of Kathy’s parents were tennis coaches and players.) She also likes gardening, doing “artsy” things at home (whatever strikes her fancy), spending time with her friends and family and traveling.
You can contact Kathy Kallok at 703.662.0509 or email her at Kathy@highlandtitle.com.