In honor of SoftPro's 40th anniversary in 2024, Eric Ditmore of Lewis, Deese, Ditmore & Gregory, LLP sat down with us and shared the story of the firm's partnership with SoftPro over the last 40 years and how that partnership has proven beneficial through evolving markets.

SoftPro has been a part of Lewis, Deese, Ditmore & Gregory's Fayetteville, NC-based practice for longer than Managing Partner Eric Ditmore has been with the firm. "Our firm, in all of its iterations, has been using SoftPro for around 40 years. We have changed buildings and locations more than we have changed title software," Eric says. One reason the firm has continued their partnership with SoftPro over the years, explains Eric, is SoftPro's role in helping their practice evolve and keep up to speed with what is new and current in the industry. Part of that evolution was the firm's switch from SoftPro's on-premise software system to the SoftPro Select Hosted solution, which allows employees of Lewis, Deese, Ditmore and Gregory to access their SoftPro software from anywhere with a computer and an internet connection. Eric describes making the switch to SoftPro Hosted as "seamless," further adding, "With SoftPro, we were able to keep doing what we do – helping people get into homes and buy properties – and not have to spend a bunch of time trying to get new software going."

Eric goes on to describe when he transitioned from an associate to a partner in the firm during an uncertain time in the real estate industry, and how forming strong partnerships with real estate agents was a top priority during that time. Eric credits SoftPro with being a stable constant during those uncertain times. SoftPro helped Eric and his team manage their closings with ease and reliability, allowing Eric to put his time and energy into other aspects of the business. "I was able to focus on going out and building back up the business, meeting with agents, bringing closings back into the firm," he explains.  

Eric credits the accessibility of SoftPro's customer support as his favorite part of using SoftPro. "Anytime I've had a problem, there was an answer." Eric explains that whether the team needs help regarding a specific situation with a particular closing or needs more general guidance surrounding the day-to-day use of their SoftPro software, they are able to easily get in touch with a SoftPro support specialist to get the assistance they need without a long wait and without having to make repeated phone calls. "The customer service, it just speaks for itself: it's always been great," he says.

When asked to find one word to describe his experience with SoftPro, Eric can't quite put a finger on a singular word, but goes on to say that he likes that he "doesn't have to think about it." He goes on to explain that he knows that SoftPro is easy to use and dependable, so it doesn't require constant attention from him. He spells out that because he doesn't have to worry about his title production software, his energy and efforts can be put toward other aspects of the business. "SoftPro, in a very good way, is at the back of my mind," he reiterates. Looking toward the future, Eric says his is looking forward to the continued consistency of using SoftPro. 

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