Last year, Michael Holden joined forces with the principals of two competing title companies – Cara Detring of Preferred Land Title in Farmington and Steve Babbit with Tri-Lakes Title & Escrow – to form LandChoice LLC. The companies had previously been considering competing in each other’s space. Now LandChoice is a network of title companies that together comprise one of the largest title companies in Missouri with 170 employees and 35 branch offices. The company also represents the largest underwriters in the state, LandAmerican-Lawyers Title, LandAmerican-Commonwealth, First American Title Insurance Company, United General Title, Chicago Title and Farmers National Title Insurance Company.

Mike acknowledges that it is a unique business model, but says that he likes to think outside the box. He has also become a respected industry speaker on how to increase title company revenue in ways that many professionals may not even think of.


Believe it or not, I was the janitor for my parents' company, working nights. My next “real” job in the industry was a delivery courier. This was in 1989.

The opportunities afforded to me to enter the title business as a 19-year-old man were much more lucrative than working at the pizza place or some other entry level job. Title is still one of the few businesses where you can rise up from the very bottom with little more than a high school diploma and determination.

I think the most satisfaction comes from teaching others to be successful, if it be helping them learn the title business better, understanding titles or closings or just being better business people and learning to manage people.



I get very excited when we can as a company succeed in our market place, grow market share, raise revenues, etc. Nothing is more exciting than figuring out a strategy, implementing it and watching it yield results on the bottom line.



Ask questions. The employees who ask questions learn every day and put that learning into practice are the ones who get promoted and advance.



Possibly when I was first promoted to a management spot in 1994 and worked for two years to turn around a struggling office. After two years of hard work, the office was profitable, successful and growing.



We actually had an order to insure the right to receive payments under a lease. A quarry property was leased to an operator. The landowner sold the ground to the operator, but retained the right to collect lease payments. We insured the seller’s “right to collect lease payments on property he sold.” Needless to say, a very complicated deal.



My father. He has worked in the title business for 62 years, and as a consultant now is still helping in our company to guide new workers and my business development.



Hard work, determination, a never-say-never approach to business, a very competitive nature and of course, support of family and friends. Those are a given, but one of the most important determination of my success has been the people I have been able to surround my self with – all very highly-driven, successful people in their own right.



Harry S Truman. My bachelor’s degree is in history. He is the historical figure I most relate to our current way of life. He began the policy of “containment” of communism which became the Cold War. He ended WWII by dropping the only atomic bombs ever used in war, and is the only president to be elected from Missouri.



I am a cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2001 and had chemotherapy, and am very fortunate to now be in remission.



“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” The idea of a father and son on an adventure together has always reminded me of my dad and me.



I serve on the city’s planning and zoning commission. Helping make land use decisions with the city has been a rewarding and fulfilling experience.


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