BOB Wuerfel

Lighthouse Title Group

Written by: Lindsey Wells

Photo credit: Jacob Harr harrcreative.com

REALTORS® are vital to moving a real estate transaction from Point A to Point B. There is, however, much more to buying and selling a home than the marketing of the property and the delicate negotiations between the buyer, seller, and their respective agents. There are many other players in the game, such as mortgage lenders, appraisers, and home inspectors, to name just a few. Perhaps one of the most prominent players is the title company, which, in some ways, tie the entire transaction together. Lighthouse Title has been providing remarkable title services and real estate closings to residential and commercial customers since 2001. The company’s owner and President, Bob Wuerfel, is just as passionate today about his customers and employees as he was two decades ago.

While it has been 20 years since Bob founded and opened Lighthouse Title, his experience in the title insurance agency spans back to the year 1988 when he took his first job at a title agency following college graduation. Things have certainly changed in 33

years; Bob started at the company the same year it received its first thermal fax machine, allowing clients to fax an order in. “Back then, the thermal paper curled up and would go black if left in the sun,” Bob recalls. “And the commitment forms were triplicate (white, pink, green) with one for the title agency, one for the customer, and one for the underwriter. We have indeed pivoted from those times; now, everything is conducted via secure email/mobile communication.”

For 13 years, Bob worked for a couple of title agencies, studying and learning the ins and outs of the industry, before venturing off on his own and becoming an entrepreneur. He created Lighthouse Title, Inc. in 2001. What began with one location 20 years ago has grown to over 30 locations in two states (Michigan and Wisconsin), over 115 team members, and over 375,000 completed transactions. “This growth has not come without wrinkles to iron out,” Bob said. “I find that I look at issues along the way and ask what we can learn to make us better the next time if a similar situation arises. After 33 years, I’m still learning and reviewing areas to enhance our agency for our clients and their customers.”

Those choosing to place their trust and business in Lighthouse Title are gifted in return with a wealth of experience, innovative thinkers, and established best practices that have been combined to provide the highest level of service possible. The company’s family of offices has an abundance of great personalities and smiles, too, making the complex nature of real estate transactions more enjoyable. Lighthouse Title also works with seven of the top underwriters in the nation.

Last year, Lighthouse Title rolled out a new mission statement that it has wholly embraced:

To Lead

• Our team strives to be a leader in providing real estate services in a professional and friendly manner.

To Engage

• We keep the human element at the center of all our title services and community involvement.

To Protect

• Peace of mind through our title products, best practices, and technology.

“Our Lighthouse Title team of experienced professionals work hard behind-the-scenes with REALTORS® and lenders to resolve title issues found on properties and produce timely closing figures so that their customers can successfully close, and that really is the end goal,” Bob said. With five area Grand Rapids locations in Cascade, Grandville, Kentwood, Plainfield, and Wyoming, Lighthouse Title is always within 10-15 minutes of any area of the county.

Bob enjoys leading a title group that has evolved over 20 years that not only strives to provide great title and closing services but also continues to give back to its communities. The company donated over $75,000 in 2020 to non-profits in their 30 communities, and locally donated to and volunteered with several Kent County nonprofits. “We are more than a title agency; we want to make an impact on the communities we serve,” Bob added. He is also passionate about his team. In 2020, to say “thank you” to his team for providing amazing service despite the challenges the year brought, he shipped every team member a honey-baked turkey for Thanksgiving and a honey-baked ham for Christmas.

When he isn’t working, Bob enjoys spending weekends at Chippewa Lake with his wife of 30 years, Shayne. They can usually be found fishing, boating, skiing, tubing, relaxing around a campfire, or reading on their screened-in porch. Bob and Shayne have three children, Corinne (and a son-in-law Matt), Alex, and Anna. Even as the kids get older, the family still enjoys taking vacations together. Over the years, they’ve traveled to such places as Yellowstone,

Grand Canyon, Disneyland, Sequoia National Park, Disney World, and Outer Banks in North Carolina. Bob and Shayne celebrated their 25th anniversary in Hawaii in 2016.

Bob said he simply wants to be remembered for just being himself. “I have enjoyed the growth of our title agency, but I’m still the same guy I was in 1988 when I started in the industry and in 2001 starting Lighthouse Title,” he said. “It’s easy to look at the accolades, but I strive to stay grounded and remember where I came from to get here.”

Visit www.lighthousetitle.net or call 888-782-3210 for more information.

Bob Wuerfel, Lighthouse Title Group - Sponsor Spotlight