Proper Title grows commercial title insurance team with two new hires

Palatine, Illinois-based title insurance agency, Proper Title, LLC, has hired Richard Rischall as a commercial account executive and Angie Yoo as a senior transaction manager. Both professionals have joined the firm’s commercial team.

“We’re handling nearly twice as many closings this year compared to last year, and the value of those closings has risen, often up to $100 million versus an average of $5 million per closing a year ago,” said Kim O’Donnell, vice president of business development for Proper Title. “To service our surging commercial growth, we’re focused on adding tier 1 talent, which includes Richard and Angie as they are both known for providing top-notch customer service and responsiveness to their clients. Richard has in-depth knowledge of commercial lending and vast experience in managing multi-million-dollar client portfolios. And Angie’s experience on high-profile commercial closings in Chicago’s hottest downtown submarkets aligns perfectly with Proper Title’s commercial growth goals.”

Rischall joins Proper Title after 17 years as a commercial banker, most recently with a Wintrust Community Bank. He was formerly a client that exclusively used Proper Title as his title agency. At Proper Title, he will focus on growing the firm’s commercial closing business by obtaining and managing partnerships with financial institutions, attorneys, developers and commercial real estate firms throughout Chicagoland. Rischall has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, and a master’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology from Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. Rischall also serves on the executive board at Volunteer Center of McHenry County and supports various charitable causes related to fighting cancer and animal welfare.

“Proper Title has some of the most experienced commercial closers around that relish a good challenge—they thrive on finding solutions that get the deal done,” said Rischall. “I’m excited to bring my experience in commercial closings to this high-energy group and helping them secure even more commercial title work throughout the Chicago area.”

Real estate veteran Yoo joins Proper Title after serving nearly 16 years at Chicago Title Insurance Co., where she was an associate commercial underwriter. Yoo has extensive knowledge of residential and commercial real estate transactions locally and nationally. She has handled the commercial closings of many high-profile hotels, retail stores, grocery chains, office buildings and new developments in the Fulton Market District and West Loop areas. Her annual closing revenue has been in excess of $1 billion consistently for the past 10 years. Yoo has a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.

“As our team expands, we’re thrilled to have Angie partner with us as she’s experienced some of the most complex commercial closings in Chicago,” O’Donnell said. “Like the rest of us, she is passionate about providing top-notch customer service.”

In addition to Rischall and Yoo, Proper Title’s commercial team has grown significantly in recent years with the hiring of O’Donnell; Geneen Skilton and Angela Castillo, both commercial title examiners; Patrick Kennedy, commercial closing manager; Beth LaSalle, senior commercial escrow officer; Amanda Ley, senior escrow officer; Neil Narut, senior underwriting counsel; Kathy Kwak, director of title and Gabe Krych, commercial underwriter and consult. The group’s closings for the first three quarters of 2019 are 45 percent higher than the same period in 2018.