Allen takes on new role at Western Title

Don Allen may have turned over the reins at Reno-based Western Title, but he's not content to spend all of his days on the golf course now that he's the company's chairman.

Allen, who was succeeded as president by Sylvia Smith late last year, instead is taking on a bigger role marketing the company's services in commercial real estate complex transactions that often carry high liability for title insurance companies.

Among the clients targeted by Allen are developers and purchasers of residential, commercial and industrial properties as well as the casino industry.

Allen believes that with more than 46 years in the industry, his experience will help Western Title increase its market share in these areas.

"I've been in the trenches on both the title and escrow functions,"he says."That gives me an advantage."

Allen's work is all the more important after the retirement of Don Van Epps,who spent nearly 20 years building relationships with the major developers and commercial brokers that Western Title numbers among its clients.

Smith called Van Epps'work "invaluable" in building Western Title's position in commercial real estate.

"He always will be an ambassador for Western Title," she said of Van Epps,who came to Western Title as a second career after retiring from Nevada Bell.

Smith said the company wants to use Allen's experience to boost its share of the title and escrow business in the fast-growing commercial and development segment.

"With his experience and his knowledge of people in the business, the doors really open," she said.

Allen noted, however, that the fast growth of commercial and industrial transactions in the area won't automatically translate into increased business for Western Title.

Instead, he said, the company needs to continue to emphasize the experience and service of its team the average tenure of its title and escrow officers is 28 years as well as the company's underwriting agreements with the five major underwriting firms in the nation.

Smith said the company also has made significant recent investments in technology.

A newly enhanced Web site, for instance, allows real estate agents and lenders to open escrows online.