At Next Wave Title, we’re proud to highlight the people who make our mission possible. This month, Geoff Prichard, our Business Development Officer, takes center stage in Palm Beach Real Producers.

Geoff’s journey into title insurance began at home in Michigan, where family ties introduced him to the industry. Over the past two decades, he’s worn nearly every hat, from processing and closing to management, before bringing his expertise and energy to South Florida.
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At Next Wave Title, Geoff thrives on building relationships, solving problems, and making every closing an enjoyable, memorable experience. His passion for people and commitment to service truly set him apart in the industry.

​Next Wave Title is thrilled to announce the appointment of Geoffrey Prichard as our new Business Development Officer. With nearly three decades of experience in the title and real estate industry, Geoff brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the team.

Geoff's impressive background includes strong business development, strategic planning, and operational management skills. His addition to Next Wave Title will further strengthen the agency’s commitment to excellence and help expand connections within the community. Geoff is also an avid football fan, and while he does enjoy watching the Detroit Lions on Sunday, he still enjoys Sunday afternoons at the Tequesta Sandbar.

"We are delighted to welcome Geoff to the Next Wave family," said Tom Paschen, Managing Member at Next Wave Title. "His extensive experience and extraordinary customer service attitude make him the perfect fit to lead our business development efforts. We're excited to see the innovative strategies and growth opportunities he'll bring to our organization."

In his new role, Geoff will leverage his expertise in key areas including:

• Regulatory Compliance
• Risk Management & Quality Assurance
• Business Development & Client Retention

These skills will be instrumental in maintaining Next Wave Title's commitment to the highest standards of service and integrity in the title insurance industry.

Expressing his enthusiasm about joining the team, Geoff stated, "I'm excited to join such a passionate, knowledgeable, and fun team. I'm ready to bring my exemplary performance in leadership and revenue optimization to Next Wave Title. Together, we'll build on the company's strong reputation and create new opportunities for growth and success."

Geoff's appointment comes at an exciting time for Next Wave Title as it continues to expand its services and strengthen its position in the market. His vision and leadership will drive business development strategies forward and enhance client relationships.

Story First Reported at Palm Beach Post
BY KIMBERLY MILLER | Palm Beach Post

Real estate experts: ‘Seller impersonation’ fraud is on the rise
A Palm Beach County real estate expert is sounding the alarm about a growing land scam that his company narrowly thwarted last month involving property in Jupiter Farms.

Jeff Lichtenstein, president of Echo Fine Properties, said a fraudster called one of his listing agents posing as the out-of-state owner of a mortgage-free vacant lot that they wanted to sell.

The agent agreed, listed the property and got a cash buyer willing to pay the full asking price of $350,000.
But there were red flags that something was amiss.

The alleged seller said they had recently moved to Texas from New York and hadn’t updated their address in public records. But the agent, who was familiar with the area code they were calling from, noted that they didn’t know anything about the city they claimed to be living in.

Real estate fraud: ‘We got lucky on this one … ‘
She told the title company there was something suspicious with the sale, which increased its scrutiny of the seller.

“We got lucky on this one because it’s happening all the time and has really ramped up recently in Florida, especially with vacant land,” said Joseph Reichert, an attorney for Next Wave Title in Jupiter, which was handling the closing. “We caught it early enough that the buyer didn’t put in earnest money, so no real damage was done.”

Still, Lichtenstein said the agent made the effort to list the property and find the buyers, who were disappointed in the end that the property wasn’t really for sale.

“Emotionally, they had already gotten attached to the property,” he said about the buyers. “And it’s a lot of work listing the property, taking pictures of the property, and taking calls on it.”

​Real estate: ‘Seller impersonation fraud’ is on the rise
Tom Cronkright, co-founder of the fraud tracking and protection company CertifID, said seller impersonation fraud is on the rise nationwide as scammers realize how vulnerable vacant land can be, especially if the owner is out of state and doesn’t frequently visit the property.

The U.S. Secret Service circulated an alert last year saying it had observed a “sharp increase” in reports of real estate fraud associated with vacant land where criminals pose as property owners.

“If it were a house, the listing agent would have to get access to take pictures, it’s a heavier lift,” said Cronkright, who created CertifID after his Michigan-based title company was scammed into wiring $180,000 to a fraudulent account. “If they can get away with the transfer on vacant land, the people won’t know about it for weeks or months or even longer.”

Last July, a New York resident filed a lawsuit after vacant property he owns in Connecticut was sold without his knowledge to a developer. The developer started building a 4,000-square-foot house on the property that was listed for sale for $1.47 million.

The landowner, Daniel Kenigsberg, had been impersonated by a scammer who claimed to be him and said he was living in South Africa. The home was fraudulently sold in October 2022, according to the lawsuit. Kenigsberg didn’t find out about the sale until May 2023.

The case was closed April 5 with a judgment that cleared the title in favor of Kenigsberg.

“The scammers are coming fully prepared to trick somebody in whatever way they can,” Cronkright said.
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In the Jupiter Farms incident, the alleged buyer sent a picture of a New York driver’s license to the title company, which later proved to be fake, but refused to send proof that they had paid the previous year’s property taxes. They were using a secure encrypted email address, and their phone number showed up in a search as attached to a previous fraud.

​When a letter about the sale was sent to the true owner’s mailing address listed in public property records, the owner called immediately and said she had no knowledge of the transaction.

“She was very upset about all of it,” Reichert said about the true owner.

​Real estate fraud red flags include listing property below market value
In Palm Beach County, property owners can register with the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller’s office to have a fraud alert sent to them if changes are made to official records, such as if a deed is filed on a property.

To prevent a vacant land scam, the National Association of Realtors said agents should be on the lookout for several red flags including that the seller wants to list the property for below market value, they have a strong preference for cash, they don’t want a sign in the yard advertising the sale, they claim they are out of the country, they only communicate by text or email and they want to use their own notary.
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Lichtenstein said his firm is being extra careful with vacant lot sales after the recent experience.

“We need to start asking whether the client was met in person, or are they personally familiar to agent,” he said. “We’re going to have to do more, so we know who we’re working with.”