Diana Armacost, Chris Sadler, Aimee Smith
Lakeside Title Company

531 Old Westminster Pike, Suite 209  |  Westminster, MD 21157
410-857-3004  |  www.lakesidetitle.com

Entirely woman-owned and operated, Lakeside Title Company offers a myriad of title and settlement services in Maryland, D.C., Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Knowledgeable, professional, experienced and always willing to help, our Lakeside Title team handles residential, commercial, refinance, new construction, for sale by owner, short sale and 1031 exchange transactions. Lakeside’s Westminster branch, comprised of an all female staff, has deep roots in the community and strives to conduct every closing with a personal touch.

What did you learn during the pandemic that has helped your business succeed?

When the pandemic began, Lakeside Title Company – like many businesses – was unsure how to adjust to the new reality of Covid. Restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus were mandated by the State; our challenge was how to comply with these safety measures in an essential industry heavily reliant on face-to-face interaction. 

Lakeside navigated the various needs of clients and staff with ingenuity, flexibility and compassion. Whenever possible, we used technology to allow staff and customers to stay home and stay safe. 

Yvonne Deardorff, Lakeside’s owner and CEO, quickly recognized the need for Remote Online Notary (RON) and worked tirelessly to implement this cutting edge option both within our company and in the greater real estate community. 

For the majority of our clients, who preferred a traditional settlement experience, we established protocols to prevent the spread of the virus, such as curbside signings and split settlements. 

Despite the pandemic, we experienced one of our most productive years, largely because we learned that caring about our clients and our community means finding innovative ways to serve them.