Safeguard Properties

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Safeguard’s Power Players

In the February issue of HousingWire, Safeguard Properties Founder and Chairman of the Board Robert Klein, Chief Executive Officer Alan Jaffa and Chief Financial Officer Gregory Robinson were profiled in a section titled Power Players: Service Providers.

Power Players:  Service Providers

Safeguard Properties Management, LLC.

The COMPANY
SAFEGUARD DELIVERS a full spectrum of inspection, maintenance, preservation, property registration, repairs and rehab services on vacant, defaulted and foreclosed properties.

“What distinguishes Safeguard is our commitment to delivering excellent customer service and performing at the highest levels of quality, timeliness and cost-effectiveness,” said Alan Jaffa, Safeguard Properties CEO.

But the company is not just a property preservation company — it’s also a technology company that provides timely and accurate information and innovative solutions to its clients.

“Our investment in technology supports our commitment to our clients, with faster and more accurate property updates and data-gathering capabilities that are informative to both our clients’ and our own decision-making processes,” Jaffa said.

Safeguard’s technology innovation is evident in its Inspections Quality Control suite, which includes INSPI Mobile, INSPI QC and MapAlert. INSPI Mobile provides inspectors with the ability to collect property condition data and corresponding photo evidence, and submit results in real-time from the field. It also ensures inspections conform to client and regulatory requirements by systematically enforcing photo count, labeling and survey rules.

INSPI QC helps to verify the accuracy of field in-spections prior to submission to clients and GSEs. As part of the process, photos are evaluated to identify reused, cropped, altered or fraudulent photos.

The information captured from the field can then be analyzed using MapAlert, Safeguard’s proprietary geo-spatial mapping and data analytics application. MapAlert provides the ability to visually analyze data including loan and property level attributes and condition, further ensuring the accuracy of results at the neighborhood, city, state and national level. In addition, MapAlert integrates weather and other data services to proactively identify the impact of severe weather, economic and other geographical events on property portfolios, allowing clients to make better informed property preservation decisions.

“Safeguard’s unique viewpoint of our industry has assisted us in optimizing mobile location, business intelligence and tracking to help support compliance requirements and ensure the right people are at the right property at the right time doing the right work,” Jaffa said.

From new technology and the expansion of in-house internal audit and compliance teams, Safeguard has been working to proactively and aggressively manage risk, and to ensure the frameworks are in place to maintain regulatory compliance.

Safeguard believes the next technological evolution in field services will use real-time video to address the field services industry’s No. 1 risk — determining if a property is occupied or vacant. With video, the inspector can share the live video stream right from the property and another set of eyes can help with the property status determination.

“Safeguard’s forward-thinking approach allows the company to anticipate industry challenges and develop best practices to meet them head on,” Jaffa said.

But although technology is important to Safeguard’s future, the company’s foundation of providing quality customer service is still central.

“We will continue to achieve success, because, as a company, we approach our daily interactions with clients, communities, vendors and employees with respect and the strong commitment to provide a quality service,” Jaffa said.The

The EXECUTIVES
Robert Klein is the founder and chairman of the board for Safeguard Properties. Klein assumed the role of chairman in May 2010.

Klein also currently serves as the founder and chairman at SecureView. He remains active in many national industry associations.

In 2009, Klein received the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Alan Jaffa is the CEO for Safeguard Properties, a role he assumed in May of 2010. Previously he served as chief operating officer. Since joining Safeguard in 1995, Jaffa has worked through virtually every department of the company.

Under Jaffa’s leadership, Safeguard has enjoyed extraordinary growth that has catapulted the company to its current position as the largest mortgage field services company in the nation.

Gregory Robinson, CPA, is Safeguard’s chief financial officer and executive vice president. He directs all financial management activities, including financial reporting, planning, budgeting, forecasting, cash management, lender relationships, internal control processes and oversight and analysis of financial results.

As a key member of the leadership team, Robinson’s experience in finance, operations, IT and business development help to position Safeguard for continued growth.

FAST FACTS:

  • Founded in 1990 by Robert Klein and based in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio.
  • The largest mortgage field services company in the industry.
  •  “Safeguard provides its clients with excellence in the industry through leadership on key issues, ongoing training for employees and contractors, the development of industry-leading technologies, and providing outstanding client service.”

Please click here to view Power Players: Service Providers [pdf].

About Safeguard 
Safeguard Properties is the mortgage field services industry leader, preserving vacant and foreclosed properties across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Guam. Founded in 1990 by Robert Klein and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Safeguard provides the highest quality service to our clients by leveraging innovative technologies and proactively developing industry best practices and quality control procedures. Consistent with Safeguard’s values and mission, we are an active supporter of hundreds of charitable efforts across the country. Annually, Safeguard gives back to communities in partnership with our employees, vendors and clients. We also are dedicated to working with community leaders and officials to eliminate blight and stabilize neighborhoods. Safeguard is dedicated to preserving today and protecting tomorrow.  Website: www.safeguardproperties.com.

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CEO

Alan Jaffa

Alan Jaffa is the Chief Executive Officer for Safeguard Properties, steering the company as the mortgage field services industry leader. He also serves on the board of advisors for SCG Partners, a middle-market private equity fund focused on diversifying and expanding Safeguard Properties’ business model into complimentary markets.

Alan joined Safeguard in 1995, learning the business from the ground up. He was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2002, and was named CEO in May 2010. His hands-on experience has given him unique insights as a leader to innovate, improve and strengthen Safeguard’s processes to assure that the company adheres to the highest standards of quality and customer service.

Under Alan’s leadership, Safeguard has grown significantly with strategies that have included new and expanded services, technology investments that deliver higher quality and greater efficiency to clients, and strategic acquisitions. He takes a team approach to process improvement, involving staff at all levels of the organization to address issues, brainstorm solutions, and identify new and better ways to serve clients.

In 2008, Alan was recognized by Crain’s Cleveland Business in its annual “40-Under-40” profile of young leaders. He also was named a NEO Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award finalist in 2013.

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Esq., General Counsel and EVP

Linda Erkkila

Linda Erkkila is the General Counsel and Executive Vice President for Safeguard Properties, with oversight of legal, human resources, training, and compliance. Linda’s broad scope of oversight covers regulatory issues that impact Safeguard’s operations, risk mitigation, strategic planning, human resources and training initiatives, compliance, insurance, litigation and claims management, and counsel related to mergers, acquisition and joint ventures.

Linda assures that Safeguard’s strategic initiatives align with its resources, leverage opportunities across the company, and contemplate compliance mandates. She has practiced law for 25 years and her experience, both as outside and in-house counsel, covers a wide range of corporate matters, including regulatory disclosure, corporate governance compliance, risk assessment, compensation and benefits, litigation management, and mergers and acquisitions.

Linda earned her JD at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. She holds a degree in economics from Miami University and an MBA. Linda was previously named as both a “Woman of Influence” by HousingWire and as a “Leading Lady” by MReport.

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COO

Michael Greenbaum

Michael Greenbaum is the Chief Operating Officer of Safeguard Properties, where he has played a pivotal role since joining the company in July 2010. Initially brought on as Vice President of REO, Mike’s exceptional leadership and strategic vision quickly propelled him to Vice President of Operations in 2013, and ultimately to COO in 2015. Over his 14-year tenure at Safeguard, Mike has been instrumental in driving change and fostering innovation within the Property Preservation sector, consistently delivering excellence and becoming a trusted partner to clients and investors.

A distinguished graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Mike earned a degree in Quantitative Economics. Following his graduation, he served in the U.S. Army’s Ordnance Branch, where he specialized in supply chain management. Before his tenure at Safeguard, Mike honed his expertise by managing global supply chains for 13 years, leveraging his military and civilian experience to lead with precision and efficacy.

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CFO

Joe Iafigliola

Joe Iafigliola is the Chief Financial Officer for Safeguard Properties. Joe is responsible for the Control, Quality Assurance, Business Development, Marketing, Accounting, and Information Security departments. At the core of his responsibilities is the drive to ensure that Safeguard’s focus remains rooted in Customer Service = Resolution. Through his executive leadership role, he actively supports SGPNOW.com, an on-demand service geared towards real estate and property management professionals as well as individual home owners in need of inspection and property preservation services. Joe is also an integral force behind Compliance Connections, a branch of Safeguard Properties that allows code enforcement professionals to report violations at properties that can then be addressed by the Safeguard vendor network. Compliance Connections also researches and shares vacant property ordinance information with Safeguard clients.

Joe has an MBA from The Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), and holds a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University’s Honors Accounting program.

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Business Development

Carrie Tackett

Business Development Safeguard Properties