GITC Yearly Business Review

The favorable interest rate environment and strength in real estate markets allowed Greater Illinois Title Company (GIT) to achieve record results in 2003. The company exceeded its internal goals in financial performance and productivity while closing a record 84.3% of all transactions ordered by customers. The company made great strides in increasing market share in targeted segments and remains focused on continuing to grow in a planned and careful way. The company will continue to operate from a foundation of sound fundamentals taking advantage of growth opportunities in a prudent and deliberate manner.

In 2003, Greater Illinois Title Company experienced record setting order and closing counts. The company was successful in achieving all of its strategic goals for the year including exceeding planned results in financial performance, productivity and market share growth. The company continues its commitment to building on its reputation of integrity, professionalism and exceptional customer service. Exceptional customer service remains the key fundamental upon which the company will focus its efforts to improve in the coming year with new customer service initiatives being launched. GIT will pursue its defined goals of controlled growth, making calculated strategic moves in the market, and quickly adjusting to the unpredictable realities of the real estate industry. An example of this is GIT's ability to bundle a variety of services with a single price design to ensure convenience and consistency for customers that demand settlement package rates.

GIT continues to dedicate resources to specific market segments in an effort to diversify its product lines and revenue. The commercial/construction division has been a major contributor to the company's revenue growth over the past three years. This is a result of devoting critical resources to ensure that customers are serviced with the highest level of professionalism and customer service. In this market segment, GIT offers an expanded menu of products and services for customers by providing 'one-stop shopping' capabilities for commercial, industrial and new construction projects. This includes acting as a Qualified Intermediary to facilitate the use of 1031 tax deferred exchanges. This is accomplished by GIT's wholly owned subsidiary, Greater Illinois Tax Deferred Exchange Corporation. Land surveys through Greater Illinois Survey Company allow parties to order a survey along with the title insurance and escrow services so that last minute problems are eliminated and closing deadlines met. The Rapid Title Services Department (RTS), a separate division that provides short-form title commitments and title searches for a variety of customers also fueled revenue growth. By meeting customer demands of 48-hour service in most instances, the division is providing its many products to a growing client base.

Another targeted segment has resulted in the steady growth of the Gateway Services Program. Through this program, GIT offers title and closing services to policy-issuing agents of Chicago Title Insurance Company. GIT facilitates the closing process through its many office locations located throughout the Chicago area. By fulfilling its mission to "view customers as partners in business", GIT has successfully grown this market segment with nearly 600 title agents utilizing GIT as a title and escrow services provider. Personalizing customer service and ensuring that all steps necessary to close transactions on-time have resulted in a higher market share in this critical segment.

Since 1985, Greater Illinois Title Company has been providing the Chicago area with an innovative range of title insurance, escrow closing and real estate information services. GIT is the largest title agent in Illinois and one of the largest title agents in the country. Through its network affiliations, GIT can handle any transaction within the state of Illinois and throughout the United States. This ' one-stop shopping' provides a more efficient way for GIT customers to meet the needs of their clients.

GIT currently operates from twelve full-service offices including a new office in Shorewood located outside of Joliet. Other locations include Arlington Heights, Libertyville, Wheaton, Naperville, Westchester, Oak Park, Oak Lawn, Tinley Park, Homewood, in Chicago on North Milwaukee Avenue and in the Loop at 120 North LaSalle Street. The north suburbs and the growth areas of the far northwestern suburbs are now being targeted for new office locations in the coming year.

Greater Illinois Title Company is proud of its accomplishments. The results achieved in 2003 are a direct result of the outstanding performance of employees during the past year as they endured a record volume of business. Their efforts and dedication were nothing short of incredible. Through their hard work and professionalism, the company is fulfilling its mission to be the best provider of real estate information products and services in the industry.

About Greater Illinois Title
Greater Illinois Title, celebrating its 22nd Anniversary in 2007, is Chicago Title's largest title agent in Illinois and one of its largest title agents in the country. The company provides title insurance, construction and commercial escrow services, sale and refinance closing services, 1031 tax deferred exchanges, land surveys and real estate information in the Chicago metro region. It currently operates through a network of nineteen offices located in Arlington Heights, Crystal Lake, Downers Grove, Geneva, Homewood, Joliet, Libertyville, Lindenhurst, Naperville, Oak Lawn, Oak Park, Shorewood, Tinley Park, Waukegan, Westchester, Wheaton, Yorkville, in Chicago on North Milwaukee Avenue and in the Loop at 120 N. La Salle Street. Greater Illinois Title is authorized to write Title Insurance and issue policies in the Counties of Cook, DeKalb, Du Page, Grundy, Lake, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, McHenry and Will. The company coordinates title insurance and escrows in all Illinois Counties and across the United States.