Why this matters
Verification isn't about distrust. It's about recognizing that even trusted parties can have their email compromised — and that a two-minute phone call is a small price to pay to confirm that six figures of someone's money is going to the right place.
The Wire Verification Protocol
Source the Phone Number Independently
Find the title company's or attorney's phone number on their official website — not from any email or document you received in the transaction. This is the only number that counts.
Call and Ask Specifically
Ask to speak with the escrow officer handling your file. Ask them to read back the routing number and account number. Don't read it to them — ask them to state it first.
Compare Against What You Were Sent
Write down what the escrow officer tells you. Compare it digit by digit to the instructions you received. Any discrepancy — no matter how small — stops the wire until resolved.
Confirm on the Morning of the Wire
Don't verify the day before and wire the day of. Accounts can be changed in hours. Verify on the same day you wire, within a few hours of the transfer.
Save the Verification Record
Note who you spoke with, at what time, and what they confirmed. If anything is ever disputed, you have documentation of the steps you took.
Verification steps for rental property acquisitions
- Even for a title company you've worked with before, verify wiring instructions for each new transaction independently
- Never wire based on a previous transaction's instructions — account details can change between deals
- Post-close, establish the property management company's payment details through Garded before your first rent disbursement
Build Verification Into Every Transaction — Not Just the Scary Ones
Garded makes secure wiring instruction delivery standard practice. Free to start.
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