I've purchased a few units online and they don't require any sort of licensing. 

Selective in a way where they know your income is stabilized and that your business is thriving.  

Is it possible for me to go straight to a utilities company, for instance, and ask for verification for this sort of thing?

My concerns with selecting a servicer are the following: customer service, access to funds, access to education materials so I can learn how to stay away from prohibited transactions.

Double closes, and all sorts of weird stuff we've always used Old Tampa Bay Title. 

In our experience, the #1 mistake owners make when selecting a Property Management Company (PMC) is ASSUMING instead of CONFIRMING.It's often a case of not doing enough research, as they don't know what they don't know!

Select the Tenant Segment FirstStart by identifying a tenant segment with a high concentration of reliable people.

The information sources in Germany are mostly scam - all sorts of 'experts' who claim it's possible to get a loan with 0% interests and a yield of 50%... 

I don't see that the license or certifications are helping people sort out the good from the bad there either.

I am also very involved in reviewing proposals, selecting subs, design, etc.