The 8 Essential Title Company Jobs

The bulk of what a title company does revolves around helping the sale of a piece of real estate go off without a hitch. This typically involves a few core steps:

  1. Examining the property for title defects (and remedying them as necessary)
  2. Underwriting the title insurance
  3. Preparing the escrow documentation
  4. Signing all the closing documents

Underneath what seems like a rather straightforward order of operations lies a whirling dervish of action from a fleet of dedicated and detail-oriented individuals. If you’re simply the buyer or seller of the house, you’ll never see most of them — and that’s the point. If they do their jobs correctly, you’re not supposed to see them, but they are most certainly committed to taking care of every aspect of your sale.

1. Title Closer

Also called a “Title Processor,” this person is directly responsible for reviewing, approving, and finishing all the necessary documentation for a real estate transaction. This includes being present at the actual closing ceremony to get anything and everything signed by the buyer and seller. Additionally, this person will file all the completed documents with the county land records office to ensure the sale is official and finalized.

2. Settlement Agent

A crucial player in the closing process, the settlement agent first determines and then obtains any and all monies related to closing costs for the transaction. Without these fees paid in full, the loan for the sale can’t be funded, and the sale won’t proceed. As a result, the agent works in tandem with the Title Closer to schedule any necessary appointments for signing documents.

3. Document Specialist

Document processing comprises a healthy portion of what a title company does on any given day. Thus, a title company has several technicians whose entire focus rests upon all of the paperwork required for a successful sale, which includes materials before, during, and after the closing meeting. It helps if the Document Specialist is a Notary Public, as this increases the efficiency of the approval process, especially when it comes time to confirm that local, state, and federal guidelines have been met.

4. Title Officer

Think of this person as the wrangler or ringleader for the entire title process. There’s a good chance that an experienced Title Officer has held every other role on this list. This is most helpful because this person is often customer-facing, which means they are able to explain each step of the process to buyers and sellers.

Behind the scenes, the Title Officer reviews and approves the work of the Document Specialist, Title Examiner, Underwriter, and more to guarantee that the entire transaction is ready to go and clear of obstructions. The last thing that anyone wants to see happen at closing for a detail to be out-of-whack and shut the whole thing down.

5. Title Examiner / Abstractor / Searcher

Also called “Title Abstrator” or “Title Searcher,” this is the unsung hero of the entire process. A Title Examiner reviews the title of a property to ensure there aren’t any title defects that could stop the sale. A title defect is anything in the title’s history that would cause suspicion about the transaction. Typically, these defects fall into two primary camps:

  1. Claims upon a title from the heirs of previous owners who felt that the property shouldn’t have left the family; and
  2. Construction and/or home improvement companies holding a lien on the property because of unpaid loans and/or bills for completed work.

This person digs deep into all manner of public records to review legal, real estate, and insurance documentation and legislation to guarantee that the title under examination is free and clear. As you’d imagine, such a task requires a critical eye, one that wants to find problems. Because if they can remedy any problems during the examination phase, it eliminates any roadblocks and possible cancellations in the future.

6. Title Insurance Underwriter

Title insurance is essential to protect buyers and sellers during a real estate transaction. A Title Underwriter works on behalf of the title company to create a title insurance policy that protects the title company from any risk in case the Title Examiner comes back with some concerns over the title’s history. The seller pays for this insurance as a gesture of good faith that the title search process will go off without a hitch, and an Underwriter works as an independent agent on behalf of the insurance company.

7. Escrow Officer

Along with the Title Closer and Title Officer, Escrow Officer is one of the title company jobs most people recognize. This is the person who understands the deep nuances of the finances in play with a given real estate transaction. In conjunction with the Title Officer, the Escrow Officers administers the document signing and explains to the involved parties exactly what will happen along with the whys and hows. This role is essential to certify that everything has been done according to the letter of the law so that funds, deeds, and ownership can be transferred to the correct persons and institutions.

8. Back-Office Administration

With any professional service, the real nitty-gritty work of everyday operations is completed by the back-office administration. From file clerks and janitorial staff to personal assistants and senior administrators who create clean calendars so everyone gets where they need to go, any title company worth its salt employs a robust and faithful office staff.

How Can I Succeed in Any of These Title Company Jobs?

As you can tell, any role you have in the title industry is filled with lots of moving parts, some of which are outside of your control — and all of them require lots of experience and training to do well. After all, the goal of anyone working at a title company is to exceed expectations so the real estate transaction is successful for everyone involved.

However, despite what you might think, you don’t need an advanced college degree to achieve greatness for your career, customers, and company. In fact, many people here at Patten Title have risen through the ranks with just a high school diploma or a college degree far removed from any aspect of the work we do. We firmly believe that you can secure and soar at title insurance job if you first possess and then seek to enhance the following skills:

  • Attention to detail
  • Customer service experience
  • A love of research
  • Technological ability
  • A desire to learn

What Makes Working at Patten Title Different from Other Title Company Jobs?

It’s rather simple: not only do we live out those talents every day across every part of the company, but senior leadership looks for every opportunity to train up people who are motivated to achieve the highest levels of success. If we’re going to deliver that “Very Intensive Individualized Professional” service to our clients, we have to help our people become their best selves in their jobs and everyday lives.

How can we do this? It lies in our team-first approach. We give our people direct access to their bosses and senior leadership for questions, training, or just coffee. We also hold monthly outings for the entire staff to recognize them for their amazing work for the company. Additionally, we throw quarterly bashes that give our clients the opportunity to meet directly with the staff, which puts a face to a name and encourages everyone to feel invested in our company’s long-term success.

In short, if you work hard, care about others, and want to learn, then we will find a career for you at Patten Title.

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