A poll by the American Land Title Association (ALTA) found that 50% of homebuyers chose their title business, and 35% of those who didn’t indicated a realtor helped them choose one.
Home buying and selling procedures can get challenging. To assist you with these crucial transactions, you should have a reliable title company by your side that can utilize title company software to simply the process.
You have undoubtedly had some interaction with a title firm if you have ever worked in the real estate industry. But you could still be curious:
What exactly is a title company? What does it do? How do I pick a local title company?
You are lucky, because in this article, we discuss everything you need to know about a title company. Let’s get started.
What is a title company?
A title company is an impartial third-party entity that works on behalf of purchasers, sellers, and mortgage lenders to facilitate the closing or real estate transactions. The company, which is also known as a title insurance company, looks into the title history of certain properties to confirm the proper transfer of ownership from one corporation to the next.
A title company primarily looks up information on a property on any existing encumbrances in public records. A claim or lien against the title to a piece of real land is called an encumbrance. Examples include
- Real estate taxes
- Bonds for assessments
- The Trust Deed
- Liens on mechanics
- Code violations
- Utility Liens
A title company aims to offer purchasers, sellers, and mortgage lenders some level of understanding and insight into the liens attached to a specific property through the issuance of a title report. Consider them a necessary party for real estate transactions to go well and to reduce the risk for all parties.
How Do You Pick A Title Agency?
You might be wondering how to choose a title company. Well, here are some tips to assist you in selecting the ideal title company:
- Reputation: One of the most crucial factors in choosing the best title company is reputation. You should pick a business that has provided dependable service and excellent communication to owners, investors, and real estate brokers in your market.
- Knowledge: Confirm that they have a thorough understanding of title procedures in your neighborhood market. Do your homework to find out how many customers this company has served. You want your title company to be a dependable and trustworthy counsel that can address all of your concerns as you work on real estate negotiations.
- Location: If at all possible, pick a neighborhood title company. Try to establish a long-lasting relationship with your title rep because you might need to communicate with them several times every week.
- Policies: Be sure to conduct preliminary research. Before committing, make sure you have read and agree with the company’s actual title policies.
- Fees: Find out upfront what their title fees are and make sure they are within your price range. Try to negotiate with the business or look for a better fit elsewhere if you think they’re too pricey.