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Big Title Companies vs. Boutique Firms: Which Should You Choose?

Buying or selling a home can feel like a never-ending process. For sellers, the process of selling a home can take months from the time you make the decision to sell, and involves finding a broker, staging and listing your home, and dealing with a seemingly endless parade of potential buyers before you ever get an offer. For buyers, too, the process can be long and difficult, requiring compromises, searching for homes that meet your needs, and, finally, making an offer to purchase a home. And for both parties, the offer is just the beginning. Right behind that offer comes negotiation, completing paperwork, navigating contingencies, andopening the escrow process. 

In the midst of this occasionally frustrating process, your choice of title company can make a big difference in how your escrow and closing proceeds. But it can be difficult to know whether to choose a large national company or stick to a local provider. Understanding more about both big title companies and boutique firms can help you understand which to choose to handle your title insurance and closing process.

A Local Title Provider Is An Expert In Your Market

One of the significant advantages of working with a local title company is that no one will know your market better than a local provider. From understanding the local quirks that can impact title searches, to convenient local offices in your area that handle closings, a local title company can bring valuable expertise that can ensure your closing proceeds as smoothly as possible. From setting rates to convenient locations for closing, working with a company that knows your area has undeniable advantages.

Unlike a large national provider, a local title company can react quickly to issues that arise during your closing. Local closing officers can respond to problems as they come up, without waiting for a response from a central office. What is more, local agents are likely to be familiar with the types of issues that might be likely to come up, so they can anticipate potential problems before they threaten your closing. Having direct access to decision makers also increases the likelihood that your escrow and closing process will be a smooth one, with fewer questions and potential problems arising. With a local provider, you’re likely to have a single point of contact in your transactions. This means being able to count on someone who will understand the specifics of your deal and who will be able to provide you with quick, efficient service.

In addition, when you patronize a local title company, you’re supporting local employees who live and work in your community. Unlike the national providers, local companies are more likely to patronize local businesses and charities, and their local reputations are important, meaning they are more likely to be responsive and personalized in their responses to your questions and concerns.

National Title Companies Have Excellent Resources

National title companies are able to scale their work and offer resources that some smaller title companies cannot. Large providers have access to national underwriting services, as well as title technology and compliance options, that can standardize the title review and insurance process, leading to a more streamlined closing process. The best national title companies have the latest systems to support quick and efficient closings including eSignatures, secure escrow transfers, and an efficient digital platform to store all forms, and client information. Digital signature options, remote closings, and online buyer and seller net sheet technology makes the escrow and closing process simpler, allowing buyers and agents to focus their energy elsewhere. 

In addition, title insurance is a long term proposition, with a single premium payment protecting you for as long as you own your home. Working with a reputable provider means that you can be assured that the company underwriting your policy will still exist even if an issue arises years down the road. 

Landtrust Title Provides The Best Of Both Worlds

When you choose Landtrust Title as your title insurance provider, you get the dedication and local expertise of a small company combined with the resources and national underwriting services of a national provider. At Landtrust, we offer 24 convenient closing locations, resources for realtors including Net Sheets and lunch-and-learns. You’ll enjoy a single point of contact for any questions or concerns that come up, ensuring that your time is never wasted speaking to someone who has to get up to speed on the details of your deal. 

While our focus is local, our reach is national. Our title insurance policies are underwritten by established national underwriters including Fidelity National Title, Old Republic Title, First American, Commonwealth, and Chicago Title. Landtrust Title stays on the cutting edge of compliance and technology services, ensuring that you’ll never sacrifice efficiency for a local touch. 

Landtrust Title Is Your Trusted Title Insurance Provider

Protecting your interests with title insurance is one of the most important pieces of any real estate transaction — and you don’t have to navigate the ins and outs of owner’s and lender’s title insurance policies alone. The cost of title insurance is only one consideration in choosing a title insurance partner. Because title insurance protects your interest for as long as you own your home, partnering with a safe, established provider is essential. Landtrust Title is a trusted, proven partner at every step of the closing process. 

Interested in learning more about closing costs? Use our instant quote calculator to get an estimate today.

If you have questions about what title insurance can do to protect you, what it involves, or how to get it, Landtrust Title Services can help. Please contact us today at [email protected] or by phone at 312.528.9210 to get answers to all of your questions.

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