Transparent Title Companies - Where are they?

By Ann Herdon Eskew

WHAT IF YOUR PREFERRED TITLE COMPANY:

* Delivered an instant, online, guaranteed closing cost quote to you and your clients - specific to the transaction;
* Was independent and gave back part of its revenue to your home buyer; instead of giving money back to your broker through an Affiliated Business Arrangment;
* Allowed you to submit the transaction order entirely online.

Very few title companies offer a Web 2.0 experience when it comes to delivering service. In fact, most still cling to fax machines and land lines -- taking orders over the phone, quoting fees/costs over the phone. Further, many title companies have no room to significantly lower their fees to your client because they are kicking back 30% to 50% of the transaction revenue to a broker by way of an Affiliated Business Arrangment.

I am proud to say that my company, Federal Title, has remained independent for the last 13 years. We have grown to be the largest independent title company in the Washington, DC metro area. Our growth is directly attributed to our ability to deliver instant, online, and guaranteed closing cost quotes to agents, home buyers, and mortgage lenders. It is also attributed to our REAL Credit Program in which we give back part of our revenue to the home buyer rather than a referral source. The consumer loves transparency and savings and we deliver.

Federal Title enters Miami-Dade market

Federal Title & Escrow Company Enters Miami-Dade Market with Its "Guaranteed Closing Costs" and "Anti-Kickback" Business Model

Coral Gables, Fla., February 5, 2009 - Seeking to assure a more transparent settlement transaction that delivers a guaranteed quote for closing costs and directs a financial benefit to the home buyer instead of the referral source, Federal Title & Escrow Company introduces to the Miami-Dade market an unprecedented model that empowers the consumer. While many title companies share their revenue with real estate brokerages as a reward for the referral, Federal Title instead gives part of its revenue back to the consumer. The announcement comes on the heels and in the spirit of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's proposed rule to reform the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act ("RESPA").

Federal Title's Market Entry

Federal Title & Escrow Company, an independent provider of real estate settlement services based in Washington, DC, proudly announces its expansion into the Miami-Dade market with the opening of its newest office in Coral Gables, FL.

The new Coral Gables office is part of the company's expansion plans to introduce its "guaranteed closing costs" and "anti-kickback" model in other markets. The model is supported by the company's proprietary online technology that delivers instant online closing costs specific to the consumer's transaction. The office will be managed by the law firm of Bales & Bales, P.A., a Coral Gables-based law practice.

Consumer-Friendly Business Model

In the majority of today's real estate transactions, real estate brokerages profit from title insurance premiums charged to home buyers or sellers by participating in joint ventures with title companies (also known as "Affiliated Business Arrangements"). Such arrangements require the participating title company to share its revenue with the real estate brokerage. Individual real estate agents are urged by their companies to refer home buyers and sellers to the joint venture title company in order that the brokerage may profit from the referral.

"For too long, at the expense of the consumer, title companies have been beholden to the financial interests of their referral sources. Legal and illegal kickbacks in the real estate transaction have fostered distrust with consumers and posed ethical dilemmas for real estate agents," said company president, Todd Ewing, adding that Federal Title does not share its revenues with referral sources. Instead, the company gives back part of its revenue to the home buyer through its innovative REAL Credit ProgramTM.

Attorney Amy Bales, manager of the Coral Gables office, added: "Our ability to deliver an instant, online, and guaranteed quote for closing costs along with substantial savings to the home buyer through our REAL Credit Program will give our agent and mortgage lender referral sources a distinct advantage over others. The Miami-Dade area real estate market is in dire need of a face-lift. Our real estate community needs to deliver more transparency to the consumer and raise the bar of ethics," said Bales.

About Federal Title & Escrow Company

Federal Title & Escrow Company (miami.federaltitle.com) (www.federaltitle.com) provides real estate settlement services for residential and commercial real estate transactions in Florida, Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Federal Title is committed to establishing long-term relationships with real estate agents and mortgage lenders who embrace transparency and high ethics.

Headquartered in Washington, DC, Federal Title is the largest independent title company in the Washington DC metro area. Through its proprietary and innovative AQGTM technology, Federal Title delivers online guaranteed closing cost quotes for the benefit of home buyers and referral sources. Through its REAL Credit ProgramTM, Federal Title gives back part of its revenue to the home buyer instead of referral sources.

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