Selecting a title company can be an afterthought for most homebuyers—but it shouldn’t be. Such a company is essential for a smooth closing on your home. Finding a trustworthy one to manage large sums of money and sensitive personal and financial data is crucial, says Shannon McNair, president of RGS Title in Fairfax.
A settlement company, as it’s also known, ensures that buyers have a clear title to their property and manages the paperwork required for a transaction, including the loan and closing documents. In addition, says Todd Ewing, founder and CEO of Federal Title & Escrow in Chevy Chase, “most title companies have a team of highly experienced attorneys you can tap into throughout the process for advice. That doesn’t change the cost, either: There is no retainer fee, just the settlement costs.
According to federal and many state laws, the seller cannot require the buyer to purchase title insurance from a specific company as a condition of sale, Ewing adds. Your real-estate agent will often suggest a company, but don’t be afraid to shop around. McNair advises that buyers get multiple recommendations before making a choice.
Here are a few things to consider during that process.
Do Your Research
Real-estate agents typically refer a title company and sometimes even insert one into the purchase contract on behalf of the buyer, says Helen Krause, vice president of marketing for New World Title & Escrow in Fairfax. “Buyers should ask their agent if they’re affiliated with the title company, which they should disclose,” Krause explains.
Agents were recently outlawed from buying into a title company in DC, but the practice is legal in Maryland and Virginia. “If your Realtor has an ownership interest, that’s not ideal, because the agent can be getting paid in some way,” Krause says. “Potentially, that’s not in the best interest of the client.”
Ewing suggests that buyers ask their agent to recommend at least three title companies, then do some online sleuthing—checking reviews on Google and Facebook and with the Better Business Bureau—before calling the contenders and choosing one.
Watch Out for Scammers
Title fraud has become a billion-dollar problem. In some cases, criminals have infiltrated email accounts, posed as someone from the title company, and prompted buyers to wire them the closing funds. Selecting a company that has invested in fraud protection is important.
“Buyers should ask what measures are in place to protect their personal and financial data,” says Rob Rothstein, president of Paragon Title, which has offices in DC and Bethesda. “We email instructions only when the buyers are on the phone with us and can see the email come through, plus we talk them through the wire process.”
Krause recommends checking with a title company to be certain it uses a secure portal for the exchange of sensitive documents and data.
Get a Couple Quotes
Total closing costs in the Washington area—including title costs and other government and lender fees—range from about 2 to 3 percent of a property’s sales price, Krause says.
“Compare online quotes from title-company websites, but make sure you’re looking at total title-services fees,” Ewing says. “One company may quote a low closing fee but then tack on an extra fee for document prep, notary services, storage, and a title review, while another will charge a flat fee.”
Total fees can vary by more than $1,000, he adds, so buyers can save money by shopping around.
Lenders require title insurance to cover their investment in a property, but that only protects the lender against a claim—a contractor who wasn’t paid, maybe. Which is why most buyers also choose optional owners’ title insurance, which can cover legal expenses and claim payouts. Says Krause: “Ask the company if they offer enhanced title insurance as well as basic owners’ title insurance, and find out what that covers.”
Ask About an Attorney . . .
DC, Maryland, and Virginia don’t require an attorney for real-estate closings, McNair points out, with many settlements handled instead by licensed settlement agents.
“Buyers should call title companies and ask if there’s an attorney reviewing every key step and at the closing,” Rothstein advises. “Buyers need to know if they’ll have access to an attorney if they have a question.”
For example, buyers and sellers can request that an attorney review the sales contract to make sure their interests are fully protected, especially if a buyer backs out before closing.
. . . And a Reissue Rate
Buyers can potentially save money with a reissue rate if they use the same title company the sellers did when buying the house. In that case, the title-review process can be streamlined because the company has already researched the property history.
“A reissue rate can save several thousands of dollars,” says Ewing. But, he notes, “some [companies] can’t offer one depending on how long ago the seller’s title-insurance policy was issued, such as more than ten years ago.”
Top Title-and-Settlement Companies
We asked local real-estate agents and mortgage professionals to recommend the companies they trust most. Here are their picks.
Allied Title & Escrow
Alexandria, Arlington, Ashburn, Chevy Chase, DC
Avenue Title Group
DC
Capitol Title Group
Columbia, Crofton, DC, Rockville, Severna Park
Cardinal Title Group
Alexandria, Arlington, Bethesda, Bowie, Burtonsville, Chantilly, Clarksville, Columbia, DC, Ellicott City, Fairfax, Frederick, Gainesville, Gaithersburg, Lake Ridge/Woodbridge, Leesburg, McLean, National Harbor, Reston, Silver Spring, Tysons, Vienna, Waldorf
Champion Title & Settlements
Ashburn, Bethesda, DC, Fairfax, Leesburg, Sterling, Tysons, Vienna, Woodbridge
Cobalt Settlements
Arlington
Community Title Network
Annapolis, Arlington, Columbia, DC, Kensington, Leesburg, Manassas, McLean, Middleburg, Silver Spring
Counselors Title
Annapolis, Chevy Chase, DC, Gaithersburg, Hyattsville, McLean
District Title
Bethesda, DC, McLean
Double Eagle Title
McLean
Eagle Title
Annapolis, Severna Park
Eastern Title
Arlington, DC, Rockville
Ekko Title
Arlington, Ashburn, Centreville, McLean, Middleburg, Prince William, Reston, Vienna
Federal Title & Escrow Co.
Alexandria, Arlington, Chevy Chase, DC, McLean, Potomac, Reston, Rockville
First Excel Title
DC, Fairfax, Greenbelt
GPN Title
Rockville, Frederick
Hutton Patt Title & Escrow
Potomac
KVS Title
Alexandria, Arlington, Bethesda, DC, McLean, Potomac
Lakeside Title
Annapolis, Columbia, Rockville
Legacy House Title
Olney
Logan Title
DC
Mark Allen Law
Alexandria
MBH Settlement Group
Alexandria, Arlington, Ashburn, Bethesda, DC, Fairfax, Gainesville, Kingstowne, Sterling, Warrenton, Woodbridge
Modern Settlements
Alexandria, Chevy Chase, DC
Monarch Title
Alexandria, DC, McLean
Monument Title
Alexandria
National Capital Title & Escrow
Rockville
New World Title
Alexandria, Arlington, Ashburn, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, DC, Fairfax, McLean, Reston
Paragon Title
Bethesda, DC
Peak Settlements
Rockville
Pinnacle Title & Escrow
Rockville
Potomac Title Group
Ashburn, Chantilly, Fairfax, Leesburg, Woodbridge
Pruitt Title
Alexandria, Annapolis, Ashburn, Ballston, Bethesda, Bowie, Columbia, DC, Fairfax, Fair Oaks, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Kingstowne, National Harbor, Reston, Rosslyn, Sterling, Vienna
Republic Title
Annandale
RGS Title
Alexandria, Arlington, Ashburn, Bethesda, Bowie, Burke, Columbia, DC, Fairfax, Fair Oaks, Gainesville, Gaithersburg, Leesburg, McLean, Oakton, Reston, Rockville, Silver Spring, Vienna, Warrenton, Woodbridge
Settlement Trust
DC
Smart Settlements
DC, Fairfax, Greenbelt, Upper Marlboro
Stewart Title and Escrow
DC
Titan Title
Chevy Chase, Fairfax, Woodbridge
Tradition Title
Bethesda
Universal Title
Alexandria, Annapolis, Arlington, Ashburn, Bethesda, DC, Ellicott City, Fairfax, Falls Church, Kingstowne, McLean, Rockville, Upper Marlboro, Woodbridge
Vesta Settlements
Ashburn, Chantilly, Tysons
Village Settlements
DC, Fairfax, Gaithersburg, Greenbelt
Woodland Estate & Title
DC
Confidential Closings
Buyers in this area sometimes use an LLC or a trust to make a home purchase, especially high-profile or affluent individuals, families using a trust for estate-planning purposes, or people who value or require privacy.
If you’re looking to do the same, says Rob Rothstein of Paragon Title, be aware that “there are jurisdictional differences and reporting requirements that vary depending on whether you buy with an LLC or a trust.” For example, buying with an LLC may require reporting certain details of the sale to the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), which targets money laundering. Using a trust, on the other hand, may offer more privacy.
Purchasing with an LLC or trust also affects the loan process. Most lenders are less likely to provide a loan when an LLC or trust is buying a residential property, says Rothstein. “It’s easier to maintain privacy when you pay cash.”
In December, a new law taking effect will add another layer of complexity to all-cash closings that use an LLC or a trust, according to Shannon McNair of RGS Title. FinCEN, building on its existing requirements in the DC region, will require the reporting individual–usually the closing attorney or title-insurance agent–to file a report documenting the people behind the purchase and the source of funding, as well as other information. “The level of detail and information we’ll need to collect will make these transactions more complex and time-consuming,” McNair says, “so buyers need to be prepared for additional time and a higher fee.”
This article appears in the September 2025 issue of Washingtonian.
Michele Lerner ([email protected]) covers real estate, interior design, and personal finance.
