You Chose the House. Who Chose Your Title Company?

You chose the home.

You chose the lender.

You chose the attorney.

You probably spent an unreasonable amount of time choosing between two nearly identical shades of kitchen backsplash.

So here’s a question that catches many homebuyers by surprise:

Who chose your title company?

For a lot of buyers, the answer is some version of, “I’m not sure. My attorney said they already had someone.”

That is not necessarily a problem. Your attorney is an important member of your real estate team, and experienced attorneys often have title companies they know and trust. Familiar professional relationships can make communication easier.

But a recommendation is not the same thing as an informed decision.

The title company performs work that helps protect your ownership and can play an important role in getting your transaction to the closing table. You should know who that company is, what they do, and what kind of service you can expect.

In other words, don’t meet your title company for the first time when you see its name buried somewhere in the closing paperwork.

What Does a Title Company Actually Do?

Title work is one of those parts of buying a home that tends to happen backstage.

You see the house. You meet the agent. You talk to the lender. You speak with your attorney.

Meanwhile, somewhere behind the curtain, the title company is examining whether the person selling you the property can actually deliver good title to it.

Rather important detail, that one.

A title company researches the property’s ownership history and looks for potential problems that could affect your ownership, including liens, judgments, recording issues, ownership questions, easements, restrictions, and other matters that may need attention. The company also helps clear title requirements, coordinates with your attorney, lender, agent, and other members of the closing team, and ultimately issues title insurance.

Think of it as checking the property’s legal luggage before you take possession. You want to know if somebody accidentally packed a 20-year-old lien in the side pocket.

Good title work can feel invisible when everything goes right. When something goes wrong, however, the quality of the people handling it can become very visible, very quickly.

“My Attorney Already Has a Title Company”

This is where buyers sometimes get confused.

Your attorney may say, “We already have a title company,” or “We usually work with someone.”

Fair enough.

Attorneys develop relationships with professionals they know. If you found a plumber who always answered the phone, showed up on time, and never turned a leaky faucet into an archaeological excavation, you’d probably keep that number too.

But familiar to your attorney does not automatically mean best for you.

Your attorney may value an existing working relationship. As the buyer, you may also care about how quickly the title company responds to you, whether someone will explain your charges, how accessible the team is, and whether you feel comfortable asking questions.

The goal is not to second-guess your attorney. It is to participate in a transaction that happens to involve a considerable amount of your money.

The Policy May Be Regulated. The Experience Isn’t.

Price is naturally one of the first things buyers think about.

In New York, title insurance premiums and rates are regulated. That means shopping for title services is not quite like shopping for a refrigerator, where one store may decide Tuesday is Half-Price Refrigerator Day.

That does not mean every charge from every title company is necessarily identical. Buyers should get a clear title quote and understand what they are being charged.

More importantly, buyers should consider what they are getting in return. Responsiveness, communication, accessibility, experience, transparency, problem-solving ability, and a willingness to explain the process can make a meaningful difference.

At Cornerstone, we provide fast, accurate title quotes, and we are happy to walk through them line by line.

Because you should be able to ask, “What is this charge?” and receive something better than an answer that sounds as though it was translated from Latin by a fax machine.

Title is complicated. Explaining it shouldn’t be.

“But My Attorney Has Never Worked With Cornerstone”

Neither had the first attorney we ever worked with.

Every professional relationship has a first transaction.

A capable title company should be able to coordinate effectively with attorneys, lenders, agents, and other professionals whether they have completed 100 transactions together or are introducing themselves for the first time.

At Cornerstone, we see ourselves as part of the closing team, not a rival faction attempting to seize the conference room.

A smooth closing should not depend solely on everyone using the same familiar vendor. It also depends on preparation, communication, responsiveness, experience, and the ability to solve problems when real estate inevitably decides to become interesting.

Ask Before the Title Is Ordered

You do not need to become a title expert before buying a home. That would be a cruel requirement, and frankly, some of us have already made that sacrifice on your behalf.

But you should ask a few basic questions: Who is handling my title? Why was this company recommended? Who do I call if I have questions? Can someone walk me through my title charges?

Pay attention to the answers.

A title company should not make you feel as though the process is secret knowledge reserved for people carrying briefcases.

You are the buyer. These are your closing costs. This will be your property.

Questions are allowed.

What If My Attorney Pushes Back?

First, don’t turn it into a courtroom drama.

Your attorney may have perfectly reasonable reasons for preferring a title company they know. Listen to those reasons. Ask questions. Keep the conversation professional.

If you have reviewed your options and prefer Cornerstone, simply tell your attorney:

“I’ve reviewed my options and I’d like Cornerstone Land Abstract to handle the title work for my purchase.”

If your attorney explains that they normally use another company, you can say:

“I understand you usually work with another company. I’ve spoken with Cornerstone and I’m comfortable with them handling my title. I’d like to move forward with them.”

And if you are told another company must be used, there is nothing confrontational about asking:

“Is there a specific reason Cornerstone cannot handle the title on this transaction?”

There may be transaction-specific circumstances worth discussing with your attorney. The point is not to pick a fight. The point is to understand the decision instead of discovering later that one was made without your involvement.

Know Who Is Protecting Your Ownership

Buying a home requires a small army of professionals. The best transactions happen when that army communicates instead of wandering around the battlefield looking for the group text.

At Cornerstone, we believe the title company should act like an advisor, not a faceless vendor.

And that protection does not clock out when the closing is over. An owner’s title insurance policy generally remains in effect for as long as you own the property, protecting against covered title problems that may surface later. At Cornerstone, we take that long-term view seriously. That’s also why we offer lifetime fraud monitoring to help alert our clients to suspicious activity involving their property.

We answer questions. We explain charges. We coordinate with the closing team. We help identify and resolve title issues. And with experience gained from more than 17,000 transactions, we know that what looks like a routine closing on Monday can occasionally grow horns by Thursday.

That is precisely when experience and communication matter most.

So involve us early. Get your title quote. Ask your questions. Let us work with your attorney, lender, agent, and the rest of your team to help make the process as smooth and understandable as possible.