One of my favorite questions to ask when I’m talking to someone who works in the title industry is, “Were you born into or tricked into title?” It gets a laugh about 9 out of 10 times and it always starts up an interesting conversation. The title industry is so niche, so tucked away behind the shinier parts of real estate transactions, that the average person has no idea it even exists. And for those in the industry, the journeys they took to and through this industry are so unique and fascinating.
It’s hard to find data for the title insurance industry. There’s approximately 65,000 people employed nationally in this industry, and it is valued at about $23B for 2024. I’ve written other articles on the value of title insurance, role of title agencies in the real estate process, and the dangers (and motivations) of trying to eliminate title insurance, but today I just want to talk about how incredible it is to WORK in this industry.
No one wakes up one day and says, “I want to work in title insurance!” You didn’t see title agencies at most of your high school job fairs, there was no course in your college catalog, and in law school it was all but a footnote in a long boring property law course. Because of the near-invisibility of this industry, the majority of us fell into title by happenstance, or as I like to say, we were tricked into title.
Why was it a trick? Doesn’t “trick” carry a negative connotation? It was a trick because you can never leave the title insurance industry once you’ve been in it. Many have tried, and very few have been successful. And the person who tricked you knew exactly what they were doing: signing you up for a life sentence in this gloriously intricate, often frustrating, and largely lucrative industry.
But if you look past the laughs and jokes, and take a deeper analysis of why this industry is full of people who didn’t initially choose this path for themselves, you can begin to see why the title insurance industry, as a home for building your career, is a really wonderful place to be.
Low Barrier to Entry
It’s important to remember that every state is completely different in how they license, audit, and regulate title insurance industries. I have my resident producer license in Michigan and even though I have non-resident producer licenses in Ohio and Illinois, the rules of Michigan control my licensing overall.
What sort of educational requirement is there to get into title insurance? None.
Don’t you have to be a lawyer? Only in attorney-title states, of which Michigan is not.
But you have to be licensed don’t you? Isn’t that like taking the realtor exam? Yes, you should be licensed with your state’s department of insurance, which in Michigan is one short test. Do you NEED to be licensed? No, not technically. The title agency you work for needs to have a license. The owners of the agency should all be licensed. But according to DIFS (Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services), the only individuals who work in a title agency that NEED to be licensed are those involved in the “selling” of insurance. DIFS defines this as those individuals that issue title commitments and title policies. These rules were made for casualty insurance agencies, and don’t quite fit with title insurance.
So you could literally start a title agency with no degree, no formal education in title, and take one test to get licensed? Yep. Oh and Michigan doesn’t do continuing education requirements, so once you take the test, you’ll never have to renew your license.
Low barrier to entry – more like no barrier to entry.
All Personalities Welcome
One thing that really attracted me to going to law school is the vast array of employment opportunities that I could pursue – from being in front of a jury and judge, storytelling and orating, to deep research in a quiet library authoring an appellate brief, I felt the legal industry could accommodate so many passions and personalities. This is also true of the title insurance industry.
Are you a very analytical, archival, logical problem solver? You might make a great examiner.
Are you a personable, customer service oriented person who loves connecting with people? Closer or sales.
Are you a numbers person who loves a checklist and processes? Processor or post-closer.
Outside of the two main types of companies involved in title (title agencies and title underwriters), there’s a whole host of supporting companies that range from tech to software systems, from financial/banking to public records searching.
Sales, marketing, management, C-Suite leadership – we have all of that.
Salaries, commission-based pay, travel, hybrid, fully-remote, in-office – all that, too.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all when it comes to the perfect personality for title. An occupation like a realtor would fall more into that category. There is such a variety of positions and roles within any title agency that would match up with many different personalities. Ten years in, I can start to pick them out now, follow the stereotypes. What I love about it is that there’s a place for you in the title industry, you just might need to try a few before you find the one that fits.
Career Opportunities
My favorite stories of people’s title journeys are the ones where they’ve worked their way up the company ladder. Eighteen-year-old fresh out of high school, tricked into title because Aunt Joyce works at one, and she starts doing something fairly mindless at first – making copies, shredding files, couriering documents. Next they put her at the front desk, make her full time. Then she’s opening files, typing title commitments, scheduling closings. This is when there’s usually a fork in the road – do you go the examining route or the processing/closing route? Twenty years later she opens her own title agency.
This still happens. Small businesses make up an enormous part of our industry and people are still opening up title agencies all the time.
Experience-Based Knowledge Creates Value
The truth behind why you can’t leave this industry once you’re in – you become too valuable. We don’t have great education resources in our industry so our teachers are the people doing the work. Once you start doing the work, you’ll amass nuanced knowledge on the way your community does title – and it can be as isolated as a county. Now you know multiple counties or a whole state? That’s valuable. Multiple states? Incredibly valuable. I’ll hire someone with two years title experience over any other educational milestone in a second. Your time in the industry increases your value continually, and it never reaches a ceiling.
Even if you get burned out in an area of our industry – like sales to real estate agents – an underwriter will scoop you up in a minute to do sales to title agencies instead, which you intimately understand, reduces your stress, and probably pays more. There are endless ways to reinvent yourself in this industry and carve out an incredibly professional career.
The title insurance industry is so technical, such a complicated web of local customs, laws, court rulings, tax codes, and municipality ordinances, that very quickly you reach a level of expertise in a highly specialized industry. It’s like sitting next to a guy at a dinner party who knows every intimate detail about how the gas fireplace works. You don’t need to know how it works, it’s not particularly interesting, and you’re not sure why he cares so much – but you do know exactly who you’re going to call if your gas fireplace stops working.
Attracting Talent
The problem with working in an industry that’s a best kept secret? Well, it’s the secret part. While other companies are working on innovative, fresh ways to attract new talent, it might be time to revisit how we were introduced to the industry.
We need to learn how the title industry professionals that came before us were so adept at tricking us into the industry.
That’s my pitch: get better at tricking people into the title industry. That stay-at-home mom looking to reenter the workforce part time – your new mobile notary. Your friend’s daughter looking for some professional office experience – perfect receptionist material. Your dad’s cousin’s kid who wants a resume-boost internship but really just likes being on her phone – social media intern. The semi-retired guy who just wants a low-stress second career – policy issuance.
Some phrases that can help us all out here: “It’s just for the summer.” “Oh sure, I understand, it’s only until you find something else.” “It’ll give you really great experience for your next job.” “I know you’re interested in X, I’m sure you’ll meet so many great contacts here.” “No, we can’t put out a tip jar on the closing table, but maybe let’s have a conversation about commission.”
It’s not really a trick. The people who have been in this industry 30, 40 years now, they wouldn’t have changed a thing. The only trick is that you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into the second you shrug and say, “Sure, why not” and immediately Google “what is title insurance?”
As for me, was I born into or tricked into title? The simple answer is “Yes, to both” and a story for another time.
