Episode Article
If you’re buying or selling property in Tampa Bay, the title company you pick can mean the difference between a smooth closing and a stressful one. On a recent Rise and Thrive podcast, host Viraj talked with Diane Boyd, a processor at Veterans Escrow and Title Services, about what really happens behind the scenes at a title company and how having a real estate attorney on the team can make a big difference for buyers and sellers.
Here’s what Tampa homeowners, buyers, and sellers should know before picking a title company.
What Does a Title Company Actually Do?
A title company’s main job is to make sure a property can be transferred without any unexpected legal issues. This includes:
- Running title searches to confirm who legally owns a property and whether anything is attached to it
- Ordering lien searches to check for unpaid debts tied to the property
- Coordinating property surveys when needed
- Working through problems that surface in the title report before the closing date
- Issuing title insurance to protect the buyer and lender if an issue is missed
Diane explained it simply: the title report is like a blueprint. It shows the team exactly what needs to be fixed before a property can close without any issues.
Why an In-House Legal Background Matters
Veterans Escrow and Title Services started as a real estate law firm. The owner is a real estate attorney, and that legal background influences how the whole title team works every day.
This matters because many title issues are really legal problems in disguise. Diane shared a few real-life examples:
- Missed transfers. Two people co-owned a property. Only one of them signed the deed correctly to transfer their share, so the other owner stayed on the title for years, even though everyone thought the transfer was finished.
- Improper probate. When a property owner dies, the property doesn’t always transfer automatically. If the estate wasn’t handled correctly in probate, that gap becomes a problem on the title.
- DIY quitclaim deed errors. Quitclaim deed forms are easy to get, but also easy to fill out wrong. Even a small mistake on the paperwork can leave a "cloud" on the title for years before anyone notices.
Since the company has real estate legal expertise on hand, these problems are often found and fixed in-house, instead of being discovered late or needing to bring in an outside attorney.
Clean Title vs. Cloudy Title: What's the Difference?
A clean title means there are no unresolved issues, claims, or ownership questions on a property. It can be transferred without any problems.
A cloudy title means something in the property’s history doesn’t match up, like an unresolved lien, an incomplete deed transfer, a probate that was never finished, or another gap in ownership. A cloudy title must be fixed before a sale can close.
Finding and fixing these issues before closing is one of the most important jobs a title company has.
What Is Title Insurance, and Why Do You Need It?
Title insurance protects the buyer and lender if a title issue is missed during the search and comes up after closing. Even experienced title teams work with old records, and sometimes things get missed. Title insurance helps in those cases, just like health or car insurance protects you from the unexpected.
The Value of a Team With Combined Real Estate Experience
One thing that stood out in the conversation is that title work benefits from different types of expertise. The Veterans Escrow and Title Services team brings together:
- A real estate attorney owner
- A licensed title agent with a background in the mortgage industry
- A co-owner who is a licensed real estate broker
Diane mentioned that together, the team has over 100 years of combined real estate experience. This means they can usually answer questions about loans, agent logistics, and legal issues without needing outside help.
Why Relationships Still Drive the Title Business
Title insurance isn’t the easiest thing to market, but Diane made it clear that the business depends on trust built with real estate agents and mortgage brokers over time. Most clients come through referrals, not advertising. Even in a process-focused, paperwork-heavy industry like title services, it’s the human relationships—between realtors and title companies, and between title companies and clients—that make the process feel smooth for buyers and sellers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does it help if a title company has a real estate attorney on staff? Many title issues are really legal problems, like improperly completed deeds or unresolved probate. A title company with in-house legal expertise can spot and fix these problems faster and more accurately, often without needing to bring in an outside attorney.
What’s the difference between a clean title and a cloudy title? A clean title has no unresolved ownership issues and can be transferred without problems. A cloudy title has an issue, like a missed deed transfer or incomplete probate, that must be fixed before the sale can close.
What services does a title company provide? They handle title searches, lien searches, property surveys, fix title issues before closing, and issue title insurance to protect the buyer and lender after closing.
Do I need title insurance if my title company already did a thorough search? Yes. Even a careful search can miss something hidden in old records. Title insurance protects you if a problem comes up after the sale closes.
How do I choose a title company in Tampa Bay? Find a company with real estate legal expertise, a good reputation with local realtors and mortgage brokers, and a team that explains things clearly instead of just handling paperwork.
Are you ready to work with a Tampa-area title team that brings together legal, mortgage, and real estate brokerage expertise? Contact Veterans Escrow and Title Services to start your title search.