How to Choose a Title Company: 8 Checks and Fees (2026)

Updated November 2026. For buyers and sellers picking the company that will hold the money and close their sale, and who’d like to pay less doing it.

To choose a title company, confirm its state license and underwriter, get two or three written quotes, and compare the settlement fee and add-on charges line by line. Our guide to what title fees cover explains each line. As of November 2026, Florida and Texas set title insurance premiums by rule, so the closing fee is where prices really differ.

Closing in Florida, Texas, or from November 2, 2026 in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois or Indiana? Compare a Beycome Title quote: one flat settlement fee, from $99 in Florida when prepaid.

Jump to: ✅ 8 checks · 💲 Fees to compare · 🤝 Who picks · 🏢 Closing company vs title · 🪜 Save at closing · ❓ FAQ

New to all this? Start with what a title company does, then come back for how to pick one.

How do you choose a title company? 8 checks

Most people take whichever name their agent or lender mentions. That’s fine if it’s a good company. It’s better to check. Here’s what we’d look at, in order.

1. The license. Look the company up with your state. In Florida, use the Department of Financial Services licensee search. In Texas, the Texas Department of Insurance regulates title agents.
2. The underwriter. Ask which insurer stands behind the policy. A known national underwriter is what lenders expect.
3. The written quote. Get every fee on one page: settlement, search, courier, wire, document prep, e-recording.
4. Speed. Ask how many days until the title commitment arrives. A slow commitment squeezes your inspection and loan dates.
5. Your contact. One named closer who answers the phone beats a general inbox.
6. Wire safety. Ask how they confirm wiring instructions. The right answer involves a phone call to a number you already have.
7. Remote options. Can you sign remotely or with a mobile notary if you’re out of town? Rules vary by state.
8. Experience with your deal. FSBO sales, estates, new construction and condos each have quirks. Ask if they handle yours often.

Questions to ask before you pick one

• What’s your settlement fee, and what does it include?
• Which add-on fees will I see, and can any be waived?
• Who’s my closer, and how do I reach them?
• How fast will I get the title commitment?
• How do you protect wires and confirm instructions?
• Do you close FSBO sales and work with buyers who have no agent?

Which title company fees should you compare?

Not all of them can move. Here’s what’s fixed, what’s shoppable and what’s just negotiable between buyer and seller.

Florida’s premiums come from Florida Administrative Code rule 69O-186.003. Texas publishes a state rate chart; the current one took effect March 1, 2026. So shopping for a cheaper premium in those states doesn’t work. Shopping for a lower closing fee does. Our guide to understanding title insurance explains owner’s versus lender’s policies.

Florida also charges a documentary stamp tax on the deed: 70 cents per $100 of price, or 60 cents in Miami-Dade, per the Florida Department of Revenue. On a $400,000 home outside Miami-Dade, that’s $2,800, the same at any title company. More in our page on the documentary stamp tax.

Fees worth questioning

• Courier fees when everything is signed and sent electronically.
• A wire fee on top of a settlement fee that already covers paying everyone out.
• Document prep, admin or “processing” fees with no clear task attached.
• E-recording or search fees higher than the county’s own charge.
• Anything on the final statement that wasn’t on the quote.

Buyers with a loan can also use the lender’s paperwork. The CFPB’s Loan Estimate guide splits fees into services you can and can’t shop for, and title services often fall in the shoppable group. The CFPB also explains which fees are paid at closing and who pays them.

Who gets to pick the title company?

The contract decides, and local custom usually fills it in. In many places the side paying for the owner’s policy picks the company. Our guide on who picks the title company in a real estate transaction goes state by state.

One federal rule matters. Under 12 U.S.C. 2608 (RESPA Section 9), a seller can’t require a buyer using a federally related mortgage to buy title insurance from a particular company. A seller who breaks that rule can owe three times the title insurance charges. So if you have a preference, say so before you sign, and write it into the contract.

Closing company vs title company: what’s the difference?

Often none. “Closing company” and “settlement agent” describe the job: hold the money, prepare the papers, run the signing, pay everyone. A title company does that job and also searches the title and sells title insurance. In some states an attorney or an independent escrow company does the closing while a separate title company issues the policy.

So when someone asks for “your closing company,” they usually mean your title company. The difference only matters in states where attorneys close, or in California-style escrow markets. Our explainer on escrow services covers the escrow side.

How can you save at closing beyond the title fee?

Sellers can’t change tax rates or county fees. Nearly everything else is open to negotiation in the purchase contract.

• Who pays what. Owner’s policy, transfer taxes and HOA transfer fees can be split any way both sides agree. Before you sign in Florida, read our Florida FSBO contract guide.
• Credit or repair. A closing credit after inspection is often simpler than managing a repair. Get a contractor’s quote first. Sheds and garages hide surprises; see things inspectors rarely tell you about detached structures.
• The closing date. Taxes, HOA dues and mortgage payoff interest are prorated to the day. Ask your title company to estimate two or three dates.
• The listing cost. For sellers, agent pay is usually the biggest closing cost. Our pages on how much realtors charge to sell a house today and commission alternatives compare the options.

Do you need a realtor to save at closing? No, it’s not required; it’s your choice. A listing agent runs the sale for a fee and can walk you through the closing statement. Selling by owner, you handle more of the work and the title company runs the closing. Both paths are fair. Our breakdown of closing costs for sellers and buyers and the New Jersey page on how to negotiate who pays each item in the contract show the totals (Beycome doesn’t list homes in New Jersey yet).

What does Beycome Title charge?

Beycome Title is Beycome’s own closing company. It charges one flat settlement fee, and title insurance is at the state-set or filed rate, underwritten by Old Republic.

It closes Beycome listings, FSBO sales and deals with agents on both sides. Sellers can pair it with a flat fee MLS listing (Basic from $99 in most states, see your state page) or Concierge (see current price), where an expert works with you whenever you need it and every decision stays yours. Buyers can use our buyer program on homes listed by other agents; it doesn’t apply to most FSBO homes or homes listed by Beycome sellers, and rebate rules vary by state.

22,000+ homeowners have used Beycome, saving over $225 million (Beycome internal data, October 2026). Many closed with other title companies, lenders and agents on the other side, and Beycome works with all of them. Saving after you move in? Water conservation tips to save water and money is a good start, and Real Estate Competition looks at how closing companies compete.

Frequently asked questions