Escrow Assistant

WHAT, EXACTLY, DOES AN ESCROW ASSISTANT (CLEARING SPECIALIST) DO?
Well, if you've ever purchased a home from someone - whether or not you know it, you've had someone working on your behalf who did this job.

Basically, an Escrow Assistant who handles clearing responsibilities makes sure that there aren't any items that would prevent a buyer from purchasing a home from a seller. What can prevent that? A lien is a great example. If you fail to pay your federal income taxes, the government can place a lien on your property that - should you ever try and sell it, the title for that property couldn't be transferred to another person until the debt you owe is paid (either prior to closing on the property - or as part of the closing). Remember when you thumbed your nose at your local homeowner's association when they asked you to pay your annual HOA dues? Well... it's entirely possible they've placed a lien against your property to recover what they're due before you can sell it.

Sometimes the seller is aware of things that would impact the transfer of the title of the property. In most cases, it's not caught until our company does a search to find out if there are any issues that might stop or slow down the sale. The Escrow Assistant (Clearing Specialist), works with our title examiners and our Escrow team to make sure that all title-transfer-show-stoppers are cleared - or can be cleared as part of the closing transaction - so that the buyer can actually purchase the property.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS ROLE?
Well... being someone who is part private investigator and part bulldog certainly helps While our title search will often disclose the presence of an encumbrance, being able to actually get to the person who can help you with a payoff amount can be tough. So being able to find needles in haystacks is a very useful skill. In addition, sometimes multiple calls are needed. So being persistent is really important in this role.

Of course, if you have previous experience with clearing title exceptions - you've already got a leg up in being considered.

We find that folks who have experience working with banks and lenders in the purchase of property (loan officers, loan assistants, loan processors or loan operations staff) often have a good understanding of what this role is responsible for doing and can be trained up relatively easily. Individuals who understand credit (think credit analysts or credit repair) often have a good base level of experience.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Review the title commitment for accuracy, review abstract and legal description, and enter modifications to the title, if necessary.
• Review title commitment for clearance and assure all items are accounted for including but not limited to updating payoffs, subordinations, homeowner's insurance policies, taxes and HOA.
• Make determination if title is "clear" or flag potential reasons for "not clear" titles.
• Determine the best course of action to clear title and collaborate with lenders to work with borrowers to obtain all necessary title clearance requirements.
• Resolve title clearance issues to get loans closed which may include contacting prior attorneys, title companies, mortgage companies, and other parties for proof of title clearance.
• Perform daily follow up work on all work in progress files to assist with issues and ensure work is completed within established time-frame.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Preference will be given to candidates with 2+ years experience in writing or reviewing title commitments
• Experience with Qualia is a plus
• Superior attention to detail
• Strong communication skills
• Focus on customer satisfaction
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Outstanding organizational skills and ability to multi-task
• Time sensitivity and ability to move tasks forward in a fast paced environment
• Strong problem-solving skills

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