According to the American Land Title Association, title problems are found in 36% of all residential real estate transactions (this includes new and resale homes, land sales, and refinances). For most people, their home is the single most important investment they make in their lifetimes and if over 1/3 of all transactions encounter a title error, that means a lot of people are left wondering how to overcome these hurdles.

A normal title company can do very little about the big issues that arise during a title search not only because they aren’t equipped to do so, but because legally, only an attorney can provide a client with legal advice. It’s also important to remember that title companies make money on the sale of title insurance policies and just like every industry, there are companies that put their bottom line above the interests of their clients. Even if they could, why would a title company have any motivation to go out of their way to solve legal problems related to title?

At Concierge Title, we hold ourselves to a higher standard.

An Attorney-Backed Title Company
Concierge Title was created under the parent company Merideth Nagel, P.A in hopes that an attorney-backed title company would be able to serve and protect the local community in ways no other could. After building a legal firm based in selfless service and dedication to her clients, founder Merideth Nagel saw a true need in her community for a title company that didn’t just sell title insurance, but one that was truly passionate about helping clients overcome the legal hurdles that sometimes arise during the real estate closing process.

Merideth Nagel and team leader Joni Story, a licensed title agent and real estate paralegal, have formed a team that is truly dedicated to helping clients overcome these issues. Our team starts to look for errors or red flags the moment a contract hits our desk and we examine our title searches with a fine-toothed comb. By detecting issues early, we save our clients valuable time that might otherwise be wasted by allowing a problem to go unaddressed until the closing date.

Legal Guidance During the Transaction
One of the benefits of being an attorney-backed title company is that we have an entire law firm just across the hall. When we identify a problem, we have access to attorneys that can review documents and determine how serious the issue it is, what the next steps should be, and if the client will need to formally retain an attorney to resolve it.

These issues are often simple and can be solved in office, but occasionally we run across a title defect or legal hurdle that can only be resolved by formally retaining an attorney to do work prior to closing. If this is the case, we let the clients know right away and break down their next steps so they know what they’re facing in order to move forward with their transaction.

Our sister company, Merideth Nagel & the Legacy Legal Team is always “down the hall” and ready to help minimize delays in the closing process, but we never force anyone to retain an attorney from our sister company. If we determine that a client needs legal counsel to move forward, we will provide a list of at least three outside referrals that specialize in the type of matter necessary to resolve the issue and encourage our clients to shop around to find the right attorney for their needs.

We never give up on a client just because the problem seems too difficult to overcome because, at the end of the day, our goal isn’t to sell title insurance – it’s to help each of our clients achieve their goals.

Disclaimer: Concierge Title is not a law firm.