Buying or selling a house is one of the most important financial decisions you will ever make and can be a life-changing experience. While it’s standard procedure to research your real estate agent and lender to make sure they are qualified and the best fit for you, many people don’t put the same amount of care into making sure the credentials of their title agent are up to snuff.
Unfortunately, there are some title agencies that don’t do their due diligence and employ title agents whose licenses have been compromised. For example, an investigation was opened in 2015 on a title insurance agency for failure to designate a licensed and appointed title agent in charge of the agency.
The unlicensed agent in question signed policies as the agent in charge, even though they’d lost their appointment with the Bureau of Licensing for failing to comply with Continuing Education requirements. The agent was sent notice in 2011 warning that their license would be terminated, and in 2012 their license expired. That means they were working in the title industry for 3 years without a license! In the end, the agent was fined $7,500 and never reinstated.
Fortunately, there is an easy way for you to find out if the agents of your chosen title company are licensed. Most states have a website where you can look up the status of a title agent’s license. For Florida, you can use the Florida Department of Financial Services Licensee Search to search the name of the title agent you want to check on, and it will give you the details of the status of their license along with other information.
At Title Junction, all of our title agents are professionally licensed and in compliance with title regulations at all times. But you don’t have to take our word for it—search the name of any of our title agents at https://licenseesearch.fldfs.com for your own personal peace of mind.
At Title Junction we care about helping you stay informed throughout your real estate transaction. Have questions? Give us a call at 239.415.6574.
In case you missed it, check out our last Title Junction post: Understanding the Basics of Short Sales