How to choose a title company in Utah

"Best title company in Utah" is a search people run every day, and the honest answer is that it depends on the file. Here is the checklist we would use if we were choosing for our own purchase.

1. Turnaround on the title commitment

The commitment is the document that tells everyone what has to be cleared before closing. The sooner it arrives, the sooner payoffs, releases, and estate paperwork can be ordered. Ask for the company's typical turnaround in business days. The industry average is five to seven; OnRecord's is typically two. On a 30-day closing, that difference is a week of curative time.

2. Who answers the phone

The escrow officer runs the closing. Ask whether you will have that person's direct line and whether the same officer stays on the file from order to recording. Call-center models route you through a queue and hand your file between processors. At a smaller shop you talk to the licensed officer who is doing the work. Read the team page of any company you are considering; if there are no names and no direct contacts, that tells you something.

3. Where and how they close

Ask whether mobile closings are standard or an extra charge, whether they will travel across the county or across the state, and whether they can run an online closing for an out-of-state party. A company that can only close in its own office at 2 p.m. on a weekday will eventually cost you a closing date.

4. Wire fraud controls

Wire fraud is the biggest financial risk in a real estate transaction, and the title company is the last line of defense. Ask: do you verbally verify every outgoing wire? Do you ever send or change wire instructions by email? How do buyers get instructions? The right answers are yes, never, and by phone or a secure portal. OnRecord's policy is on our wire safety page.

5. License, underwriters, and errors-and-omissions

Every Utah title agency holds an agency license from the Utah Insurance Department; ask for the number and check it. Ask which underwriters back the company's policies. A policy is only as strong as the underwriter paying the claim, so national carriers with strong financial ratings matter. OnRecord is underwritten by First National Title Insurance Company, Old Republic Title, WFG National Title Insurance Company.

6. Experience with your kind of file

A routine resale is routine anywhere. Ask specifically about what makes your file different: new construction and disbursement escrow, commercial and multi-parcel, seller financing and subject-to, 1031 exchanges, probate and estate sales, land with access questions. A company that closes those every week will not stall on them.

7. Reviews and references

Read recent Google reviews and look for specifics: named escrow officers, saved closings, and repeat clients rather than generic praise. Ask a trusted agent or lender who they route files to and why. OnRecord's Google reviews are public.

8. Price, last

Because premiums are filed, the only price differences are the settlement fee and small flat charges. Compare them, but do not let a small fee difference outweigh the seven points above. A commitment that arrives a week late costs more than any fee.

A short checklist to send with your order

• Typical commitment turnaround, in business days
• Name and direct line of the escrow officer
• Mobile and online closing availability and any charges
• Wire verification policy
• Utah Insurance Department agency license number
• Underwriters
• Experience with your file type

If you want those answers from us, they are on this site: about OnRecord, our team, security, and underwriting partners. Or call 385-464-2060 and ask the escrow officer who picks up.