Jill Mason at Chicago Title in Salinas, CA  has been my go to title/escrow officer for over 10years! She is ALWAYS there for me and my cients.  She promptly returns emails/calls..even on the weekends..which still surprises me! She is knowledgable and friendly with a great sense of humor.  Honestly, she makes my job so much easier. 

I do have a preferred settlement attorney for the following reasons:

1. Great paralegal who handles my files superbly
2. Multiple locations around town so it's easy to schedule closings convenient to my clients
3. Reasonable price
4. Availability of the senior attorneys when they are needed

I have a preferred escrow officer. What endeared me to her is that she picks up her phone over 90% of the time. If I do leave a message, she responds to me within an hour. The easy accessibility, kindness to my clients, and ability to handle difficult escrows have all caused me to stay with this person for over a decade.

Reliability.

No. We are the attorney state.

Yes.

I do.  Their past performance.

My new title company is owned by a Real Estate attorney who is accessible anytime to me whenever i have a question or problem (free).

They answer the phone and/or get back to me fast.

Routinely offer great classes/seminars

Food :)

YES, first is communication. they take the time to ket me know if they need anything or if anything may delay the cosing so i can take care of it. They are prepared, they are easy to talk to and always polite even when closings are not going well. 

I do work usually ( if I have a choice and Seller's permission) with the same escrow rep and title rep for years. I know I can rely on them.

I like a local company that keeps me in the loop and has for tweleve years. The owner is an attorney with a great track record and unquestionable, bona fide integrity.

When I worked for a big brokerage, they pushed very hard for us to use the affiliates.  Back then, even as a newbie it bothered me that they pushed the affiliates.  

What happened to earning the business?  I hated the sense of entitlement.

I do business with people who do a good job, exceed my expectations and never think it's a gimme.

You want to be close to your office so you have access to them, Most escrow officers are survivors and they are all competent.   Some do have special credential and can do it on the fly.  I work with a couple different companies to balance their work load.

I chose to work with the title company I use because of their work ethics. They know what customer service is about, you only have to ask for something once and when they make a mistake they make it right.

There is one title agent I love working with. She makes me feel like I'm her only customer. I love that kind of attention. She's also very good at what she does. 

I prefer title offices and establishing a good working relationship that we know will work through diffuicult title issues and closings.

I do - my preferred title company goes above & beyond - settlements at whichever hour of the day is convenient for my clients, cell phones that they answer, last minute rushes, and always answering the phones. 

Yes I have both. What keeps me coming back is the responsiveness and accessibility, the ongoing communication, and helping me look out for the well-being of the transaction and the parties involved.