How to Get Your Next Title or Escrow Job Without Applying to 100 Jobs
Updated: Oct 11
If you're looking for your next job in Title & Escrow, the obvious thing to do is start searching job sites - Indeed, LinkedIn, Zip...
There's nothing wrong with that.
But if you're an experienced professional, particularly an Escrow Officer, Branch Manager, Underwriter, Title Examiner or sales professional, applying for dozens of jobs probably isn't the best way to approach your next move.
The strongest opportunities aren't always advertised publicly.
And the strongest candidates aren't always actively applying.
Start by working out what you actually want
Before you update your resume or start contacting recruiters, get clear on what you're looking for.
Do you want more money?
A better commission structure?
A bigger territory?
More responsibility?
Commercial exposure?
A management position?
A company with better technology?
Less stress?
More flexibility?
You don't need to have one perfect answer, but you should have a reasonably clear idea of what would make you leave your current role.
Otherwise it's very easy to end up having five conversations about five completely different jobs and not actually know whether any of them are right for you.
Your resume needs to tell a story
A lot of Title & Escrow resumes are too generic.
They list the companies someone has worked for, their job title and a long list of responsibilities.
That's useful, but it doesn't necessarily tell a hiring manager why they should interview you.
If you're an Escrow Officer, give some context around the work you actually do.
What type of transactions do you handle?
What's your approximate volume?
Do you specialise in commercial, residential, new construction, investor or luxury transactions?
Do you have a strong referral network?
Have you helped train other Escrow Officers?
Have you improved processes?
Have you taken on more responsibility?
If you're in sales or management, numbers become even more important.
Revenue, production, team size, growth, new business and market expansion all help tell the story.
A hiring manager should be able to look at your resume and understand what you actually bring to the table.
Don't hide the things that make you different
One of the things we see regularly is candidates underselling themselves.
Someone might have spent ten years working with commercial transactions but simply write "Escrow Officer" at the top of their resume.
Someone might have a significant book of business but not explain the relationships behind it.
Someone might have managed a team of fifteen people but focus their resume on day-to-day administration.
Those details matter.
Your resume doesn't need to be five pages long.
It needs to make the relevant parts of your experience obvious.
Talk to recruiters even when you're not actively looking
This is something I always recommend to experienced candidates.
You don't need to be desperate to leave your current company to speak to a recruiter.
In fact, it's often better if you're not.
If you're happy where you are, you can have a much more objective conversation about what's available. You can understand what companies are hiring, what they're looking for and what the market might value your experience at.
Then, if something genuinely interesting comes up, you can decide whether you want to explore it.
A good recruiter should not be trying to force you into the first vacancy they have.
They should be trying to understand what would actually make you move.
Don't go into an interview thinking you just need to impress them
This is probably the biggest change I'd make to the way candidates approach interviews.
Yes, you need to show the company why they should hire you.
But you also need to work out whether you actually want the job.
Ask questions.
What happened to the person who previously held the role?
Why is the company hiring?
How is the branch performing?
What support is available?
What are the expectations in the first six months?
How is compensation structured?
What does progression look like?
What technology are they using?
How is the team structured?
If you're an experienced candidate, you should be asking these questions.
Be prepared to explain why you're leaving
You will almost certainly be asked.
And you don't need to give some polished answer that sounds like it came from a career advice website.
Just be honest without unnecessarily criticising your current employer.
Maybe you've reached the ceiling in your current role.
Maybe the company has changed.
Maybe your compensation no longer reflects your production.
Maybe you want to move into commercial.
Maybe you want management responsibility.
Maybe you simply want to see what else is available.
Whatever the reason, explain it clearly and then focus on what you're looking for next.
Don't make money the only thing you talk about
Of course compensation matters.
But if every question you ask is about money, you're making it harder for the hiring company to understand what actually motivates you.
Experienced professionals are usually looking for more than a bigger paycheck.
They want a good team, strong management, the right level of support, good technology, opportunities to progress and a company that is going somewhere.
If you can explain what you want from your next move, you become a much easier candidate for a recruiter and hiring manager to place.
The best opportunities are often conversations, not applications
This is particularly true in a specialist industry like Title & Escrow.
If a company needs an experienced Escrow Officer with a particular background, they're not necessarily looking for 200 applications.
They might be looking for five people who have exactly the right experience.
That's why relationships matter.
The more people in the industry who know what you're looking for, the more likely you are to hear about something that actually fits.
You don't need to apply for everything.
You need to make sure the right people know what you're good at and what you'd consider next.
Looking for your next move?
SmartFind Talent specialises in Title & Escrow recruitment across the US, working with both companies hiring experienced professionals and candidates considering their next move.
We recruit across roles including Escrow Officers, Title Examiners, Underwriters, Branch Managers, Presidents and Business Development professionals across residential and commercial title.
If you're considering a move, you don't have to be actively applying for jobs to have a conversation.
Sometimes the best place to start is simply finding out what's out there.
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