How to Interview an Escrow Officer: The Questions That Actually Matter
Updated: Oct 11
Hiring an Escrow Officer can look fairly straightforward from the outside.
You advertise the position, review a few resumes, interview the strongest candidates and make an offer.
The problem is that a resume doesn't always tell you what you actually need to know.
Two Escrow Officers can have very similar experience on paper and perform very differently once they are sitting in front of clients and managing live transactions. One might be incredibly organised, commercially minded and excellent with clients. Another might have impressive production numbers but struggle when things go wrong.
If you're hiring an Escrow Officer, the interview needs to get beyond the basics.
Start by understanding what they actually handle
Don't just ask how many years they've worked in escrow.
Ask what their typical file looks like.
What type of transactions are they handling? Residential? Commercial? New construction? Investor transactions? High-volume refinance? Luxury residential?
How many files are they managing at once?
What is their average transaction volume?
What systems are they using?
Who else is involved in the file?
These questions give you a much better understanding of their actual experience than simply seeing "10 years of escrow experience" on a resume.
Ten years in escrow can mean very different things depending on the market, transaction type and volume.
Ask them about a difficult file
One of my favourite interview questions for an experienced Escrow Officer is simply:
"Tell me about a transaction that went badly and how you dealt with it."
You learn a lot from the answer.
Do they immediately blame someone else?
Do they explain the problem clearly?
Did they communicate with the client?
Did they take ownership of what they could control?
How did they actually resolve the issue?
You aren't looking for someone who has never had a difficult transaction. That's unrealistic.
You're looking for someone who knows how to deal with one.
Find out how they communicate with clients
An Escrow Officer can be technically excellent and still be a poor hire if they cannot communicate effectively.
Ask them how they handle a client who doesn't understand why a transaction is delayed.
Ask how they deal with an agent who is pushing for an unrealistic closing date.
Ask what they do when several people need something from them at the same time.
The answers will tell you how they think under pressure.
You're also looking for someone who understands that the client doesn't necessarily care how complicated the internal process is. They want someone to explain what's happening, tell them what needs to happen next and keep them informed.
Don't ignore relationships
If you're hiring an experienced Escrow Officer, particularly in a role where business development or repeat business is important, you need to understand their relationships.
Who do they currently work with?
What type of clients do they have?
How long have they worked with them?
Are their relationships personal, company-based or a mixture of both?
What percentage of their business is repeat or referral business?
These questions can be uncomfortable, but they're important.
If you're hiring someone because you believe they can help grow your business, you need to understand exactly where that expectation comes from.
Ask why they are considering leaving
This is one of the simplest questions you can ask, but it is often rushed.
"Why are you looking to leave your current company?"
Then listen.
If they've had a bad experience with management, find out what actually happened.
If compensation is the issue, understand what they're currently earning and what they expect.
If they're looking for progression, ask what progression means to them.
If they're simply curious about the market, that's different again.
There isn't necessarily a right answer.
What matters is understanding their motivation.
Be honest about the role
This works both ways.
If the position has a high workload, say so.
If the company is going through a period of change, explain it.
If there are aggressive production targets, candidates need to know.
If the role requires someone to bring relationships or develop new business, make that clear from the beginning.
The worst outcome for a hiring company isn't failing to hire someone.
It's hiring the wrong person, spending three months onboarding them and then discovering that the role wasn't what either side expected.
Good recruitment starts with an honest conversation.
The interview should sell the opportunity too
If you're interviewing someone with ten or fifteen years of experience, remember that they are probably interviewing you as well.
You need to explain why they should leave their current position.
What's different about your company?
Why are you growing?
What support will they receive?
What technology are you investing in?
What does progression look like?
What makes your team different?
The strongest candidates usually have options, particularly if they have a strong reputation and established relationships.
The interview isn't just about deciding whether they're good enough for you.
It's also about giving them a reason to choose you.
Don't make the decision purely on the resume
The resume gets someone into the interview.
It shouldn't necessarily get them the job.
Look at the full picture.
Experience matters. Production matters. Relationships matter. Technical knowledge matters.
But so do communication, attitude, organisation, adaptability and the way someone handles pressure.
The best Escrow Officer for your business isn't necessarily the person with the most impressive resume.
It's the person whose experience, working style and relationships fit what your company actually needs.
That's what a good interview should uncover.
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