The Shrinking Workforce of Professional Title Searchers
The title search industry is facing a serious workforce shortage—one that could affect turnaround times for years to come.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we lost a substantial number of skilled title searchers. With county offices closed or operating under severe restrictions, many title searchers were unable to complete searches, forcing them to find work elsewhere.
The impact has been severe. The number of title searchers, examiners, and abstractors in the U.S. fell from 54,960 in May 2020 to just 49,760 in May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nearly half of those remaining work for title insurance companies, while 21,330 are employed by title agencies, law firms, or related services.
That leaves only about 2,050 independent, boots-on-the-ground title searchers nationwide—far too few to meet the increasing demand for super-rush title searches.
Why Are So Many Title Professionals Leaving?
Several factors have driven experienced professionals out of the industry:
- Offshoring of Work – Many title searches are now outsourced overseas.
- Market Slowdown – A decline in real estate transactions has reduced opportunities for title professionals.
- Pandemic Disruptions – Many left during COVID-19 and never returned.
What This Means for Our Clients
The reality is that turnaround times are longer across all U.S. counties. The few remaining title searchers must now cover larger geographic areas, traveling farther to visit county recorder offices and courthouses. The shortage has placed a heavy workload on the remaining independent title searchers, leading to longer turnaround times.
We proactively address this shortage every day. What sets us apart from other companies is our commitment to continuous recruitment, relationship-building, and retention of our expert title searchers. We take pride in our long-standing searchers while consistently bringing new talent on board.
We understand the urgency of your title searches and are working diligently to meet your needs as quickly as possible. Rest assured, we are committed to delivering accurate and thorough results—it just may take a little longer than before. Your patience is appreciated.
Thank you,
Operations Team
Real Title Services
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WANT TO TALK OR PLACE AN ORDER?: Would you like to have a conversation about coming onboard as our client, or place an order, or get a quote? Contact Angela at: Asharp@RealTitleServicesInc.com
ARE YOU A SEARCHER?: Become our title searcher! To be on-boarded as a vendor: vendorestablishment@realtitleservicesinc.com
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The shortage started way before Covid. When the housing bubble burst in 2008-09 it destroyed the refi market. Abstractors had to find other jobs as the amount of work dried up significantly. Couple that with register of deed and court records being able to be accessed online, many mortgage companies started doing work in-house and only farming out the work they could not do themselves…usually pos orders that we aren’t paid enough to do. I would gladly go back to abstracting if the amount of work and pay provided a stable income. I started abstracting when I was 21 and am in my 50’s now…a lot of wasted experience.
First – we get far too little in pay for the art
Second – overseas of what I heard is not reliable – how would they know our counties making poss lawsuits –
Third – many county clerks sell the data base which also isn’t reliable.
For instance – a cell phone tower search – just to look at it was a start at 750.00. Now we would be lucky to get 150.00 for the entire search.
I have been a title searcher for 48 years. I’m here to stay.
But so many won’t do projects that the office gets at least double or more for what we charge.
When the title plant first started there were many law suits and [BIG TITLE COMPANY] didnt care. Many left that underwriter.
If companies want quality work at a proper price they should stand tall. Main reason why so many independents leave.
Yes, you hit the nail on the head on all three of your points. And we need to hold firm on decent pricing or the independent might not even make minimum wage.