What does an Escrow Officer do?

Escrow Officers work directly with buyers and sellers, typically as part of a title insurance or an independent escrow company.

In addition to scheduling and preparing for closings, an Escrow Officer performs important closing duties, ensuring the successful transfer of real property from sellers to buyers. An Escrow Officer can help your company remain legally compliant throughout the transaction.

Escrow Officer skills and qualifications

An Escrow Officer should have good attention to detail to spot errors in settlement statements and other required documents. Proofreading skills are also helpful, as they can help an Escrow Officer identify misspelled names, errors in property addresses and other errors that could delay the transfer of a property.

Your job description for an Escrow Officer may also include these skills and qualifications:

• Familiarity with Homeowners Association (HOA) documentation and requirements

• Ability to manage clients’ funds

• Knowledge of property tax bills

• Time management skills to meet transaction deadlines

• Basic math skills to oversee closing costs or property-related transactions

Escrow Officer experience requirements

An Escrow Officer may gain experience working as a closing assistant for a real estate attorney, independent escrow company or title insurance company. Successful candidates may also have experience working in a real estate accounting role.

Escrow officer education and training requirements

Escrow Officer roles generally require no specific formal education or training. Employers may instead opt for skills-based hiring and recruit candidates with applicable skills.

However, some employers may prefer candidates to have a bachelor’s degree in accounting, business management, business administration or finance.

Job description samples for similar positions

If this Escrow Officer job description isn’t what you need, consider the following descriptions for some similar roles:

• Real Estate Agent

• Mortgage Processor

• Notary

• Loan Officer

Escrow Office job description FAQs

What is the difference between an Escrow Officer and a Real Estate Agent?

An Escrow Officer prepares closing documents and ensures all requirements have been met before a seller transfers their property to a buyer. In contrast, Real Estate Agents connect buyers with sellers, show properties and create sales contracts. An Escrow Officer is an administrative role, while a Real Estate Agent role typically involves fieldwork.

Do Escrow Officers need professional certifications?

An Escrow Officer doesn’t typically need a professional certification. However, they can take classes, such as courses through the Escrow Training Institute (ETI), to enhance their knowledge of real estate closing processes and documents.

Do Escrow Officers use computers regularly?

Escrow Officers likely use computers for their daily tasks, which may include several computer-related skills, such as word processing, spreadsheets and internet research. These skills can make it easier to schedule closings, prepare closing documents and communicate with buyers, sellers and lenders.

You may also consider looking for a candidate with strong presentation skills, as your closing process may include a short presentation to buyers and sellers.

What’s the difference between a Loan Officer and an Escrow Officer?

Escrow Officers oversee the processing of real property transactions. A Loan Officer may be employed by a real estate company, but they help clients secure funding for their investments.