Escrow Assistant Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Are you searching for an escrow assistant job description? Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of an escrow assistant. Feel free to use our escrow assistant job description template to produce your own escrow assistant job description. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as an escrow assistant.
Who is an Escrow Assistant?
An expert who helps Escrow Officers with the paperwork required to close real estate deals is known as an escrow assistant. They are professionals working for escrow organizations, and they often carry out their everyday tasks under the direction of escrow officers. Escrow is a legal arrangement in which a third party (the stakeholder or escrow agent) accepts and disburses funds or property on behalf of the principal parties to a transaction, with the payout being subject to terms set by the principal parties. Examples include a trust account held in the borrower’s name to pay obligations like property taxes and insurance premiums, as well as an account set up by a broker to store funds on behalf of the broker’s principal or another person until the conclusion or termination of a transaction. The name stems from the Old French word escrow, which meant a shred of paper or a scroll of parchment and denoted the deed that a third party held until a transaction was completed. Escrow businesses are neutral intermediaries that mortgage companies, landowners, and potential real estate buyers typically use to conduct business. Escrow officers and their assistants ensure that all contractual responsibilities are met, outstanding loans and debts are settled, and real estate titles are clear and prepared for transfer. Customer service and routine office tasks are the main responsibilities of an escrow assistant. He or she might be permitted to negotiate contract conditions and draft legal documents with the proper training.
Client compliance with escrow agreements is ensured by an escrow assistant. Your role is to act as a go-between for the parties involved in a transaction. An escrow assistant is expected to handle customer requests, manage disagreements that develop throughout the transaction, and produce documentation related to the cashing out of escrow transactions. Additionally, you will assist the business by closing sales and setting up customer meetings. They may also examine the work produced by other employees, look for mistakes, and make sure that it complies with corporate guidelines. Various general clerical duties are carried out by escrow helpers. Escrow assistants need to be able to multitask and have excellent organizing and problem-solving abilities. Gathering client and financial data, managing finances, entering data into a computer, and responding to information requests are a few daily duties you can encounter. Escrow documents may also be assembled, prepared, and sent by you. The escrow assistants in the workplace also handle routine secretarial tasks. They manage electronic client files, schedule meetings with officers, and take calls. Payroll, scheduling, and other office management responsibilities are frequently delegated to assistants. To ensure that daily activities go smoothly and that relevant paperwork and contracts can be located when needed, an escrow assistant must be extremely organized and detail-oriented.
An essential component of real estate transactions is the escrow assistant. They help with administrative duties like document processing and guiding options for clients who might be purchasing or selling real estate. The duties of an escrow assistant are extensive and include maintaining client files, processing escrow instruction packets, and producing reports for customers as required. Since they work with multiple clients simultaneously and are responsible for keeping all files structured throughout a real estate transaction, good escrow assistants need to be extremely organized. To ensure real estate transactions are handled as effectively as possible, an escrow assistant will collaborate with a variety of experts including escrow officers and real estate agents. An escrow assistant may advance to escrow officer status as they gain experience. Escrow assistants are in charge of every step of the escrow procedure, including opening the escrow and disbursing cash. Additionally, they contact all parties involved in the transaction and draft escrow documents and keep escrow records. Being a great communicator, having fantastic customer service abilities, and being discreet are requirements for success as an escrow assistant. In the end, a top-notch escrow assistant should be well-organized, handle client accounts with care, and exercise discretion.
Escrow Assistant Job Description
What is an escrow assistant job description? An escrow assistant job description is simply a list of duties and responsibilities of an escrow assistant in an organization. Below are the escrow assistant job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write an escrow assistant job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
- Assist the escrow department with customer service and office work associated with closings.
- Conduct opening orders and deliver closing remarks using a worksheet that the escrow officer has created.
- Prepare closing documentation, oversee the full disbursement of funds, and track all escrow activities.
- Inform clients of the needs and other details, such as any exceptions to the Title.
- Inform customers of the status of their transactions.
- Interprete earnest money contracts connected to closings and get all paperwork ready for escrow transactions.
- Process opening orders, start file setup, allot money, and create transmittals for money and paperwork for the escrow process.
- Manage reconveyances in charge of assigned files, keep up with pre-closing, and carry out post-closing follow-up.
- Manage a wide range of sophisticated and difficult administrative tasks within a functional area.
- prepare closing remarks after a real estate transaction that involves the acquisition or sale of property and suggest a fix for an issue.
- Solve problems with multiple tangible variables using standardized settings or situations from real life.
- Compile data using statistical methods and research methods while keeping in mind running programs, policies, and procedures.
- Work on updating the company’s YouTube, Facebook, and photography programs online.
- Transfer all customer relationship maintenance responsibilities to the rep support team after the transaction.
- Submit any documents that are necessary to meet departmental, statutory, or legal obligations.
- Find out about any liens and judgements by investigating the chain of title.
- Deliver effective customer care services by discussing refinancing options with debtors.
- Follow established procedures for quality control, vesting check, and legal on the mortgage to verify against commitment and transmit documents to record.
- Review and send medical records relevant to veterans so that urgent situations can be handled quickly.
- Utilize list building, cold calling, and Internet research to support advertising efforts.
- Receive and examine contracts from lawyers and clients, making sure all conditions are met before approving them.
- Work together to arrange real estate closings with the help of attorneys, title firms, and other stakeholders.
- Examine loan applications for any title issues or other flaws that can influence the borrower’s capacity to pay back the loan.
- Make sure insurance coverage is enough to safeguard the interests of all parties involved in the transaction by reviewing them.
- Receive and handle incoming escrow account funds and outgoing payments.
- Organize wire transfers and other financial activities with banks or other financial institutions.
- Keep track of each transaction made in an escrow account.
Qualifications
- GED or high school diploma is required.
- Certification for state escrow.
- Minimum of 2 to 3 years of working experience as a residential or commercial escrow assistant.
- Skills in administrative assistance and secretarial expertise
- Excellent problem-solving, communication, and customer service abilities.
- Computer expertise is required.
- Mastery of reading comprehension.
- Exceptional time management abilities.
- Proficiency in persuasion
- Advanced office skills, including document management, word processing, form creation, etc.
- The capacity to comprehend and analyze property maps and plans.
- Microsoft Office familiarity is essential, however prior knowledge of escrow software is desired.
- Understanding of judicial procedures, government processes, court processes, executive directives, etc.
Essential Skills
- Organization Skills: To make sure they finish all of their tasks on schedule, an escrow assistant must be well-organized. This entails managing significant dates on a calendar, keeping track of documents, and making sure they have all the data necessary to finish a task. By enabling you to locate information faster and do jobs more quickly, being organized can also help you save time.
- Attention to Details: Escrow assistants need to pay close attention to detail to make sure that all documents are filled out completely and accurately. They must be able to read and comprehend legal papers, as well as verify that all signatures are legible. Tracking and recording transactions need meticulous attention to detail.
- Communication Skills: An escrow assistant may also benefit from having good communication skills. You may need to interact with customers, coworkers, and other individuals involved in transactions. You can be more productive and develop wholesome relationships by being able to speak simply and efficiently.
- Customer Service Skills: Interacting with clients and customers can be facilitated by your customer service skills. Being amiable and helpful is vital because, as an escrow assistant, you can be the client’s first point of contact. You can answer inquiries from clients, make appointments, and deal with any issues they might have by utilizing your customer service abilities.
- Computer skills: An escrow assistant must also have computer skills. You should be competent in using a range of software applications, such as word processing programs, spreadsheets, and databases. Additionally, you should feel at ease using the internet to do informational searches and locate resources.
How to Become an Escrow Assistant
Step 1: Obtain a High School Diploma
Obtaining a high school diploma is the first step to becoming an escrow assistant. A high school diploma is typically the minimum educational requirement for many professions as an escrow assistant or agent. You can obtain an equivalent diploma, such as a GED if you are an adult without a high school diploma. Although the GED exam can be difficult and demands substantial preparation, numerous community colleges and other adult education centres provide all-inclusive study programs for it.
Step 2: Obtain a College Degree
Having a college degree may be required or preferred for some roles as an escrow assistant. By providing you with the skills necessary to succeed in the role, completing an undergraduate degree program may give you an advantage in the job market. It may also provide you with the opportunity to network professionally through internship opportunities. For aspiring escrow officers, a real estate-related associate’s or bachelor’s degree or a related major may be especially beneficial.
Step 3. Develop Practical On-the-Job Skills
An Escrow assistant must be aware of a variety of crucial laws and procedures to do their job well. An Escrow assistant must also be proficient in using business and office software and have great communication with both clients and coworkers. An introduction to standard office activities and tools can be provided through a clerical training course if you have never worked in an office environment. An aspiring escrow agent can also learn the fundamentals of the business and gain insight into the workings of the industry by working an internship or entry-level administrative position at a title insurance firm or real estate office. When applying for jobs, you can draw attention to your skill set in both your cover letter and CV. Look into ways to improve your talents so you can sell yourself to a potential employer as the ideal person for the open position.
Step 4: Acquire Escrow Assistant Experience
You might need to start in a more entry-level position, like an escrow processor or an escrow agent, as the majority of escrow assistant roles call for licensure and some prior professional experience. Many of these occupations still demand some level of experience or familiarity with the industry, although some employers are eager to train new employees. Since these jobs frequently do not require a license, applying for one of these jobs could be a viable method to acquire the skills and work experience necessary to pass the last criteria for becoming a licensed escrow representative and eventually escrow officer.
Step 5. Ensure You Meet All Eligibility and Licensing Requirements
You need the proper state-issued license to function as an escrow officer in several states. Consult your state’s requirements so that you are aware of what you must do to be successful in your profession and to be qualified for employment in the job you’re seeking. Licensure may be contingent on specific escrow-related training and relevant work experience. In some nations, an escrow officer, representative, or agent cannot handle a closing without a state-issued license. This is known as a title insurance license, escrow agent license, or a title that sounds similar. State-by-state variations in the particular requirements for obtaining a license may also apply, however they may involve passing a test and completing an escrow officer training program. To qualify for this process, you might additionally need to have a certain number of hours of relevant job experience. A fee, a criminal history check, and fingerprints are all usual requirements. A surety bond, which is a legally binding arrangement that enables clients to be compensated if an agent fails to respect their contractual or legal duties, may also be required of licensed escrow agents.
Step 6. Obtain Insurance
To work as an escrow officer, you might need to obtain a surety bond, a sort of insurance that gives clients the chance to recover the money they’ve put in escrow in the event of a breach of contract or default. Many businesses that employ escrow officers require this insurance to reassure their clients that the transaction will go as smoothly as possible.
Where to Work as an Escrow Assistant
Typically, escrow agencies employ escrow assistants. They are employed by the escrow division of a title company, bank, or real estate business. Normally, they are available Monday through Friday during regular business hours. To meet the schedules of their clients, some might work on the weekends or at night. Escrow assistants often work in an office environment, however, they could occasionally travel for meetings or property visits. An escrow assistant’s employment is mostly sedentary, but it occasionally necessitates standing up, moving about, using a computer, and using other office supplies. The status of the real estate market has a significant impact on how many escrow assistants are employed. However, individuals who have the necessary expertise and a proven track record will have better possibilities to progress to officer posts.
Escrow Assistant Salary Scale
The degree of education, years of experience, company size, and location are just a few of the variables that can influence an escrow assistant’s pay. The average yearly earning for an escrow assistant is $43,711. Escrow Assistants, meanwhile, can earn anywhere from more than $20,000 to $93,000 a year. Escrow assistant salaries in Nigeria range from 120,000 to 424, 000 NGN per month, or 215,000 NGN on average.