Not all escrow is held to the same standard

In California, independent escrow companies are licensed, bonded, audited and impartial. Many in-house escrow departments are none of these. Here's how they compare.

Licensed & regulated

Licensed by the California DFPI and held to strict experience, liquidity and audit requirements.

Bonded & insured

Trust funds covered up to $5 million through the Escrow Agents' Fidelity Corporation.

Audited annually

Unannounced state audits every year, plus mandatory annual CPA audits.

Truly impartial

No lender, brokerage or title company controls your escrow or your funds.

Comparison chart

Atlantic Escrow vs. in-house escrow departments

Why it matters	Atlantic Escrow	Realty Escrow Dept.	Title Company Escrow Dept.	Bank Escrow Dept.	Savings & Loan Escrow Dept.
Government regulation	Licensed by the Dept. of Financial Protection & Innovation	No license	No license	No license	No license
Bonded	Yes	No	No	No	No
State-mandated management experience	5 yrs as escrow officer, or 4 yrs plus escrow school	No experience required	No experience required	No experience required	No experience required
State-mandated audits	Unannounced state audits every year	DRE audit by appointment only	No state audit	No state audit	No state audit
Insured trust funds	Full $5 million covered by E.A.F.C.	D.R.E. Recovery Fund max. $20,000 per claim	None	None	None
State-mandated financial liquidity	Required	None	None	None	None
State license required	Required	Not required	Not required	Not required	Not required
Independent & impartial third party	Yes — completely impartial	No — officer may be influenced by realty co. management	No — title dept. controls escrow funds	No — if the bank is the lender	No — if the S&L is the lender
State-mandated annual CPA audits	Yes	No	No	No	No
U.S. Dept. of Justice investigation	All employees, incl. photos & fingerprints	None	None	None	None
Individual service	Yes	No	No	No	No

Government regulation

Atlantic Escrow: Licensed by the Dept. of Financial Protection & Innovation
Realty Escrow Dept.: No license
Title Company Escrow Dept.: No license
Bank Escrow Dept.: No license
Savings & Loan Escrow Dept.: No license

Bonded

Atlantic Escrow: Yes
Realty Escrow Dept.: No
Title Company Escrow Dept.: No
Bank Escrow Dept.: No
Savings & Loan Escrow Dept.: No

State-mandated management experience

Atlantic Escrow: 5 yrs as escrow officer, or 4 yrs plus escrow school
Realty Escrow Dept.: No experience required
Title Company Escrow Dept.: No experience required
Bank Escrow Dept.: No experience required
Savings & Loan Escrow Dept.: No experience required

State-mandated audits

Atlantic Escrow: Unannounced state audits every year
Realty Escrow Dept.: DRE audit by appointment only
Title Company Escrow Dept.: No state audit
Bank Escrow Dept.: No state audit
Savings & Loan Escrow Dept.: No state audit

Insured trust funds

Atlantic Escrow: Full $5 million covered by E.A.F.C.
Realty Escrow Dept.: D.R.E. Recovery Fund max. $20,000 per claim
Title Company Escrow Dept.: None
Bank Escrow Dept.: None
Savings & Loan Escrow Dept.: None

State-mandated financial liquidity

Atlantic Escrow: Required
Realty Escrow Dept.: None
Title Company Escrow Dept.: None
Bank Escrow Dept.: None
Savings & Loan Escrow Dept.: None

State license required

Atlantic Escrow: Required
Realty Escrow Dept.: Not required
Title Company Escrow Dept.: Not required
Bank Escrow Dept.: Not required
Savings & Loan Escrow Dept.: Not required

Independent & impartial third party

Atlantic Escrow: Yes — completely impartial
Realty Escrow Dept.: No — officer may be influenced by realty co. management
Title Company Escrow Dept.: No — title dept. controls escrow funds
Bank Escrow Dept.: No — if the bank is the lender
Savings & Loan Escrow Dept.: No — if the S&L is the lender

State-mandated annual CPA audits

Atlantic Escrow: Yes
Realty Escrow Dept.: No
Title Company Escrow Dept.: No
Bank Escrow Dept.: No
Savings & Loan Escrow Dept.: No

U.S. Dept. of Justice investigation

Atlantic Escrow: All employees, incl. photos & fingerprints
Realty Escrow Dept.: None
Title Company Escrow Dept.: None
Bank Escrow Dept.: None
Savings & Loan Escrow Dept.: None

Individual service

Atlantic Escrow: Yes
Realty Escrow Dept.: No
Title Company Escrow Dept.: No
Bank Escrow Dept.: No
Savings & Loan Escrow Dept.: No

What this means for you

Your funds and your agreement, protected

An escrow entity's fiduciary obligations can be substantial. Independent escrow adds layers of state and federal oversight that in-house departments simply aren't subject to.

Objectivity — choosing independent escrow removes even the hint of an influenced transfer.
Accountability — licensing, bonding and audits mean real consequences and real protection.
Integrity — every employee is investigated and fingerprinted by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Ready to open escrow?

Talk with a senior escrow officer today. We'll review your transaction, answer questions and send a clear, competitive quote.

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