Episode 39: The 2 Biggest Closing Table Mistakes

What do supplemental tax bills, 50-year-old surveys, and employees who do not know what the person across the hall does have in common? They are all symptoms of the same problem in title operations.In this episode of Closing Market Weekly, host Phillip Hogan sits down with Brandi Abercrombie, Senior Vice President of Title Operations at National Investors Title Insurance Company. With more than 20 years inside independent title agencies across customer service, escrow, curative and exam, and closing management, Brandi breaks down where the industry’s education gaps are costing real money, the two mistakes she sees most at the closing table, and where the closing process is heading over the next three to five years.In this episode: Why the underwriter and agent relationship should be a partnership, not a paycheck The silo problem: how fragmenting title operations creates closing-table failures Closing mistake #1: property tax prorations, exemptions, and supplemental tax bills Closing mistake #2: outdated surveys, neighbor encroachments, and where claims begin Protecting a relationship-first culture in a technology-driven industry RON, eMortgage vaults, AI in title, and the rise of third-party search and exam Timestamps: 00:00 Intro and guest welcome 02:00 What underwriters should understand about independent agents 05:00 The education gap and the silo problem in title operations 09:45 Closing mistake #1: property taxes and supplemental tax bills 11:30 Closing mistake #2: outdated and insufficient surveys 16:00 Keeping relationships first in a tech-driven industry 17:30 AI caution, RON adoption, and why eMortgage vaults matter 20:30 Software integrations, thin margins, and adoption barriers 23:30 The next three to five years: RON, mobile closings, third-party search and exam 28:30 How to connect with Brandi Connect with our guest:Brandi Abercrombie: [email protected] Signing Services of America:Signing Services of America is a nationwide managed signing service that supports title companies, mortgage lenders, and escrow firms with full process ownership and a single point of accountability, covering 47 states. SSA integrates with Qualia, Resware, RamQuest, and SoftPro 360.