EnTitle First

What EnTitle First does

EnTitle First, LLC is a privately held, Virginia-based real estate title and escrow company that facilitates property closings for individual homebuyers, real estate investors, and commercial property clients. The firm operates from three physical offices (Warrenton, Culpeper, and Haymarket) and offers statewide service through mobile notary and e-Notary capabilities that enable remote online closings across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its core product set spans closing services, title insurance underwriting (delivered through partners including First American Title), 1031 exchange transactions, short sales, refinances, and after-hours or on-site closings.

The underlying technology stack is intentionally lean and largely third-party. EnTitle First does not build proprietary closing software; instead it operates on Qualia's secure communications portal for wiring instructions and document exchange, and uses e-Notary tooling for remote signings. The company's stated differentiator is service quality — the owner personally performs all closings, explains documents rather than merely acting as a signing agent, and offers flexible scheduling (after-hours, on-site, mobile, online) — rather than technology depth. There is no mobile app, no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, no patents or trademarks, and no in-house technology product.

The business model is entirely transaction-based. Revenue is generated through closing/settlement fees and title insurance commissions tied to individual real estate transactions; pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by transaction type, property type, and county. Customer acquisition is driven primarily by referrals from real estate agents, lenders, and repeat clients, supplemented by a content/SEO website and newsletter. The firm is independently owned with no venture capital, private equity, or parent company involvement, and has a management team of approximately five named individuals led by owner/CEO Lisa K. Nichols, who acquired sole ownership of the LLC in October 2022.

Name

EnTitle First

Legal name

EnTitle First, LLC

Website

https://entitlefirst.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EnTitle First is a Virginia-based real estate title and escrow firm that provides closing services, title insurance, and e-Notary online closings to homebuyers, investors, and commercial clients across the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate Title and Escrow Services

NAICS

Title Abstract and Settlement Offices (541191), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421)

SIC

Title Insurance (6361), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Closing & Settlement Services (Settlement Agents) (BPAJAOAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Title Insurance & Underwriting (BPAJAOAA), Notary & Signing Agent Services (Remote/Onsite) (BPAJAOAF)

Keywords

• Real estate closings
• Title insurance
• Escrow services
• Mobile notary
• E-notary closings

Headquarters

HQ city

Warrenton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Settlement/Closing Services: Transaction-based fees for facilitating real estate closings and settlements. Includes document explanation, signing agent services, and full closing coordination.
2. Title Insurance: Title insurance underwriting services offered through First American Title and other industry leaders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

EnTitle First facilitates real estate closings and settlements for homebuyers, investors, and commercial property clients, where settlement agents explain documents and answer questions rather than merely collecting signatures. The company underwrites title insurance through partners including First American Title and offers flexible closing options such as mobile notary, after-hours closings, and full e-Notary online closings across the Commonwealth of Virginia. It also handles specialized transactions including short sales, 1031 exchanges, and refinances.

Product overview

EnTitle First (also referred to as Entitle Settlement Services) is a locally owned and operated full-service real estate title and escrow company offering a unified portfolio of closing-related products. The core offering consists of Closing Services (where agents explain documents rather than just facilitating signatures), Title Insurance (underwritten through partners including First American Title), and Flexible/Special Request Closings. These are supplemented by e-Notary Closings for online Virginia property closings and a Mobile Notary Service covering all of Virginia. The company also handles specialized transaction types including Short Sales, 1031 Exchange Transactions, and Refinances. Educational content on title insurance, wire fraud, and home buying is available through their Resources section. The company operates from offices in Haymarket, Warrenton, and Culpeper, Virginia, and was acquired by current owner Lisa K. Nichols in October 2022.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Closing Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2000% profitability increase at previous company in 7 years

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• QualiacoreTechnology or IntegrationQualia provides secure communications portal for sending wiring instructions and handling sensitive closing documentation. EnTitle First uses Qualia's platform to securely communicate closing details and wire transfer instructions to clients, protecting against wire fraud.
• First American TitlecoreTechnology or IntegrationFirst American Title is one of the leading title insurance underwriters from which EnTitle First offers title insurance coverage. This partnership provides access to title insurance products for residential and commercial transactions.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Snapdocs: Digital closing platform focused on streamlining real estate closings through notary network and software. Increasingly competes with traditional title agents by enabling remote online notarization directly for lenders.

Broad incumbents

• Stewart Title: Major national title insurance underwriter offering both direct underwritten title policies and agency services through independent agents like EnTitle First. Comparable in providing title and escrow services to real estate buyers, sellers, and lenders.
• First American Title Insurance Company: One of the largest national title insurance underwriters and settlement services providers in the U.S. EnTitle First offers First American's title insurance products to its clients, making it both a partner and the dominant scaled competitor.
• Fidelity National Title: National title insurance underwriter and settlement services company (parent of FNF, Chicago Title, Commonwealth Land Title). Operates in the same settlement and title insurance value chain as EnTitle First but at vastly greater scale.
• Old Republic Title: Established national title insurance underwriter with agency operations across the U.S. Operates similar title and escrow services business as EnTitle First and competes for the same real estate closing transactions.

Others

• Qualia: Real estate closing platform that provides EnTitle First its secure communications and wire fraud prevention tools. Qualia is the technology infrastructure layer beneath EnTitle First's closing operations.

Direct peers

• WFG National Title Insurance Company: Title insurance underwriter operating through an independent agent network. Comparable to EnTitle First's model of underwriting through a major carrier while providing local settlement services.
• Westcor Land Title Insurance: National title underwriter that primarily operates through a network of independent title agents, similar to how EnTitle First underwrites through First American. Comparable business model in title insurance and closing services.
• Investors Title Company: Mid-sized title insurance underwriter with a network of issuing agents and direct operations. Comparable to EnTitle First in offering residential and commercial title insurance and settlement services.

Regional players

• Knight Barry Title: Regional title and escrow services company operating across the Midwest. Comparable to EnTitle First as a locally-driven title and settlement services provider serving real estate buyers and sellers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EnTitle First