Runkel Abstract & Title

What Runkel Abstract & Title does

Runkel Abstract & Title Co. is a privately held, family-owned title services firm founded in 1927 and headquartered at 522 Scott Street in Wausau, Wisconsin. The company and its five affiliated entities (collectively the "Runkel Family of Title Companies" — Lincoln County Abstract, Shoreline Title Services, Forest Abstract Company, Lake Country Title Services, and Associate Title Co.) deliver a full stack of real estate title and closing services across sixteen-plus counties in northern Wisconsin, including title insurance, abstracts of title, information reports, closing and escrow, construction disbursing, 1031 deferred exchanges, and mortgage reporting.

The firm's core technology is a computerized, on-site title plant that consolidates Register of Deeds and Clerk of Court documents spanning the company's operating history, paired with a proprietary in-house indexing system that re-codes documents to a unified internal numbering convention for fast, multi-user lookup. This title plant is supported by interoffice software, daily data ingestion from county recording offices, and online order forms and processing for remote customers. Underlying delivery is a three-person specialization model (Searcher/Examiner, Processor, Proofreader).

Runkel is owner-operated by Marvin and Mary Jane Pilgrim, who have held ownership since 1984, employs 38 professionals across six fully-staffed offices, and reports 275 years of combined staff experience. Pricing is quote-based and varies by transaction complexity, property location, and service line. The GTM model is relationship-led, serving lenders, realtors, attorneys, and individual property buyers and sellers, with no outside institutional investors, no public financial disclosure, and no disclosed funding activity.

Name

Runkel Abstract & Title

Legal name

Runkel Abstract & Title Co.

Website

https://runkel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Runkel Abstract & Title Co. is a privately held, family-owned title services firm in Wausau, Wisconsin, delivering title insurance, abstracts, closing and escrow, construction disbursing, 1031 exchanges, and information reports across northern Wisconsin via six offices and 38 professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Title Insurance and Real Estate Settlement Services

NAICS

Title Abstract and Settlement Offices (541191), Direct Title Insurance Carriers (524127)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Title Insurance & Underwriting (BPAJAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Title Search & Examination (BPAJAOAB), Abstracting Services (Title Abstracts) (BPAJAOAC), Document Preparation & Recording Services (Deeds, Liens) (BPAJAOAG), Title Insurance (FSAJACAL)

Keywords

• Title insurance services
• Real estate closings
• Escrow services
• Abstract of title
• Construction disbursing

Headquarters

HQ city

Wausau

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Title Insurance: Issuance of title insurance policies to protect buyers and lenders against title defects, liens, and encumbrances.
2. Abstracts of Title: Condensed history of all deeds, mortgages and other documents relating to a particular piece of land.
3. Closing & Escrow Services: Real estate closing services including coordination, document execution, fund disbursement, and escrow handling.
4. Construction Disbursing Services: Management of construction draws including on-site visits, lien waivers, payment disbursements to contractors and subcontractors.
5. 1031 Deferred Exchanges: Qualified Intermediary services for tax-deferred property exchanges under IRC Section 1031, including reverse exchange support.
6. Information Reports: Real estate information reports identifying property hurdles, liens, and encumbrances.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Runkel Abstract & Title provides insured title insurance policies, abstracts of title, and real estate closing and escrow services that protect buyers and lenders against title defects, liens, and encumbrances. The firm also delivers construction disbursing services (including on-site inspections and lien waiver tracking), 1031 tax-deferred exchange Qualified Intermediary services, and real estate information reports, all powered by an in-house title plant covering multiple counties in northern Wisconsin.

Product overview

Runkel Abstract & Title Co. offers a comprehensive suite of real estate title services as a single unified offering. The core portfolio consists of Title Insurance, Abstracts of Title, Information Reports, Closing & Escrow Services, Construction Disbursing Services, and 1031 Deferred Exchanges. Supporting these is a Mortgage Reports service that provides monthly transaction documentation. The company operates as a family of six companies (Runkel Abstract & Title Co., Lincoln County Abstract, Shoreline Title Services, Forest Abstract Co., Lake Country Title Services, and Associate Title Co.) across northern Wisconsin, serving Marathon, Lincoln, Forest, Vilas, Oneida, Chippewa, and surrounding counties. All services are delivered through in-house title plants and trained professionals, with no modular or platform-based architecture indicated.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Runkel Family of Title Companies: Group of six title-related companies including Lincoln County Abstract Company, Shoreline Title Services, Forest Abstract Company, Associate Title Co., LLC, and Lake Country Title Services, LLC operating under the Runkel umbrella

Products and services

• Title Insurance Title insurance policies that protect property owners and lenders against losses due to title defects, liens, or encumbrances undiscovered at the time of closing.
• Abstracts of Title A condensed history of all deeds, mortgages, and other documents relating to a particular piece of land that affect the title, gathered from the Register of Deeds, Clerk of Courts, Probate Office, and Treasurer's Office.
• Closing and Escrow Services Real estate closing services where buyers and sellers exchange purchase price for deed and ownership documents, with escrow holder managing funds and documents on behalf of all parties.
• Construction Disbursing Services Management of construction draws ensuring proper payment to contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers, including on-site inspections, lien waivers collection, and title searches before each draw.
• 1031 Deferred Exchanges Tax-deferred exchange services under IRC Section 1031 that allow investors to defer capital gains taxes by exchanging like-kind investment properties, including reverse exchange arrangements.
• Information Reports Real estate information reports identifying property hurdles, liens, judgments, tax records, and municipal charges affecting property title.

Quantifiable outcome

• 275 years combined professional experience across staff
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lincoln County Abstract CompanycoreOthersSubsidiary company in the Runkel Family of Title Companies, located in Merrill, Wisconsin, serving Lincoln, Langlade, Taylor, and Price Counties. Added to the family in 1996.
• Shoreline Title Services, Inc.coreOthersSubsidiary company in the Runkel Family of Title Companies, located in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, serving Oneida County. Added to the family in 2004.
• Forest Abstract CompanycoreOthersSubsidiary company in the Runkel Family of Title Companies, located in Crandon, Wisconsin, serving Forest County. Added to the family in 2004.
• Lake Country Title Services, LLCcoreOthersSubsidiary company in the Runkel Family of Title Companies, located in Eagle River, Wisconsin, serving Vilas County. Added to the family in 2007.
• Associate Title Co., LLCcoreOthersSubsidiary company in the Runkel Family of Title Companies, located in Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire, Wisconsin, serving Barron, Dunn, Eau Claire, Chippewa, Rusk, Taylor, Clark, Price and Wood Counties. Joined Runkel Family in 2005.
• Block Title, Inc.minorOthersAcquired by Runkel Family of Title Companies in 2007.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/RunkelAbstract
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHHtXO8Lx1U5uCQIfg-VEkA
• Facebookfacebook.com/RunkelAbstractWausau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Runkel Abstract & Title