Commonwealth Title

Title Insurance and Escrow Servicescthouston.com

Commonwealth Title of Houston is a four-person, FNF-affiliated title insurance and escrow services office serving Realtors, lenders, builders, buyers/sellers, attorneys, and commercial investors in Houston and statewide Texas, with nationwide commercial coverage routed through Fidelity National Financial's network.

Company typePrivate
Founded1893
HeadquartersHouston, United States
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What Commonwealth Title does

Commonwealth Title of Houston is the Houston-area operating location of Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company, a title insurance and escrow services brand founded in 1893 and owned by Fidelity National Financial (FNF). The Houston office was opened in June 2002 as a partnership between Dallas Russell Sr. (Manager, Senior Escrow Officer) and Jerel J. Hill (Fee Attorney, principal of the Law Office of Jerel J. Hill), and today operates with a four-person team handling title insurance, closing and escrow, 1031 exchanges (via IPX1031), recording and special projects, notary services, FSBO assistance, and WireSafe fraud protection.

The firm's core products are title insurance policies (owner's and loan) and escrow/closing services, which generate one-time premiums and transaction fees respectively at the closing of a real estate transaction. Ancillary revenue streams include 1031 exchange facilitation (Qualified Intermediary services through IPX1031), notary signings (priced at $100-$250 per signing), document recording, and foreclosure/REO/short-sale special projects. The firm does not develop proprietary technology; its digital surface consists of a service website with online order and closing-request forms, an FNF-hosted National Rate Calculator, Bankrate mortgage calculators, and a content library covering title, escrow, and 1031 topics.

Commercially, Commonwealth Title distributes services through direct office interaction at 550 Westcott Street, mobile notary within 20 miles of Houston, self-service web forms, and partner-referral channels including Realtors, mortgage lenders (local banks, credit unions, nationwide institutions), builders and developers, attorneys, and commercial investors. It serves the Houston metropolitan area and statewide Texas directly, while commercial title work is positioned nationwide across all 50 states through FNF's underwriter network. The firm is a privately held subsidiary of the publicly traded FNF, with no external venture capital or private equity funding disclosed.

Commonwealth Title firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Commonwealth Title
Legal name: Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company
Website: https://cthouston.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1893
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: Commonwealth Title of Houston is a four-person, FNF-affiliated title insurance and escrow services office serving Realtors, lenders, builders, buyers/sellers, attorneys, and commercial investors in Houston and statewide Texas, with nationwide commercial coverage routed through Fidelity National Financial's network.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Commonwealth Title industry classification

Industry

Product category: Title Insurance and Escrow Services
NAICS: Direct Title Insurance Carriers (524127), Title Abstract and Settlement Offices (541191)
SIC: Title Insurance (6361)
akta.pro primary industry: Title Search & Examination (BPAJAOAB)
akta.pro secondary industries: Title Insurance (FSAJACAL), Document Preparation & Recording Services (Deeds, Liens) (BPAJAOAG), Notary & Signing Agent Services (Remote/Onsite) (BPAJAOAF)

Keywords

Title insurance
Escrow services
Real estate closing
1031 exchange
Document recording

Where Commonwealth Title is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Houston
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Commonwealth Title business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Title Insurance: Title insurance provides evidence of title and insures ownership of real property. Premium is paid as a one-time fee at closing with no annual payments required as long as the property is owned. The company offers both owner's policies and loan policies for lenders.
Closing & Escrow Services: Escrow and closing services include funds disbursements, purchase contract execution, and property ownership transfer. Services include preparation of Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure, distribution of funds, document recordings, and home warranty coordination.
1031 Exchange Services: Facilitates tax-deferred exchanges through IPX1031, their in-house Qualified Intermediary. Services cover Real Estate, Personal Property, Multiple Asset, Aircraft exchanges, as well as Reverse and Improvement exchanges.
Notary Services: Document signing services including single document signings, multiple party closings, mobile notary services, and night/weekend/holiday signings. Fees range from $100-$250 depending on service type and location.
Recording & Special Projects: Legal document recording, national search projects, foreclosure proceedings, REO and short sale services, document retrieval and accommodation recording services.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	In-office notary signing including download/printing/copying
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Mobile notary service within 20 miles of Houston, evenings, weekends, holidays
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Single document signing in office

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Commonwealth Title product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Commonwealth Title of Houston provides title insurance, closing and escrow services for residential and commercial real estate transactions. The company is operated as Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company under Fidelity National Financial, serving real estate professionals, lenders, builders, attorneys, buyers/sellers, and commercial investors across Texas with nationwide capabilities for commercial deals.

Product overview

Commonwealth Title offers a comprehensive suite of title insurance and real estate settlement services. The core offering centers on Title Insurance and Closing & Escrow services, supported by ancillary modules including Recording & Special Projects (foreclosure, REOs, searches), 1031 Exchange (via IPX1031), Notary Services, and FSBO Assistance. Additional value-added tools include the National Rate Calculator (proprietary web-based platform), WireSafe fraud protection, and mortgage calculators from Bankrate.com. The company serves diverse customer segments including real estate professionals, lenders, builders, buyers/sellers, attorneys, and commercial clients across all 50 states, backed by more than 160 years of title operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

WireSafe: A wire fraud protection and education program designed to help customers protect themselves from real estate wire fraud.
IPX1031

Companies that use Commonwealth Title

Customer profile

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Commonwealth Title technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Commonwealth Title partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

IPX1031 (Investment Property Exchange Services, Inc.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPX1031 is the in-house Qualified Intermediary for Commonwealth Title's 1031 Exchange services. FNF offers 1031 Exchange solutions through IPX1031, which provides professional Qualified Intermediary services with $100 million fidelity bond, $50 million written performance guarantee, and $30 million in errors and omissions professional liability insurance. IPX1031 is described as the national industry leader with over two decades of superior Qualified Intermediary services.
Texas Land Title Association (TLTA)minorOthersProfessional industry association for title insurance and settlement services providers in Texas. Listed as a state and industry link on the Commonwealth Title website.
Houston Association of Realtors (HAR)minorOthersPrimary MLS and professional association for real estate professionals in the Houston area. Listed as an industry link for customer reference.
ServiceLinkTechnology or IntegrationServiceLink provides comprehensive default services, mortgage origination, and mortgage servicing solutions. Listed as a service partner/link on Commonwealth Title's website for ancillary services supporting real estate transactions.
Stillwater Insurance (Property and Casualty Insurance)minorOthersHome warranty and property insurance partner providing homeowners insurance and warranty products. Listed as a service link on Commonwealth Title's website.
Fidelity National Financial (FNF)coreOthersParent company of Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company. Commonwealth Title is backed by FNF's more than 160 years of successful title operations. FNF is one of the nation's largest providers of title insurance and settlement services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Commonwealth Title competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

AmTrust Title Insurance Company: National title insurance underwriter offering owner and lender policies plus escrow/closing services through a network of agents and direct operations.
First American Title Insurance Company: One of the largest U.S. title insurance underwriters, issuing both owner and lender policies and providing escrow and closing services nationwide — directly comparable to Commonwealth Title's core offering.
Title Resources Guaranty Company: Underwriter-backed title insurance agency offering a comparable suite of title, escrow, and closing services through agency operators.
Westcor Land Title Insurance Company: National title underwriter providing title insurance and settlement services to real estate professionals, lenders, and consumers — directly comparable operating model.
Stewart Title Group: Major title insurance and escrow provider with deep Texas presence (Stewart Title of Houston). Directly competes for the same Realtor, lender, and builder relationships in Houston.
WFG National Title Insurance Company: National title insurance underwriter offering similar owner/lender policies, escrow, and closing services; competes in the same agency/underwriter market.
Old Republic National Title Insurance Company: National title insurer covering residential and commercial closings; directly comparable product/services mix and customer segments as Commonwealth Title.
Investors Title Company: Issuing title insurance carrier offering title insurance and related real estate settlement services across multiple U.S. states.

Emerging players

Doma (formerly States Title): Technology-driven title and escrow provider using AI/automation to reduce closing cost and time — competes with traditional full-service title agencies like Commonwealth on lender and reseller channels.

Broad incumbents

Chicago Title Insurance Company: Sister brand under Fidelity National Financial with national scale and similar title insurance/escrow services. Operates as a broader FNF competitor rather than a Houston-specific niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Commonwealth Title financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Commonwealth Title leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Commonwealth Title subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries1 record

Commonwealth Title funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

Commonwealth Title M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Commonwealth Title

What does Commonwealth Title do?

Is Commonwealth Title a public or private company?

Commonwealth Title is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.

When was Commonwealth Title founded?

Commonwealth Title was founded in 1893. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is Commonwealth Title based?

Commonwealth Title is headquartered in Houston, United States, in the North America region.

How does Commonwealth Title make money?

Five revenue lines are on record. Title Insurance is the primary driver. The others are closing & Escrow Services, 1031 Exchange Services, notary Services and recording & Special Projects.

Who are Commonwealth Title's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are AmTrust Title Insurance Company, First American Title Insurance Company, Title Resources Guaranty Company, Westcor Land Title Insurance Company, Stewart Title Group, WFG National Title Insurance Company, Old Republic National Title Insurance Company and Investors Title Company. Doma (formerly States Title) is listed as an emerging player. Chicago Title Insurance Company is listed as a broad incumbent.

Does Commonwealth Title have an API?

No public API is recorded for Commonwealth Title.

What industry is Commonwealth Title in?

Commonwealth Title's product category is Title Insurance and Escrow Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJAOAB, Title Search & Examination, with a secondary code of FSAJACAL, Title Insurance. Its NAICS code is 524127 and its SIC code is 6361.