Security Land Escrow

What Security Land Escrow does

Security Land Escrow (legal entity: Security Land-Escrow Co.) is an independent, family-owned escrow company founded in 1944 and headquartered at 10323 Paramount Blvd., Downey, California. The firm operates under a single California escrow license (#963-0268) issued by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, and provides transaction-fee-based escrow services across an 18-product catalog spanning residential sales, commercial transactions, refinances, re-sales, subdivisions, vacant land, construction loans, 1031 exchanges, foreclosure properties, modular and manufactured homes, mobile home sales, for-sale-by-owner transactions, seller financing, AITDs, franchise sales, bulk sale transfers, ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Control) license transfers, and holding escrows. Its core differentiation versus other California escrow shops is specialization in bulk sale / business transfers and California ABC liquor license transfers, a niche that referring escrow companies routinely route to Security Land Escrow because few competitors service it.

The business is operated by a small team led by second-generation owner Lawrence "Larry" Garces (30+ years, owner since 2004) alongside third-generation Escrow Officer / Office Manager Nicole Garces-Machado (14 years) and Escrow Assistant Mattie Espindola (5 years). Go-to-market is relationship-driven and referral-based: marketing channels are professional referrals from real estate agents and brokers, Yelp reviews, the company website, and active participation in the Downey Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club of Downey, California Escrow Association, and Downey Board of Realtors. Customer segments are horizontally diversified across individual buyers/sellers, real estate professionals, business buyers/sellers (especially those with liquor licenses), and commercial/investment property clients, with no external institutional ownership, no disclosed funding, and no affiliated parent entity.

From a technology and operations standpoint, the firm relies on standard escrow processing and document management practices rather than a proprietary software platform or AI-enabled tools. There is no disclosed use of automated document review, machine learning, or other AI/ML capabilities. Revenue mechanics are exclusively transactional (per-closing escrow fees), pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, and the customer base is a long-tail of SMB and individual clients anchored to multi-year and multi-decade relationships with the named escrow officers rather than to a technology product.

Name

Security Land Escrow

Legal name

Security Land-Escrow Co.

Website

https://securitylandescrow.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1944

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Security Land Escrow is a family-owned, independent California escrow company founded in 1944, providing residential, commercial, refinance, bulk sale, ABC liquor license, mobile home, and holding escrow services to individuals, businesses, and real estate professionals in Downey and Southern California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate Escrow Services

NAICS

Title Abstract and Settlement Offices (541191)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Escrow Services (BPAJAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Escrow & Fiduciary Escrow Services (FSAAANAH), Notary & Signing Agent Services (Remote/Onsite) (BPAJAOAF)

Keywords

• Real estate escrow
• Bulk sale escrow
• Liquor license transfer
• Mobile home escrow
• Business transfer escrow

Headquarters

HQ city

Downey

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Escrow Services: Transaction-based fee model for escrow services including residential, commercial, refinance, bulk sales, business transfers, liquor license transfers, and specialty escrows (holding, AITD, 1031 exchanges). Fees are typically one-time per transaction.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Security Land Escrow provides a comprehensive suite of escrow services for real estate transactions (residential, commercial, refinance, subdivisions, vacant land, modular/manufactured homes, mobile homes, and for-sale-by-owner), business transfers (bulk sales, ABC liquor license transfers, franchise sales), and specialty escrows (1031 exchanges, AITD, construction loans, foreclosure/REO properties, seller financing, and holding escrows). The company also provides in-house notary public services to support document execution across all transaction types.

Product overview

Security Land Escrow is a single-location independent escrow company operating since 1944, offering a comprehensive portfolio of escrow services rather than a software product platform. The company provides core residential and commercial escrow services alongside specialized offerings including Bulk Sale Transfer (business and liquor license transfers), Mobile Home Sale, ABC License Transfers, Holding Escrows, Foreclosure Properties, 1031 Exchanges, Construction Loans, and various other real estate transaction types. The portfolio functions as a unified service offering under the Security Land Escrow brand, with experienced escrow officers (Larry Garces, Nicole Garces-Machado) handling all transaction types across commercial, refinance, single family, and specialty escrow categories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Escrow
• Commercial Escrow Escrow services for commercial real estate transactions and business property sales, supporting commercial buyers, sellers, investors, and developers.
• Refinance Escrow Escrow services for mortgage refinance transactions, managing payoff of existing loans, processing of new loan documents, and disbursement of funds.
• Re-Sale Escrow Escrow services for the resale of previously owned residential properties, with processing tailored to existing owner transactions.
• Vacant Land Escrow Escrow services for undeveloped land sales, including lot transactions and unimproved parcel sales.
• Subdivision Escrow Escrow services for transactions involving subdivided land parcels, supporting developers and buyers of subdivided lots.
• Modular and Manufactured Home Escrow Escrow services for modular and manufactured home transactions, addressing requirements that differ from standard residential sales.
• Mobile Home Sale Escrow Specialized escrow services for mobile home transfers, which differ from regular residential transfers. Highlighted on the company's homepage as a popular specialty service backed by years of experience.
• For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Escrow Escrow services for properties sold directly by owners without real estate agent representation.
• All-Inclusive Trust Deed (AITD) Escrow Escrow services for all-inclusive trust deed transactions, a financing structure in which the existing lender's loan is assumed by a new lender or note holder.
• Seller Financing Escrow Escrow services for transactions involving seller-carryback financing, where the seller finances part of the purchase price for the buyer.
• 1031 Exchange Escrow Tax-deferred exchange escrow services under Internal Revenue Code Section 1031, facilitating the swap of like-kind investment properties.
• Construction Loan Escrow Escrow services for construction loan disbursements, including draw management for new construction and development projects.
• Foreclosure (REO) Property Escrow Escrow services for foreclosure and REO (real estate owned) property transactions.
• Bulk Sale Transfer Escrow Escrow services for business transfers and bulk sales, including the sale of corporate assets, stock, or entire companies, with oversight of tax and debt obligations. Highlighted on the company's homepage as a key specialty service.
• ABC License Transfer Escrow Escrow services specifically for California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) license transfers, supporting businesses that are sold together with a liquor license. The capability is described as rare among California escrow companies.
• Franchise Sale Escrow Escrow services for franchise business sales and transfers, supporting both franchisors and franchisees in ownership transitions.
• Holding Escrow Specialized escrow service for holding funds pending vacancies, contingencies, or other transitional conditions during real estate transactions. Highlighted on the company's homepage as a distinctive offering not widely known.
• In-House Notary Public Services Document notarization services provided in-house by licensed notary publics (including Nicole Garces-Machado, who serves as both in-office and travel notary) to support document execution across the company's escrow transactions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80 years in business since 1944
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Downey Chamber of CommercecoreOthersActive membership with Lawrence Garces on the board of directors and Nicole Garces-Machado as a Director. Primary business networking and community engagement organization serving Downey, CA.
• Rotary Club of DowneycoreOthersLawrence Garces is a member and past president. Community service organization providing networking and local volunteer opportunities.
• California Escrow AssociationminorOthersIndustry association membership. Both Lawrence Garces and Nicole Garces-Machado are members; Nicole serves as Director. Provides industry resources and professional development.
• Downey Board of RealtorsminorOthersProfessional real estate association membership for both Lawrence Garces and Nicole Garces-Machado. Key referral source for real estate professionals.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• First American Title Insurance Company: One of the largest national title and escrow underwriters, offering residential and commercial escrow services across California. While much larger and broader in scope, it competes for the same real estate escrow transactions in the Southern California market.
• Chicago Title (Fidelity National Financial): Part of Fidelity National Financial, Chicago Title is a dominant national title/escrow provider operating in California. It is comparable because it provides direct escrow services for the same real estate and business transactions Security Land handles.
• Fidelity National Financial: Parent of Chicago Title and other major underwriters, the largest title and escrow conglomerate in the U.S. Comparable in offering the same escrow services Security Land provides, but at vastly larger scale with technology infrastructure and national reach.
• Stewart Title Company: Major national title and escrow underwriter with significant California operations. Directly comparable product offering (residential, commercial, refinance escrow) but operates at a much larger scale with broader geographic reach.
• Old Republic Title: National title and escrow underwriter with California operations. Directly comparable to Security Land's core escrow offering, though it operates at national scale with broader service breadth.

Direct peers

• North American Title Insurance Company: Title and escrow underwriter with a national agency model that often partners with independent escrow companies. Comparable product mix (residential, commercial, refinance escrow) and similar positioning serving real estate agents and brokers.
• WFG National Title Insurance Company: National title and escrow underwriter that often partners with independent escrow agents. Comparable because it serves the same real estate professionals and offers overlapping escrow services including commercial and refinance transactions.
• Plaza Escrow Company: Southern California-based independent escrow company serving real estate transactions. Comparable as a locally owned independent escrow provider competing for the same real estate professional referrals and residential/commercial escrow volume.

Emerging players

• Escrow.com: Online escrow platform handling personal, business, and real estate transactions digitally. Comparable in core escrow function but competing via a fully digital delivery model that could attract clients away from traditional storefront escrow providers.
• Notarize: Remote online notarization platform that increasingly integrates with real estate closings and escrow. Comparable because it offers notary and document-signing services - functions Security Land performs in-house - but via a fully digital experience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/security-land-escrow-co

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Security Land Escrow