TitleEase accelerates growth as franchise model gains traction

“Some of our larger customers, about three and a half years ago, came to us and said, ‘Hey, we see the HUD statements. We know title. We know you guys are making a killing, so can we participate?’ And we said, ‘No problem. We’d love for you to do that. Let us legally figure out what’s the best way to do it.’ After a lot of money invested in legal, the vehicle that was the best way to do it was a franchise system.”

In California and Texas, franchisees also establish escrow companies alongside their title operations.

The ramped up growth strategy was already underway with the acquisition of California-based Landwood Title at the end of 2025.

That purchase gave TitleEase licensing coverage across all 58 California counties — helping the company serve one of the nation’s most difficult states for title licensing while supporting brokers and lenders seeking to establish title and escrow operations.

A different approach to title ownership

Founded in 2021, TitleEase is part of the Rhode Island-based Lincoln Family of Companies.

Led by CEO Joseph D’Urso, it offers a franchise model designed to help real estate brokerages, mortgage lenders and entrepreneurs establish fully compliant title insurance and settlement businesses.

Unlike traditional joint ventures, TitleEase structures its model so franchise owners establish and own their own title company — while relying on the parent organization for operational infrastructure, compliance, licensing assistance, software, vendor relationships and ongoing support.

Oakley said the concept grew out of requests from existing customers seeking to participate more directly in title revenue.

He described the offering as “a title company in a box.” “Here’s your box. It has a title company in it and it has your LLC,” Oakley said. “It has all your compliance and all your licensing. “We’ll even help you find and recruit the licensed title person in your state. If you don’t know what to ask them, we do.”

The company also assists franchisees with regulatory compliance, underwriter relationships, staffing guidance, operational manuals and ongoing coaching designed to reduce barriers to entering the title industry.

Revenue is shared equally between TitleEase and franchise owners — with each side responsible for separate operating costs while working together to grow transaction volume.

“We are true partners with them, and we’re here to help you grow,” Oakley said. “If you say you can do 30 policies a month today, great. We’re going to do everything in our power to make sure we get you to 100 policies a month in six months, because we make more money when you make more money.”

Growth strategy, long-term value

Investor Richard Bitner said the company’s most significant expansion efforts have occurred over the past year following new funding and additional hiring.

“Joe D’Urso, the founder and braintrust behind this, spent a lot of time with CFPB talking to them about this structure before we ever launched,” he said. “I think part of the problem with joint ventures is they tend to be opaque. If there’s anything that CFPB kind of hates, it’s when you can’t really tell who’s making what, where, how, why or who’s responsible.

“We’ve taken the exact absolute opposite approach. So, on the [HUD statement], you’ll actually see two title fees, where the fees get split between the parent company that does the work and the title franchise directly. It’s the absolute opposite of what’s been happening with the [joint ventures].”

Beyond creating an additional revenue source, executives believe the model gives brokerages and lenders greater operational visibility while creating a business asset that owners can eventually sell independently.

“When we’re talking about a reduced margin environment, which we’re in, with interest rates being up, I think the ability for anybody who’s doing 10 or more transactions a month — that’s kind of the general number we’re looking at, if you can contribute 10 or more — might consider this as an opportunity.”

He added that ownership extends beyond monthly income.

Leaders also believe ownership can strengthen recruiting by offering agents and loan officers an opportunity to participate in a business that generates additional revenue beyond traditional commissions.

Looking ahead

Executives say the combination of recent investment, expanded licensing capabilities and growing industry awareness positions TitleEase for continued national expansion.

Oakley said the company’s growth reflects increasing interest from brokerages and lenders looking to bring title operations in-house while avoiding the complexity of building those businesses independently.

“We’re now [onboarding] between five and 10 [new franchises] a month,” he said. “We have people actually reaching out and saying, ‘Hey, I heard about you guys, and I heard you’ve got a phenomenal program where you know I can make some ancillary revenue off of transactions that I already control.’”

As TitleEase continues signing new franchisees and pursuing acquisitions, leaders believe the franchise model offers an alternative to traditional title joint ventures by combining ownership, operational support and regulatory compliance within a single platform.