Title Company at a Davie Closing: Do You Need One? (2026)
Do You Need a Title Company to Close on a Home in Davie, Florida?
Yes. In Davie and across Broward County, a title company handles your closing because Florida is a title insurance and escrow state, not an attorney closing state. You are not required to hire an attorney to buy a home here. The title company runs the title search, issues title insurance, holds your escrow funds, prepares the settlement statement, conducts the closing, and records your deed with the Broward County Clerk. In most Broward transactions the buyer chooses and pays for the title company.
What a Title Company Actually Does at Your Closing
Buyers see the title company line on the closing disclosure and ask a fair question: what am I paying for? The work is real, and most of it happens before you ever sit down to sign.
A Davie title company performs five core functions:
1. Title search. It pulls the public record on the property at the Broward County Clerk of Courts and the Broward County Property Appraiser to confirm the seller actually owns what they are selling and to find anything attached to the title, such as liens, unpaid taxes, judgments, or easements.
2. Clearing the title. If the search turns up a problem, the title company works to resolve it before closing. A title that does not clear does not close.
3. Title insurance. It issues an owner’s policy that protects you, and a lender’s policy that protects your mortgage company, against defects that existed before you owned the home but surface later.
4. Escrow and settlement. It holds your earnest money deposit, collects funds from you and your lender, prepares the settlement statement, conducts the closing, and disburses money to the seller, the agents, and the county.
5. Recording. After closing it records your deed and mortgage with the Broward County Clerk of Courts, which makes your ownership part of the public record.
That recording step is what turns the keys in your hand into ownership the public record recognizes.
Florida Does Not Require an Attorney to Close
Buyers moving from the Northeast often expect an attorney to run the closing because that is how it works in New York, New Jersey, and several other states. Florida is different. A licensed title or settlement agent can conduct a residential closing, and most do.
You may still choose to hire a real estate attorney if your purchase has unusual complexity, such as a contested estate, a complicated trust, or a title defect that needs a legal opinion. For a standard purchase in the Town of Davie, the title company handles the closing and the attorney step is optional, not required.
Who Chooses and Pays for the Title Company in Broward County
This is where local practice matters, because the custom is not the same in every Florida county.
In Broward County, the buyer customarily chooses the title company and pays for the owner’s title insurance policy. That choice belongs to you. If a seller or a listing agent tells you that you have to use their title company, that is a point you can negotiate, not a rule. The party paying for the policy customarily selects the provider, and in Broward that party is usually the buyer.
This differs from Miami-Dade and a few other counties where the seller customarily pays for and selects the owner’s policy. Davie sits in Broward, so plan on the buyer-pays, buyer-picks custom unless your contract says otherwise.
What Title Insurance Costs in Davie in 2026
Florida sets title insurance premiums by regulation, which means the owner’s policy premium is the same dollar amount no matter which title company you use. You cannot shop a lower premium, because the rate is promulgated by the state.
The owner’s policy premium is calculated on the purchase price:
- $5.75 per $1,000 of price on the first $100,000
- $5.00 per $1,000 on the price above $100,000, up to $1,000,000
On a $500,000 Davie home, that works out to $575 on the first $100,000 plus $2,000 on the next $400,000, for a $2,575 owner’s policy premium. When you also take a mortgage, the lender’s policy is issued at the same closing for a simultaneous-issue fee of $25.00.
One number on the bill is not fixed: the settlement or closing fee the title company charges for conducting the closing is set by each company, not by the state. That is the line you can actually compare between providers. For how this fits with doc stamps, recording fees, and the rest of your costs, see the full breakdown in the closing costs in Davie, Florida guide.
Do Cash Buyers Need a Title Company?
Yes. A cash purchase removes the lender’s policy step, because there is no mortgage to protect, but every other function stays. You still want a title search to confirm clear ownership, an owner’s title insurance policy to protect your investment, an escrow agent to hold and disburse funds, and a recording of your deed with the county. Skipping the title company on a cash deal means buying a home without confirming the seller can legally sell it, which is a risk no price discount makes worthwhile.
How the Title Company Fits the Rest of Your Closing Costs
The title company is one part of your closing, and it touches several others. It calculates and collects the documentary stamp tax on the deed, which in Broward is $0.70 per $100 of the sale price and is customarily paid by the seller. It collects recording fees for the Broward County Clerk. It prorates property taxes between you and the seller based on the closing date. And it prepares the settlement statement that lists every one of these numbers in one place.
If you want to see how the seller’s side of the same closing nets out, the seller net sheet for a Davie home walks through what a seller actually keeps after the title company disburses funds. And if you are early in the process, the buying a home in Davie, Florida guide maps the full path from offer to keys.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a title company to buy a house in Davie, Florida?
Yes. Florida is a title and escrow closing state, so a title company conducts your Davie closing. It runs the title search, issues title insurance, holds escrow, prepares the settlement statement, and records your deed with the Broward County Clerk. You are not required to hire an attorney for a standard purchase.
Who chooses the title company in Broward County, the buyer or the seller?
In Broward County the buyer customarily chooses the title company and pays for the owner’s title insurance policy. If a seller asks you to use their preferred company, you can negotiate that point. The custom in Broward favors the buyer choosing, which is different from Miami-Dade where the seller customarily selects and pays.
How much does title insurance cost in Davie in 2026?
Florida promulgates the rate, so the owner’s policy premium is the same at every company: $5.75 per $1,000 on the first $100,000 of price and $5.00 per $1,000 above that. A $500,000 home carries a $2,575 owner’s policy premium. A lender’s policy issued at the same closing adds a $25.00 simultaneous-issue fee.
Is title insurance a one-time cost or a recurring bill?
Title insurance is a one-time premium paid at closing. Unlike homeowners insurance, you do not pay a monthly or annual title premium. The owner’s policy protects you for as long as you own the home.
Do I need a title company if I am paying cash for a Davie home?
Yes. A cash purchase drops the lender’s policy because there is no mortgage, but you still want a title search, an owner’s title insurance policy, an escrow agent, and a recorded deed. The title company protects you from inheriting a hidden lien or ownership defect.
Talk Through Your Davie Closing
If you are under contract or about to be in Davie, the title company question is one of several decisions where local custom decides the answer. Walking through your specific purchase before you sign is the cheapest insurance there is. Reach out and we will map out who handles what at your closing and what each line on your settlement statement means.
Anthony Spitaleri
Coldwell Banker
8847 Stirling Road, Davie, Florida 33328
(954) 235-5783
Written by Anthony Spitaleri, Broker Associate with Coldwell Banker and a Davie native. More about Anthony
