February 11, 2026
Why do some teams make it to the Super Bowl and others do not?
After all, every NFL team has smart people working for them. The league is designed for parity and an even playing field. On paper, teams have access to many of the same resources.
Why is it that some teams succeed in the Wild Card Round, a smaller number in the Divisional Round, an even smaller number in the Conference Championship, and then of course only two to the Super Bowl?
I think the answer has to do with the consequences flowing from the quality of decisions and choices made by each team’s leadership (owners, front office, and coaches). In other words, how they use what is in front of them matters more than what resources they have access to. Clever use of resources leads to wins.
Are title agencies much different? I think not.
Like NFL teams, title agencies are run by intelligent people. They all sell the same ALTA base policies. They all provide services to people transacting real estate. They all work with sophisticated underwriters who are eager to help them. They all have access to an ever-expanding array of production systems and other technology; all specifically designed to enhance their profitability.
So why do we, as a mergers and acquisitions and corporate turnaround firm with decades of experience working in title see agencies with profit margins ranging from a negative number to over 40%?
PROCESS BEATS RESOURCES. The end result (i.e. EBITDA and margins) has more to do with how you use the resources available to you than merely having access to them. Not much different than an NFL team when you think about it.
The last few years tested every title agency in the country. Now the market is stabilizing. Activity is returning. There is light at the end of the tunnel. As a result, the questions owners are asking themselves are shifting from survival to what’s next.
One way we can tell if a title company is of Super Bowl quality is by looking at their margins. While this varies by geography, product mix, and more, a rough rule of thumb (and a great target) for a multi-state agency is to be in the 22% range (give or take 4%). If your agency is not there, then a starting point in how we look at things is to explore where there are opportunities to optimize. That rings true whether the agency is bent on growing or exiting. Optimization is always the starting point.
Our consulting group has decades of experience in operating and optimizing title companies. When we approach an agency with a view in mind towards optimization, these are the first things we look at:
- Workflow. According to Turk & Co’s workflow guru Christin Mack, “Efficient workflow is not about moving faster. It is about eliminating friction at the handoffs and creating alignment. In the strongest title agencies, everyone is working toward the same outcome and understands how their role fits into the transaction. Decision responsibility is clear, approvals happen early, and information moves with the file from order entry through policy. When that shared ownership breaks down, teams rely on rework, manual intervention, and last minute problem solving to keep files moving.”
- Business Process Outsourcing. Every major underwriter and large national agency (think your competitor most of the time) outsources at least some part of their process offshore. Why? They want to have a variable cost structure and a tried, tested, and proven way to improve turn times. Independents should want the exact same thing. We typically see our clients identify non consumer facing tasks as ideal for an outsourcing plan. Those tasks include:
- Order Entry
- Title Searching
- Closing Protection Letter Generation
- Commitment Typing
- Payoff Ordering
- HOA Document Processing
- Subordination Processing
- CD Preparation (with title, settlement and recording fees only)
- Policy Production, send out and delivery
- Cover Record Processing
- Post Closing File Audit
- Underwriter. Your underwriter should be a true partner, not simply a vendor you attempt to squeeze. As Turk & Co Senior Advisor (and Head Coach) Rex Caldwell explains, the strongest underwriting relationships are built on collaboration, demonstrations of practical judgment, and mutual trust. According to Caldwell, a high-quality underwriter brings best-in-class support to difficult underwriting decisions by fully understanding the culture and quality of the agent. In a real partnership, the agent’s input matters, and underwriting decisions are made only after considering the full context of the issue. Caldwell notes that the ability to look for a way to complete a transaction rather than defaulting to “no” is what separates top-tier underwriters from the rest of the field. Caldwell also emphasizes that the true test of an underwriting partnership comes when problems arise. When an agent or agency is in trouble, a strong underwriter engages quickly, helps develop solutions, and remains actively involved. If issues are met with silence or indifference, it signals a transactional relationship rather than a true partnership. An underwriter’s willingness to step in and help, Caldwell says, ultimately defines the strength and importance of the relationship.
- Synchronicity. Rex Caldwell describes synchronicity as the core of optimization. Whether an agency is focused on increasing profitability, preparing for a sale, or simply building a business that runs more smoothly, success depends on alignment around a single objective. As Caldwell explains, “When leadership, management, internal teams, and underwriting relationships are synchronized, they are no longer working against each other, but with each other.” In a synchronized organization, each group understands what the others are doing and how their actions connect to the broader goal. That shared awareness prevents friction, duplication of effort, and conflicting priorities. Caldwell emphasizes that synchronicity is built through communication. Ongoing, transparent communication across teams and underwriting partners creates mutual understanding, coordinated decision-making, and forward momentum. When everyone is aligned around the same purpose, optimization becomes achievable rather than theoretical.
In the NFL, teams don’t wait until December to ask whether they’re Super Bowl caliber. They know long before that because their process shows up in the results. Title agencies are no different. As volume returns and the market normalizes, this is the moment to be honest about where you stand and intentional about where you’re headed. Whether your goal is disciplined growth, or an eventual exit, optimization is the work that determines whether you’re competing in January or watching from the sidelines. If you’re curious how your agency stacks up, where margin is being left on the table, or what a Super Bowl level title agency actually looks like in practice, a natural next step is to schedule a Discovery call with our team. We can help get you there.
Founder & Managing Partner, Turk & Co (turkandco.com). – An Investment Bank and advisory firm (Member FINRA/SIPC) serving the mortgage industry with strategic guidance, operational efficiency solutions, and M&A expertise.
