# eTitleDirect > Full-service title insurance and settlement for residential and commercial real estate. Licensed in New York and New Jersey. eTitleDirect is a title insurance and settlement company. It searches and clears title, issues owner’s and lender’s policies, runs closings in-house, and records electronically, for purchases, refinances, commercial deals, REOs and distressed sales. Title can be ordered online; quotes come from the Get a Quote calculator on the Resources page. ## Offices - NJ Division (12 Broad Street, Suite 203, Red Bank, NJ 07701): Licensed and serving all 21 New Jersey counties. Phone (732) 658-4440, email officeNJ@eTitleDirect.com. - NY Division (Brooklyn, NY): Licensed and serving all 62 New York counties, including Zone 1 (Upstate NY) and Zone 2 (Westchester, Rockland, Long Island). Phone (718) 412-0886, email officeNY@eTitleDirect.com. ## Pages - [eTitleDirect](https://www.etitledirect.com/): Expert title operations backed by intelligent transaction systems. Every party sees the same transaction state, and every file closes on time. - [Title Services](https://www.etitledirect.com/services/): Commercial and residential title, REOs and distressed property, specialty searches, in-house settlement, and electronic recordings. Nothing padded. - [Commercial Title Insurance](https://www.etitledirect.com/services/commercial/): Commercial title and settlement in New York and New Jersey: sales, development closings, refinances, 1031 exchanges, multifamily and mixed-use. - [REO & Distressed Property Title](https://www.etitledirect.com/services/reos-distressed/): Title for REO closings, short sales and distressed sales in New York and New Jersey: foreclosures cleared, liens resolved, policies issued. - [For Agents, Lenders & Attorneys](https://www.etitledirect.com/professionals/): One closer, one file, one number. Clean commitments without boilerplate exceptions, same-day acknowledgment, and exceptions flagged early — not at the table. - [Title Resources, Guides & FAQ](https://www.etitledirect.com/resources/): How the title process works from contract to closing, what your policy actually covers, and answers to the questions we hear most often. - [Our Story](https://www.etitledirect.com/company/): A small team with deep experience in real estate, title, and operations, built around transparency. Every file gets a closer who knows it by name. - [Contact Us](https://www.etitledirect.com/contact/): Headquartered in Red Bank, licensed in New York and New Jersey. No phone trees, no callback queues. Call and a person answers, or request a quote online. - [Order Title Online](https://www.etitledirect.com/order-title/): Open a title file in minutes. Your file is opened upon receipt, a contract is not required to open, and we handle both New Jersey and New York transactions. - [Enhanced vs Standard Title Policy Compared](https://www.etitledirect.com/enhanced-vs-standard/): What the ALTA Homeowner’s Policy covers that the standard owner’s policy does not: zoning violations, permit issues, encroachments, post-closing risks. - [The Ecosystem](https://www.etitledirect.com/ecosystem/): ClosingMap, CloseProp, and TYTLVERSE serve every party in a transaction, from the buyer’s first search to the final recording. eTitleDirect recommends them. ## FAQ ### What is title insurance? Title insurance protects you against losses arising from defects in the title to your property. These defects can include unpaid liens from prior owners, errors in public records, undisclosed heirs with a claim to the property, forged documents, or problems with prior transfers. Unlike other insurance policies that protect against future events, title insurance protects against past events that were unknown at the time of purchase. ### How is title insurance different from homeowner's insurance? Homeowner's insurance covers what happens to the property after you buy it: fire, storms, theft. Title insurance covers what happened to the ownership before you bought it: an unpaid lien, a forged deed, an heir nobody knew about. One looks forward, one looks back, and you need both. ### Do I need title insurance if I'm paying cash? A lender requires a lender's policy to protect the loan. With no lender, nobody requires anything, so the choice is yours. An owner's policy is the only protection you would have if a claim against the title surfaces after closing, and a cash buyer has the most of their own money at stake. ### What is a title search? A review of the public records for the property, going back decades: deeds, mortgages, liens, judgments, easements, and tax records. The search is how we find anything that could affect your ownership before you close, so it can be cleared first. ### What does an owner's policy cover? Losses from defects in the title that existed before you bought and were not found in the search: forged or improperly recorded documents, unknown heirs, undisclosed liens, and errors in the public record. It also covers the cost of defending your title if someone makes a claim. ### What is the difference between a standard and an enhanced policy? A standard policy covers title defects that existed before you bought. An enhanced policy adds coverage for certain problems that can surface after closing, such as encroachments, zoning and permit violations, and some post-closing risks. The comparison is on our Enhanced vs Standard page. ### How long does coverage last? An owner's policy lasts as long as you or your heirs own the property. It is a one-time premium paid at closing, with nothing to renew. ### How much does title insurance cost? The premium is based on the purchase price, or the loan amount for a lender's policy, at rates filed with the state. It is paid once at closing. Use the Get a Quote calculator for an estimate on your transaction. ### Who pays for title insurance? In both New York and New Jersey, the buyer typically pays on a purchase and the borrower pays on a refinance. On a purchase your contract of sale controls, and we will confirm the split on your file. ### Is a lender's policy the same as an owner's policy? No. A lender's policy protects the lender's loan and decreases as the loan is paid down. An owner's policy protects your equity. If you only buy the lender's policy, you are not covered. ### When should I order title? As soon as the contract is signed. Ordering early gives the search time to surface anything that needs to be cleared before the closing date. ### How long does the title process take? Three business days from when we receive your order to the complete title work, in both New York and New Jersey. ### What do I need to bring to closing? A government-issued photo ID, your funds for closing in the form your closer specifies, and any documents your closer asked for in advance. Your closer sends the list before the day. ## Optional - [Accessibility Statement](https://www.etitledirect.com/accessibility/): How eTitleDirect works toward WCAG 2.1 AA and ADA accessibility, the technology the site relies on, and how to report a barrier you run into. - [Terms of Use](https://www.etitledirect.com/terms-of-use/): The terms that govern use of the eTitleDirect website: permitted use, proprietary rights, DMCA notices, indemnity, and title and closing disclaimers. - [Privacy Policy](https://www.etitledirect.com/privacy-policy/): What information eTitleDirect collects through its website, how it is protected under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, cookies, and how to opt out.