Before choosing your escrow officer you need to understand what an escrow officer really does. Nicole Phillips, Escrow Officer with Advantage Tile in Westlake Village, CA says “Escrow is the neutral third party between the buyer and seller in a real estate transaction. We hold the funds to pay the bills at the close and affiliate the loan document signing.” They perform a multitude of tasks from ordering payoff demands on existing liens, to preparing preliminary/final closing statements (HUD-1 forms), and getting the transfer recorded on title.