If you are an agent, broker, or mortgage lender who has been solicited by a title company to enter into a Marketing Service Agreement (MSA), you would probably be best served to avoid the temptation.
The Consumer Protection Financial Bureau (CFPB) has made it clear that they are actively probing and investigating such arrangements as one of their top priorities. Most recently, an MSA between a top Maryland real estate team and their “partner” title company resulted in a massive class-action lawsuit and, potentially, an enforcement action by the CFPB (see full story here).
Federal Title has actively taken a strong stance against both MSA’s and Affiliated Business Arrangements (ABAs), recognizing that such arrangements only enrich the referral sources at the expense of the consumer and further drive up the costs of title charges. Read our related articles on MSAs and ABAs.
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