ERM is currently seeking a Consultant, Land Services, Title Researcher to join our Land Services team in the Chicagoland area. In this role, you will play a key part in supporting land acquisition, right-of-way, utility infrastructure, and real estate due diligence projects by conducting title research, analyzing property records, and delivering accurate ownership information that helps clients make informed project and investment decisions.
Why This Role Matters?
As a Consulting Associate (Real Estate Title Searcher), you will provide essential title research and property due diligence services that support infrastructure development, utility projects, land acquisition efforts, and real estate transactions. Your work will help ensure project teams have reliable ownership and encumbrance information needed to advance permitting, engineering, valuation, acquisition, and development activities.
What Your Impact Is:
- Conduct title searches for residential, commercial, utility, infrastructure, and right-of-way projects using county, municipal, tax, GIS, and online public record resources.
- Research and document chain of title, current ownership, vesting, tax information, mortgages, liens, judgments, easements, restrictions, covenants, plats, surveys, and other recorded instruments affecting real property.
- Review and interpret legal descriptions, parcel identification numbers, plats, assessor records, tax maps, tract indices, and recorded documents to confirm property boundaries and ownership history.
- Prepare accurate title search reports, ownership summaries, document lists, and supporting materials for title reviewers, project managers, attorneys, appraisers, land agents, and client stakeholders.
- Identify potential title issues, gaps, encumbrances, inconsistencies, or risks that may impact acquisition, access, permitting, project development, or real estate transactions.
- Coordinate with county recorder offices, clerks, assessors, treasurers, surveyors, title companies, law firms, and internal project teams to obtain records and clarify title-related questions.
- Maintain organized records of research activities, document sources, correspondence, findings, and deliverables in accordance with project requirements and quality control procedures.
- Support special assignments, including historical title research, parcel due diligence, document retrieval, condemnation support, curative research, and multi-county project work.
What You'll Bring:
Required
- 2-3 years of experience conducting real estate title searches, abstracting, title examination support, public records research, or comparable real estate due diligence work.
- Working knowledge of Illinois real estate records, county recording systems, tax records, legal descriptions, parcel identification practices, and common title documents.
- Experience researching records in Cook County and surrounding Chicagoland counties, such as DuPage, Lake, Will, Kane, McHenry, and Kendall, is strongly preferred.
- Ability to read, interpret, and summarize deeds, mortgages, releases, liens, judgments, easements, plats, surveys, tax records, and other recorded instruments.
- Strong attention to detail, analytical thinking, organizational skills, and ability to manage multiple parcel assignments and deadlines simultaneously.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, PDF tools, online county portals, GIS viewers, title research platforms, and electronic document management systems.
- Clear written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain title findings, document limitations, and potential issues to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Ability to work independently, follow established research procedures, maintain confidentiality, and produce accurate, defensible work products.
- Bachelor's degree and/or Master's degree preferred but not required; in lieu of a degree, candidates with applicable related experience will be considered, or equivalent experience.
- This position is not eligible for immigration sponsorship.
Preferred
- Experience supporting utility, energy, transportation, infrastructure, land acquisition, or right-of-way projects.
- Familiarity with easement acquisition, access agreements, condemnation support, curative title work, and parcel-based project tracking.
- Knowledge of title plant resources, tract books, grantor/grantee indices, tax assessment systems, recorder portals, and courthouse research protocols.
- Experience preparing ownership reports, title summaries, title packets, or property research deliverables for attorneys, land agents, title examiners, or project managers.
- Ability and willingness to travel locally to county offices, courthouses, municipal offices, or other public record repositories within the Chicagoland area, as needed.
Key Responsibilities:
- Accuracy and Quality: Produces thorough, well-documented research with strong attention to detail and consistency.
- Research and Problem-Solving: Uses multiple records sources to resolve ownership questions, document gaps, and parcel history issues.
- Communication: Presents findings clearly and escalates risks, conflicts, or incomplete records in a timely manner.
- Organization: Manages high-volume parcel assignments, deadlines, document requests, and version-controlled deliverables.
- Client Service: Supports internal and external stakeholders with responsive, professional, and solutions-oriented service.
We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, parental leave, medical, dental, vision, life, disability, AD&D insurance, 401(k) or RRSP/DPSP, and other applicable benefits to eligible employees.
Note: Bonuses, commissions, and other forms of additional compensation are not guaranteed and subject to the sole discretion of ERM and its policies and procedures.