The Real Estate Encyclopedia & Blog

Underwriter

by | Feb 15, 2026

In real estate and insurance practice, an underwriter is a person or entity that assumes the risk of insuring another. The underwriter evaluates risk and agrees to provide insurance coverage in exchange for a premium.

For example, a smaller title company may issue title insurance policies but transfer all or part of the financial risk to a larger title insurance company that acts as the underwriter. The underwriter stands behind the policy and is responsible for covered losses.