Wisconsin-based Knight Barry Title has announced its acquisition of MLS Title, located in Fort Myers, Florida. The company now owns 12 companies in the Sunshine State.
MLS Title, owned by Susan Malach, opened in 2004.
“Bringing Susan’s great team on board serves two purposes for us — more convenience for our already loyal local customers and the opportunity to keep building the KBT brand,” said Craig Haskins, Knight Barry Title chief operating officer.
The company said Malach will stay with the company during the transition period before retiring.
It’s been a busy few years for Knight Barry Title, which in January of 2021 announced its purchase of Title One, a six-office operation that strengthened its presence in Minnesota — specifically, Minneapolis and St. Paul. Title One is headquartered in Bloomington, Minnesota, and has offices in the state in Apple Valley, Maple Grove, Ramsey, Roseville and Woodbury. The acquisition brought Knight Barry Title’s total office locations to 13 in the state and 45 employees across Minnesota.
In 2018, it acquired four title agencies south of the Twin Cities. Since then, it also established operations in Florida and Texas. In total, Knight Barry Title now has 80 offices across five states – Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Florida and Texas and has just gone over the 500 employee mark.
It’s been a busy year for title companies, especially when it comes to acquisitions. Several companies have expanded their footprints with recent expansions, including Stewart Title, which acquired Prima Title LLC, a Santa Fe, New Mexico-based company, in early April. That followed its acquisition of A.S.K. Services, a title and search support servicer, in March.
Blend also announced in March its acquisition of Title365 from the Mr. Cooper Group for approximately $422 million. And TitleOne, a subsidiary of Realogy Title Group, announced in March the acquisition of Land Title of Nez Perce County in Lewiston, Idaho.
