A third party who holds and delivers funds and documents under specific instructions. Often when purchasing a property, the escrow agent acts as a custodian of the earnest money or deposit and ensures that the appropriate funds are paid at the closing. In some states, all of the closing documents are delivered through an escrow agent operating under detailed instructions.
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An escrow is a contractual arrangement in which a third party (the stakeholder or escrow agent) receives and disburses money or property for the primary transacting parties, with the disbursement dependent on conditions agreed to by the transacting parties. Examples include an account established by a broker for holding funds on behalf of the broker's principal or some other person until the consummation or termination of a transaction; or, a trust account held in the borrower's name to pay obligations such as property taxes and insurance premiums. The word derives from the Old French word escroue, meaning a scrap of paper or a scroll of parchment; this indicated the deed that a third party held until a transaction was completed.
