Home buyers in Pennsylvania can now purchase title insurance directly, as opposed to having their real estate agent or closing company handle it for them.

Entitle Direct Group has developed a digital platform to educate home buyers and help them save on their title insurance costs by cutting out the middleman.

"In most every state the commission on title insurance is between 70 to 90 percent of the premium. In Pennsylvania it averages about 80 percent," said Timothy Dwyer, president and chief executive of Entitle Direct Group, based in Cleveland.

Title insurance is purchased at real estate closings for a one-time premium based on the loan amount, the purchase price or both. It provides protection against future losses that result from title defects or encumbrances at the time of closing.

Mr. Dwyer said Entitle Direct has filed, as required, premium rates with Pennsylvania's state insurance department that are 35 percent lower than most other title insurance companies in the state.

"We are going to provide private market solutions to an industry that has been criticized by federal and state legislators as well as well-respected consumer advocates," Mr. Dwyer said. "Consumers are in the dark when they go to closings.

"They are told to write checks they had not been told previously they had to. We are providing consumers with title insurance at a 35 percent savings and opening the black box of the closing process."