Why First American?

Trust an industry leader for your 1031 exchange services.

Your Qualified Intermediary plays a critical role in safeguarding your exchange funds and supporting the structure of your transaction. At First American Exchange Company, we combine financial strength, fund security, and technical expertise to help investors and their advisors navigate even the most complex exchanges with confidence. We are not asking you to trust us without reason. Here are several ways we help mitigate risk and protect your transaction at every step.

A Strong Legacy

First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF) is a Fortune 500 company and a leading provider of title insurance and settlement services to the real estate and mortgage industries, tracing its heritage back to 1889. With revenues of $7.5 billion and operations in all 50 states and abroad, First American brings more than a century of financial stability to every exchange we facilitate. For investors and advisors alike, that legacy matters. Our backing by a publicly traded, Fortune 500 company provides a layer of institutional strength that supports high-value, multi-property, and multi-state transactions.

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Secure Deposits Dedicated to Your Funds

Exchange funds are held in segregated bank deposit accounts designated in the taxpayer’s name and tax identification number. Deposits are made strictly with FDIC-insured institutions that maintain investment-grade ratings (or are subsidiaries of investment-grade institutions). First American’s Treasury team closely monitors the financial stability of these institutions. We do not invest exchange funds in securities. This disciplined, security-first approach is designed to reduce risk exposure and provide clarity and confidence for both investors and the advisors guiding them.

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Committed to the Highest Standards

As a subsidiary of a publicly traded company, we operate under the financial reporting and disclosure requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Our internal controls, oversight, and governance standards reflect the expectations placed on a Fortune 500 organization, reinforcing transparency, accountability, and operational discipline across our exchange organization.

Backed by Leading Protection

We operate as a direct subsidiary of First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation. In most instances, we can provide an indemnification letter protecting your transaction from loss of funds in the unlikely event of negligence, fraud, or dishonesty on the part of First American Exchange Company or its employees. This additional layer of protection reflects our commitment to delivering institutional-level safeguards for every exchange.

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Insurance for Your Peace of Mind

We maintain a multimillion-dollar fidelity bond and professional liability insurance policy from a leading independent insurance underwriter. These protections work alongside our internal controls and fund segregation practices to provide a comprehensive security framework designed to support transactions of all sizes and complexity levels.

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Trusted Expertise at Every Step

We have attorneys and Certified Exchange Specialists® on staff throughout our offices nationwide. Our team regularly facilitates reverse exchanges, improvement and construction exchanges, multi-property exchanges, multi-state transactions, and high-value exchanges involving significant capital coordination. We work closely with investors and their attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors to structure exchanges thoughtfully and carefully, helping anticipate complexities before they become obstacles.

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Built for Complex Transactions

Not all exchanges are straightforward. When timelines overlap, properties span multiple states, or replacement assets require improvement or construction coordination, experience matters. Our team brings detailed processes, technical expertise, and nationwide operational support to help manage reverse exchange structures, build-to-suit and improvement exchanges, multi-asset portfolios, and coordinated closings across regions. We approach each transaction with a framework designed to mitigate risk while maintaining flexibility where needed.

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National Reach and Local Expertise

With offices and exchange professionals across the country, we combine the scale of a national organization with the practical knowledge of local markets. Our model allows us to understand state-specific requirements, coordinate seamlessly across time zones, support advisors managing clients in multiple regions, and deliver consistent service backed by institutional infrastructure. For advisors and investors navigating complex or geographically diverse exchanges, this integration of national strength and local expertise provides clarity and continuity throughout the transaction lifecycle.