we’ll answer overall questions like what is a binder in real estate, the different types of binders, and what they all mean when buying a home. most often a binder in real estate refers to the real estate binder, also known as an escrow or mortgage binder. a real estate binder refers to an informal agreement between buyer and seller to indicate strong interest in a property transaction. for example, a hot market like the denver, colorado area will usually come with many types of binder requirements while a home sale in rural iowa won’t be packed with as much “legalese.” title binder – title binders are temporary insurance coverage meant to protect both buyer and seller during real estate transactions. title insurance binder – a title insurance binder involves a title insurance company looking through all available records to make sure there are no outstanding defects or problems with the home’s title.