OP you mentioned Offering escrow without a track record.
Do you mean no previous escrow track record or no previous deals/trades at all on Bitcointalk?
Theoretically, if a user wanted to become an escrow here, what would he need to do if he doesn't have a track record?
They could have a previous reliable trading record. Sales that have generated a reliable record of happy buyers.
Es-crowing is really utilizing an established and trusted person with a history of handling funds.
The amount of $ involved would also be relevant.