Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers

Search real estate records, examine titles, or summarize pertinent legal or insurance details for a variety of purposes. May compile lists of mortgages, contracts, and other instruments pertaining to titles by searching public and private records for law firms, real estate agencies, or title insurance companies.

Job Task

• Copy or summarize recorded documents, such as mortgages, trust deeds, and contracts, that affect property titles.
• Enter into record-keeping systems appropriate data needed to create new title records or update existing ones.
• Examine documentation such as mortgages, liens, judgments, easements, plat books, maps, contracts, and agreements in order to verify factors such as properties' legal descriptions, ownership, or restrictions.
• Examine individual titles in order to determine if restrictions, such as delinquent taxes, will affect titles and limit property use.
• Obtain maps or drawings delineating properties from company title plants, county surveyors, and/or assessors' offices.
• Prepare lists of all legal instruments applying to a specific piece of land and the buildings on it.
• Prepare reports describing any title encumbrances encountered during searching activities, and outlining actions needed to clear titles.
• Confer with realtors, lending institution personnel, buyers, sellers, contractors, surveyors, and courthouse personnel in order to exchange title-related information or to resolve problems.
• Read search requests in order to ascertain types of title evidence required and to obtain descriptions of properties and names of involved parties.
• Direct activities of workers who search records and examine titles, assigning, scheduling, and evaluating work, and providing technical guidance as necessary.
• Prepare and issue title commitments and title insurance policies based on information compiled from title searches.
• Retrieve and examine real estate closing files for accuracy and to ensure that information included is recorded and executed according to regulations.
• Summarize pertinent legal or insurance details, or sections of statutes or case law from reference books so that they can be used in examinations, or as proofs or ready reference.
• Assess fees related to registration of property-related documents.
• Determine whether land-related documents can be registered under the relevant legislation such as the Land Titles Act.
• Prepare real estate closing statements, utilizing knowledge and expertise in real estate procedures.
• Verify accuracy and completeness of land-related documents accepted for registration; prepare rejection notices when documents are not acceptable.

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