National

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.

Sample of reported job titles: Title Examiner, Abstracter, Title Officer, Title Searcher, Searcher, Title Abstractor, Commercial Title Examiner, Counsel, Title Department Manager, Advisory Title Officer

Tasks

• Prepare lists of all legal instruments applying to a specific piece of land and the buildings on it.
• 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.
• Read search requests in order to ascertain types of title evidence required and to obtain descriptions of properties and names of involved parties.
• Copy or summarize recorded documents, such as mortgages, trust deeds, and contracts, that affect property titles.
• Examine individual titles in order to determine if restrictions, such as delinquent taxes, will affect titles and limit property use.
• Prepare reports describing any title encumbrances encountered during searching activities, and outlining actions needed to clear titles.
• Verify accuracy and completeness of land-related documents accepted for registration; prepare rejection notices when documents are not acceptable.
• Confer with realtors, lending institution personnel, buyers, sellers, contractors, surveyors, and courthouse personnel in order to exchange title-related information or to resolve problems.
• Enter into recordkeeping systems appropriate data needed to create new title records or update existing ones.
• Direct activities of workers who search records and examine titles, assigning, scheduling, and evaluating work, and providing technical guidance as necessary.