Title Examiners, Abstractors, & Searchers

What They Do

Search real estate records, examine titles, or summarize pertinent legal or insurance documents or 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.

Typical Tasks

• Prepare and issue title commitments and title insurance policies, based on information compiled from title searches.
• Examine documentation such as mortgages, liens, judgments, easements, plat books, maps, contracts, and agreements to verify factors such as properties' legal descriptions, ownership, or restrictions.
• Examine individual titles 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.
• Prepare lists of all legal instruments applying to a specific piece of land and the buildings on it.

Key Skills

Work Activities

• Documenting/Recording Information
• Getting Information
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Working with Computers
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards