Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers
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.
Also known as: Abstract Clerk, Abstract Searcher, Abstract Writer, Abstractor, Advisory Title Officer, Automotive Title Clerk, Closing Specialist, Commercial Title Assistant, ...
Annual Salary
Median annual wage (May 2024)
Job Outlook
Projected growth, 2024–2034 (About average)
What You'd Do
- 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 to verify factors such as properties' legal descriptions, ownership, or restrictions.
- Read search requests 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 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, preparing rejection notices when documents are not acceptable.
- Confer with realtors, lending institution personnel, buyers, sellers, contractors, surveyors, and courthouse personnel to exchange title-related information or to resolve problems.
- Enter into record-keeping systems appropriate data needed to create new title records or to update existing ones.
- Obtain maps or drawings delineating properties from company title plants, county surveyors, or assessors' offices.
- Retrieve and examine real estate closing files for accuracy and to ensure that information included is recorded and executed according to regulations.
- 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.
- Summarize pertinent legal or insurance details, or sections of statutes or case law from reference books for use in examinations or as proofs or ready reference.
- Determine whether land-related documents can be registered under the relevant legislation, such as the Land Titles Act.
- Assess fees related to registration of property-related documents.
Top Skills
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Knowledge Areas
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level
Technology & Tools
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In-Demand Technologies
Other Tools
Work Styles
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Key Abilities
Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Activities
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Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Environment
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Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.