What does it mean to certify title to property?
Ownership of property is different from ownership of other types of property. Since real estate can’t be held or moved, the ownership of real estate is determined by documents recorded at the Registry of Deeds. In addition, ownership of real estate can be divided into smaller parcels, between several people, and between present rights, and future rights, and tracked by its chain of title at the Registry of Deeds. In order to determine if you are actually buying the real estate you think you are purchasing, the records have to be examined and a lawyer issues an opinion about the nature of the title. Hopefully the lawyer will certify that the seller of the real estate has “good, clear, and marketable record title.” However, the examination title can reveal defects in the chain of title. It is important for a purchaser to establish that the seller of a home has clear title to sell the property before purchasing the property.
