A review of public records to confirm the seller actually owns the home, free of any liens or claims that could prevent a clean transfer. Done by the title company before closing.
A title search is the legal background check on the property. The title company digs through county records to confirm that the seller actually owns the home, has the right to sell it, and that no unpaid liens, judgments, easements, or other claims are attached to the title.
What they're checking for: unpaid mortgages from the seller, unpaid property taxes, mechanic's liens (contractors owed money), HOA assessments, easements (someone's legal right to use part of the property), boundary disputes, and unresolved estate or divorce issues.
If problems are found, they have to be resolved before closing — paid off, released, or cleared in writing. The title search is the foundation of title insurance, which protects against any title issues that weren't caught in the search.
Example
The title search on your $400K purchase reveals a $3,500 unpaid mechanic's lien from a contractor the seller didn't pay last year. The seller pays it off out of their proceeds at closing, and the lien is released before the deed transfers.
Also known as
title examination, title review, title work