A property title report shows who legally owns a property, how they hold title, and every lien, easement, or claim recorded against it — you read one by checking the vesting and legal description first, then going line by line through the exceptions section before you ever sign anything. This guide walks through what each part means and what should make you stop and ask questions.
What a Title Report Is and Why It Matters
A title report is a document prepared by a title company or attorney after they search public land records for a specific property. It summarizes who currently owns the property, how they acquired it, and anything recorded against the property that could affect a buyer's ownership — mortgages, liens, easements, judgments, and more.
Reading a title report carefully is a core part of due diligence before you close on any property. Skipping it or skimming it is one of the easiest ways to inherit someone else's debt or legal dispute along with the deed.
Most title reports are organized the same way no matter which company prepares them, even though the formatting varies. Once you know the pattern, you can scan one in a few minutes and know exactly where to look for problems.
How to Read a Title Report Step by Step
Title reports are typically split into two main sections, often labeled Schedule A and Schedule B. Learning what belongs in each one makes the rest of the document easy to follow.
- •Schedule A: confirms the property address, the legal description (not just the street address), the current owner of record, and how that owner holds title — as an individual, a trust, an LLC, joint tenants, and so on.
- •Legal description: a precise, surveyor-style description of the land, not the mailing address. Compare it against the deed and survey to make sure they all describe the exact same parcel.
- •Schedule B, Part I (requirements): items that must be satisfied before a title company will insure the title, such as paying off an existing mortgage or recording a release of a prior lien.
- •Schedule B, Part II (exceptions): the list of everything that will NOT be covered by title insurance — recorded easements, covenants, mineral rights, unpaid taxes, HOA liens, and similar items. This is the section to read most carefully.
- •Chain of title summary: a brief history of how ownership passed from one party to the next. Gaps or quick back-to-back transfers are worth asking about.
Common Red Flags to Watch For
Most title reports come back clean, but it helps to know what a problem actually looks like on the page so you don't miss it buried in legal language.
- •An open mortgage or deed of trust that doesn't match what the seller told you — it needs to be paid off and released at closing.
- •Mechanic's liens from unpaid contractors, or tax liens from unpaid property or income taxes.
- •Judgments or liens against a former owner that were never cleared from the record.
- •A break in the chain of title, such as a missing deed or an unresolved estate or probate matter.
- •Easements or restrictive covenants that limit how the property can be used, accessed, or divided.
- •Boundary or survey discrepancies between the legal description and the actual property lines.
Title Report vs. Title Search vs. Title Insurance
These three terms get used almost interchangeably, but they're different steps in the same process. Knowing the distinction helps you understand what you're actually being handed at each stage of a deal.
| Document | What It Shows | When You See It |
|---|---|---|
| Title search | The raw research into public records — deeds, liens, judgments, easements tied to the property. | Done early, behind the scenes, before a report is drafted. |
| Preliminary title report / commitment | A summary of the search results plus the conditions that must be met before insurance will be issued. | During due diligence, before closing. |
| Final title policy | The actual insurance contract protecting the buyer (and lender) against covered title defects after closing. | Issued at or shortly after closing. |
| Abstract of title | A chronological written history of all recorded transactions on a property. | More common in certain states; often used alongside or instead of a report. |
What to Do When You Find an Issue
Most title problems are fixable, but they need to be resolved before closing, not after. The title company or closing attorney will usually tell you what's required — a payoff, a lien release, a corrective deed, or a quitclaim from a prior owner.
Make closing conditional on clear title, or on specific exceptions being removed, rather than assuming the seller will handle it. For issues that can't be cleared in time, ask whether the title company will insure around them or whether you should walk away.
Title insurance exists precisely because some defects don't surface until after closing. It protects you (and your lender, if you have one) against covered claims that were missed during the search, but it typically won't cover anything already listed as an exception on your report — which is exactly why reading that section matters.
Practical Takeaway
You don't need a law degree to read a title report — you need a routine. Confirm the vesting and legal description match your contract, read every line in the exceptions section, and ask direct questions about anything you don't recognize. A clean title report is one of the quiet but essential checks between a good deal and an expensive surprise, right alongside a solid inspection and an accurate estimate of a property's value.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get a title report?
A preliminary title report usually takes a few days to a couple of weeks after a title company runs the search, depending on how complex the property's history is and how busy the local records office is. Rural or recently subdivided properties can take longer because the chain of title is harder to trace.
Who pays for the title report and title insurance?
This varies by state and is often negotiated between buyer and seller in the purchase contract. In some areas it's customary for the seller to pay for the owner's policy, while the buyer covers the lender's policy, but local custom differs widely.
Can you still buy a property if the title report shows issues?
Often yes, as long as the issues can be cleared before or at closing — for example, paying off a lien or recording a corrective deed. Some exceptions, like certain easements, simply stay with the property permanently and the buyer decides whether that's acceptable.
Is a title report the same as title insurance?
No. The title report is the summary of what the search found and what needs to happen before insurance is issued; the title insurance policy is the actual contract that protects against covered title defects after closing.
How this post was made: the figures above come from OnOffDeals’ own market-scan data (refreshed roughly monthly); the draft was written with AI assistance and checked against that data before publishing. Everything here is an estimate to help screen deals, not financial advice.
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