What Does a Title Examiner Do?
What Does a Title Examiner Do? The Work Behind a Clear Title in Minnesota
When you buy a home, you probably think about the people you'll meet during the transaction: your real estate agent, lender, inspector, and eventually the person sitting across from you at closing.
A title examiner is less likely to be someone you meet.
But before you sign, someone has spent hours reviewing the property's ownership history and the records affecting it, looking for anything that could create a problem with the transfer.
That person is the title examiner.
It's a behind-the-scenes job, but an important one. The examiner's review helps determine what needs to be addressed before a property can move to closing.
What Is a Title Examiner?
A title examiner reviews the records and research associated with a property and evaluates whether there are issues that could affect ownership or the upcoming transaction.
That can mean reviewing the property's chain of ownership, liens, judgments, mortgages, easements, legal descriptions, court records, and other documents that may affect title.
In Minnesota, the process also depends on whether a property is handled through the Abstract or Torrens system. The system associated with a particular property affects how title professionals research and document its history.
A title examiner isn't simply looking for a name match or checking a list of requirements. The job requires understanding what the records mean and determining whether something needs to be addressed before closing.
Examiner vs. Abstractor: What's the Difference?
The two roles work closely together, but they have different responsibilities.
An abstractor researches the public record and compiles the documents and information affecting a property. The title examiner reviews that research and analyzes what it means for the transaction.
A simple way to think about it:
The abstractor researches the property's history. The examiner evaluates what that history means for the title.
At First Financial Title Agency, those roles work together as part of the same title process. Our team includes licensed abstractors with decades of experience, as well as experienced title examiners who know how to recognize the issues that require further attention.
For more on the research behind Minnesota property records, see Minnesota Abstracts of Title Explained: How Property History Protects Buyers and Sellers.
What Does a Title Examiner Actually Look For?
The examiner is looking for anything in the property's record that could affect ownership or prevent the transaction from moving forward as planned.
Some of the most common issues include:
Liens and judgments. Unpaid debts, creditor judgments, contractor liens, and tax liens can create claims against a property. If a lien has not been properly released, it may need to be resolved before closing.
Unreleased mortgages. A mortgage may have been paid off years ago but never properly discharged from the public record. The examiner needs to identify the issue so the appropriate documentation can be obtained.
Gaps in the chain of ownership. Property changes hands through recorded documents. If a prior transfer was incomplete, improperly documented, or contains an error, the examiner may need to determine what is required to establish a complete chain of ownership.
Estate and probate issues. When property has passed through an estate, the record needs to show that the transfer was properly handled. Missing or incomplete documentation can create questions about who has authority to transfer the property.
Easements and restrictions. An easement may give another party the right to use part of the property. Restrictions can limit how property is used. These matters may not be obvious from a listing or a home inspection, but they can appear in the title record.
Legal description problems. The legal description identifies the property for purposes of the real estate record. Errors or inconsistencies can require correction before a transaction can proceed.
The list isn't exhaustive. Every property has its own history, and part of the examiner's job is recognizing when something in that history requires a closer look.
What Happens When a Title Examiner Finds a Problem?
Finding a title issue doesn't automatically mean a transaction is going to fall apart.
Many issues can be resolved before closing.
That might mean obtaining a lien release, getting a prior mortgage properly discharged, correcting a legal description, locating missing documentation, or working with an attorney on a more complicated ownership issue.
The important factor is time.
A problem discovered early gives the people involved more time to figure out what happened and determine what needs to be done.
A complicated ownership issue involving an estate or missing heir may require considerably more work. An easement dispute or competing ownership claim may involve legal counsel. Some issues can be resolved quickly; others take longer.
The examiner identifies the issue and helps clarify what needs to happen next. From there, the appropriate parties can work toward a resolution.
This is one reason early title work can make a difference in the closing process. The sooner an issue is identified, the more options there may be for addressing it.
If you're interested in the other things that can affect a Minnesota closing, see What Most Buyers Don't Understand About Property Ownership in Minnesota (Until Closing Day).
Why Experience Matters in Title Examination
A title examiner isn't just checking boxes.
Real estate records are not always neat. A property may have changed hands many times. A prior owner may have died without the necessary documents being recorded. A mortgage may have been paid off but never properly released. A legal description may have changed over time.
The examiner has to look at the record as a whole and understand what those individual documents mean together.
That's where experience becomes especially valuable.
At First Financial Title Agency, Senior Title Examiner Wendy Asplund has more than 20 years of title-examination experience. Before becoming an examiner, she worked as a closer and Realtor, giving her a perspective that extends beyond the title record itself.
That background matters when an issue isn't immediately straightforward. Understanding how a title issue can affect a closing, the people involved, and the property itself helps put the research into context.
The same is true of the abstracting team. Wayne Rotzien has more than 30 years of industry experience, Brett Anderson more than 25 years, and Kelly Sullivan more than 25 years.
That depth of experience is part of what gives an examiner a strong foundation to work from.
Meet the First Financial Title Agency team.
What Happens After the Examination Is Complete?
Once the title examination is complete and identified issues have been addressed, the transaction can move forward toward closing.
The title company prepares the title commitment, which identifies the terms and requirements for issuing the title insurance policy. Any remaining requirements need to be satisfied before the transaction can be completed.
From there, the closing team coordinates the remaining pieces: documents, parties, funding, signing, recording, and post-closing requirements.
The buyer may never see the title examination itself.
But the work behind it is part of what makes a well-prepared closing possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a title examiner?
A title examiner reviews property records and title research to identify issues that could affect ownership or a real estate transaction. The examiner evaluates matters such as liens, judgments, ownership gaps, easements, legal descriptions, and other interests affecting the property.
What is the difference between a title examiner and an abstractor?
An abstractor researches and compiles information from property records. A title examiner reviews that research and evaluates what it means for the property's title and the transaction.
The two roles work together as part of the title process.
What does a title examiner look for?
A title examiner looks for recorded matters that could affect ownership or prevent a clean transfer of the property. These can include liens, judgments, unreleased mortgages, ownership gaps, estate issues, easements, restrictions, and errors in legal descriptions.
What happens if a title examiner finds a problem?
The examiner identifies the issue and helps determine what needs to be done to address it. Depending on the situation, resolution may involve obtaining a release, correcting documentation, locating additional records, or involving an attorney.
Finding an issue before closing gives the parties more time to resolve it.
Do I need to hire a title examiner separately?
No. Title examination is part of the title company's process. Buyers and sellers generally do not hire a title examiner separately when a title company is handling the transaction.
How long does title examination take in Minnesota?
There isn't one standard timeline. It depends on the property's history, the type of title system involved, the availability and condition of records, and whether the examination identifies issues that require additional research or documentation.
A straightforward property may move through examination relatively quickly. A property with a complicated ownership history may require considerably more time.
The Bottom Line
Most buyers never see a title examiner's work.
That's the point.
By the time you sit down at the closing table, the goal is for the important questions about ownership to have already been researched, the issues that can be resolved to have been addressed, and the remaining requirements to be understood.
At First Financial Title Agency of Minnesota, our licensed abstractors and experienced title examiners bring decades of combined experience to that work across all 87 Minnesota counties and under both the Abstract and Torrens systems.
It's work that happens behind the scenes.
But it matters long before anyone picks up a pen.
Every step. Every detail.
