Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers
Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers is the O*NET name for people who search real estate records, examine titles, or summarize pertinent legal or insurance documents or details for a variety of purposes. The skills rated most useful are reading comprehension, active listening, and speaking. The job can ask you to prepare and issue title commitments and title insurance policies, based on information compiled from title searches. On the six-type interest model it reads CEI, meaning orderly work with data, records and clear procedures comes first, followed by leading, persuading and making business decisions. Getting in usually takes a few months to a year of learning on the job, a level O*NET calls some preparation. People who want orderly work with data, records and clear procedures usually fit better here than those who need creative work with room for original expression.
What they do
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.
Main tasks
- Prepare and issue title commitments and title insurance policies, based on information compiled from title searches.
- 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.
- 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.
- Prepare lists of all legal instruments applying to a specific piece of land and the buildings on it.
- Copy or summarize recorded documents, such as mortgages, trust deeds, and contracts, that affect property titles.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Time Management
- Writing
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You like clear rules and getting the details right.
- You want to start work after a short stretch of training.
- You are comfortable relying on reading comprehension and active listening.
May not suit you if
- You get restless with routine, records and exact procedures.
- You need creative expression to be a big part of your day. Artistic rates 1.1 out of 7 here.
- You want a career built on years of advanced study.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code CEI takes the three highest, and Conventional comes first here.
Preparation
Some preparation. Most people start with a high school diploma, then learn from experienced coworkers over a few months to a year.
Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED). This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.
Also called
- Abstractor
- Advisory Title Officer
- Commercial Examiner
- Commercial Title Examiner
- Examiner
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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.