Discovering who owns a certain property is essential in various real estate-related transactions, such as buying or selling a property, resolving legal matters such as ownership, and more.
While the specific techniques for finding property ownership information may vary depending on the available resources, there are 9 effective approaches that you can actually use.
This blog will explore these different techniques to find out who owns a property, including simple online search tools, public records, real estate agents, and attorneys, among others. This is so you can make informed decisions in whatever real estate transaction you are dealing with.
Whether you are a real estate investor or a retail home buyer, finding the legal or true owner of a property is very crucial for a transaction to progress. That said, here are all the reasons why you should know who owns a property:
When you know the property owner, you can easily establish direct contact with them and negotiate possible deals. It would be easy to discuss potential selling opportunities, negotiate contract terms, and of course, secure a good real estate deal.
In most cases, identifying property owners or property owner lookup can lead real estate investors to off-market opportunities. Off-market properties are properties that aren’t listed in the MLS. Since they’re not in the market, they provide real estate investors with a potential advantage when negotiating, especially since they can contact them directly.
When you know the legal owner of the property, you can conduct targeted marketing campaigns. In most cases, real estate investors give tailored offers based on the needs and interests of the seller to make the deal more irresistible.
When you know the property owner's name, you can conduct thorough due diligence. They can do thorough research about the owner's background, credit situation, the history of the property, and the owner’s potential motivations for selling. This information helps investors make better offers and judgments.
Learning about the owner of the property is essential in ensuring a clear title.
Property information is needed by real estate investors to confirm that the seller has the legal authority to sell the property. This is also crucial in identifying liens, encumbrances, or other legal disputes associated with the property.
To find out the owner of a real estate property, you typically need two pieces of information. That is the property address and the county or jurisdiction where the property is located.
The specific address of the real estate property is actually the primary information you need to conduct a property information search. It helps narrow down the search results since addresses are highly specific.
On another note, identifying the county or jurisdiction where the property is located is important because that is where property records are maintained. This is needed so you look for information in the correct places.
As mentioned, finding the owner of a property would depend on the available resources. But in most cases, here are the nine strategies used by real estate investors to find who owns a property for free or with a fee:
Find a reputable title company in the area where the property you're interested in is located. Reach out to the title company and then explain why you need ownership information for that specific property. Provide all the details they may require for a faster search. This may include the property address, last known occupant of the property, etc.
After you’ve provided information, the company can perform a title search which is basically examining public records to identify ownership history, mortgages, liens and other information you might need.
Of course, this involves a fee since they will be investing time and resources to help you. A wise move would be to ask the cost outright so you won’t be surprised in the end.
Once you’ve determined the county where the property is located, you can head over to the tax assessor's office since they maintain property records. If they are kind enough, they might provide you with a hard copy of the contact information you need.
But you can also go to the assessor's website for a property search. Most assessors now have online databases where you can easily search for property information, including ownership details. Just like in the title company, you will be asked for details about the house to narrow down the search results.
Note that the availability of information may vary depending on the location and the details the tax assessor possesses. Some offices may also require a fee from you.
The county recorder’s office is also a good source of owner information. Of course, you first have to identify the county where the property is located. After which, you can go to their office or access their online database which can be more convenient since you no longer need to leave your home or office.
Similar to the property tax assessor’s database, you would also need to enter the relevant property information on the website of the county recorder's office or city hall. Input the property’s address, the last known occupant, etc. The search result would typically show you ownership details, liens on the property, historical transactions, etc.
You may also request for a copy of property deeds and assessment associated with the property check the name of the current owner, and any information about the land registry.
To determine who owns a property through the help of a real estate agent, the first step would be identifying a real estate agent who operates in the area where the your target property is situated.
If you do not know any agent , you can always search online and ask around. Once you have identified an agent who can help you with the real property owner search, you must provide them with the property address or any details you have. Since real estate agents have access to multiple listing services (MLS) and other resources, they can easily research accurate and up-to-date property ownership information. Moreover, they can ask around their network and contacts to find more details.
Just like finding a real estate agent, you need to find a reputable real estate attorney in the area where your target property is situated whether it is a family home or commercial property. Once you have connected with an attorney, schedule a consultation with them so you can tell them why you need to pinpoint the current owner of the property or land.
Real estate attorneys can access most legal databases that can aid in your search. Moreover, they can perform title searches and review public records for land records which can very well provide you with accurate information on who owns a house.
Another great thing about using real estate attorneys is that they are well-versed in property law. They can work around complex legal processes in order to access information about the owner of a home. They can also give you legal advice if you have legal concerns about the property or piece of land.
Before doing any online search for the owner of the property you want, research as much information about the property as possible, including the address or last occupants. Once you get ahold of this information, use online search engines or platforms like Zillow or Realtor.com so you may be able to find the information you need or the contact to the owner. Enter all property details you have in their search fields.
In most cases, the results will include ownership information and other recent data. These search engines also look into online public records so they pretty much provide all the information you need.
Note, however, that the accuracy and completeness of the property data you’ll come across when you find an owner's name and contact may vary depending on the source.
Always cross-reference information such as the name of the owner, property number, and more to end up with reliable data when you track down the owner. This is advisable, especially if you are pulling data on "who owns a property from Facebook and other social networking sites.
Visit your local library’s reference or research section if you want to find who owns the property or a piece of land. You may ask the librarians for assistance in order to find ownership information they may have. Libraries are great sources of owner information since they allow you to search for property records, property tax records, local history books maps, directories, and more.
Librarians can guide you to relevant materials and provide tips on utilizing their resources effectively when you research who the property owner may be. Moreover, it’s possible that they have access to online databases for property records online, historical documents, and public records of property management services you might want to find.
If your search is still unsuccessful, librarians can actually suggest specific books or local publications that you can browse when you research property locally. Always take advantage of the librarian’s knowledge and expertise when it comes to the library because they would be glad to put their knowledge to work so you can learn how to find a property and contact the owner in no time.
Although it requires lots of effort and discretion to find out who owns a specific property, door knocking is still one of the best ways to find owner records for free unlike when you run a property search. This is, of course, cannot be done on an absentee owner. But before you knock on the door and go face-to-face with the current owner, prepare a script to introduce yourself and what you do. Be direct to the point in your goal but do not be too pushy.
Also, be prepared to present an identification or business card because many homeowners do this for their safety. Once whoever answered the door agrees to give you information about the owner of a house, take note of your findings, including owner name, contact details, and current address.
If you are only able to obtain partial information on the ownership of a property, use that to reach out to local government offices, title companies, county recorder’s office and other resources that can provide you with information.
You can always reach out to the neighbors surrounding your target property. Start by building a friendly rapport with them so you can gain their trust. Eventually, they would be willing to share records of property ownership to you. In case they don’t want to disclose all the information they know, just show respect for their privacy and don’t be pushy.
Whether or not they’ve given you information or not, express your appreciation for their help. It would also help if you can assure them that you’ll treat the information they shared with discretion.
Approach as many neighbors as possible but be sure to do this with respect. If they gave you a lead, follow those lead to find out more information.
Uncovering the ownership of a real estate property is essential in various real estate endeavors, whether you're a potential buyer or an investor, a seller, or someone involved in legal matters.
Throughout this blog, we have explored different approaches to finding property owners, including government records, online search, many property data tools available online, assistance from professionals like agents and attorneys, and engaging with neighbors.
Note that it's highly important to approach the ownership search process diligently and respect privacy and legal boundaries.
On another note, if you don’t have the energy to find property owners and want the easiest way to find leads, check us out at Property Leads. We generate leads from SEO, so we have accurate lead information we can share with you!
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