Read a title report item by item before closing
A preliminary title report or title commitment lists who holds title, the liens and encumbrances recorded against the property, and the exceptions the title insurer will not cover. The language is dense and the important items are often numbered exceptions near the end. Upload the report and any recorded documents, ask about each item in plain language, and open the cited excerpt to read the exact wording.
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Last updated October 2026
How to review a title report with Search+
- Upload the report and the documents it lists
Add the title report plus any recorded documents you have, such as easements, covenants or the prior deed. The report often refers to them only by recording number, so having them in the same workspace helps.
- Note your role and concerns
In Workspace Context, write something like "I am the buyer; flag liens that must be paid off at closing and easements that could affect building on the lot." That instruction applies to every question.
- Ask about vesting, liens and exceptions separately
Ask one category at a time. Each answer cites the numbered item it relied on, so you can check the wording and take open questions to the title officer.
Questions people ask about a title report
Who currently holds title to the property, and how is the vesting described?
Which deeds of trust, mortgages, tax liens or judgments are listed, and which must be cleared before closing?
What easements are listed, and what does each one allow?
Are there recorded covenants, conditions or restrictions, and where are they referenced?
What does the title company require before it will issue the policy?
Which general exceptions are listed, and are any of them marked for removal?
What reading a title report involves
Title commitments are commonly split into parts covering the proposed policy and parties, the requirements to be met, and the exceptions from coverage. Formats and names vary by insurer and state.
Anything listed as an exception is outside the title policy's coverage. Reading each exception, and the recorded document behind it, is the core of a title review.
Requirements describe what must happen before the policy issues, such as paying off a loan or recording a deed. They are a closing checklist in the title company's words.
An exception such as "Easement recorded as document number" only names the document. Its scope is in the recorded document itself.
Search+ can answer from the report and any recorded documents in the workspace together, citing each source it uses.
Deeds, easements and old covenants pulled from the county recorder tend to be scanned images. Search+ reads them with OCR, so the exceptions in the report can be checked against the recorded wording. Keep any plat or survey open on its own.
The parts of a typical title report and what to ask
| Title report part | What it usually covers | A question to ask Search+ |
|---|---|---|
| Effective date and proposed policy | Date searched, policy type, proposed insured | What is the effective date of this commitment? |
| Vesting | Current owner of record | How does the report describe the current vesting? |
| Legal description | The land being insured | What legal description is used for the property? |
| Requirements | Steps needed before the policy issues | Which requirements involve paying off existing liens? |
| Exceptions | Items excluded from coverage | Which exceptions are easements, and who benefits from each? |
| Taxes and assessments | Property tax status and special assessments | Are any taxes or assessments listed as unpaid? |
What is a title report?
A title report, often issued as a preliminary title report or a title commitment, shows the state of title to a property as found in the public records and sets out the terms on which a title insurer is willing to issue a title insurance policy.
Title report questions
Can Search+ list the exceptions in my title report?
Will it tell me which liens must be paid at closing?
Can it explain what an easement exception covers?
Can I check the legal description against the deed?
Is this legal or title advice?
What if the title company sent a scanned report?
Know what is recorded against the property
Start a workspace, upload the title report, and ask about each exception.
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