Title Examiners, Abstractors, & Searchers
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.
Key Tasks
- 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.
- Copy or summarize recorded documents, such as mortgages, trust deeds, and contracts, that affect property titles.
- Verify accuracy and completeness of land-related documents accepted for registration, preparing rejection notices when documents are not acceptable.
- Prepare lists of all legal instruments applying to a specific piece of land and the buildings on it.
- Prepare and issue title commitments and title insurance policies, based on information compiled from title searches.
- Read search requests to ascertain types of title evidence required and to obtain descriptions of properties and names of involved parties.
- Obtain maps or drawings delineating properties from company title plants, county surveyors, or assessors' offices.
- Confer with realtors, lending institution personnel, buyers, sellers, contractors, surveyors, and courthouse personnel to exchange title-related information or to resolve problems.
- Enter into record-keeping systems appropriate data needed to create new title records or to update existing ones.
- Direct activities of workers who search records and examine titles, assigning, scheduling, and evaluating work, and providing technical guidance as necessary.
- Retrieve and examine real estate closing files for accuracy and to ensure that information included is recorded and executed according to regulations.
- Determine whether land-related documents can be registered under the relevant legislation, such as the Land Titles Act.
- Assess fees related to registration of property-related documents.
- Summarize pertinent legal or insurance details, or sections of statutes or case law from reference books for use in examinations or as proofs or ready reference.
Skills
Knowledge
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Abilities
Work Activities
Work Context
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
100%
How frequently does your job require you to use E-mail?
99%
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in an environmentally controlled environment (like a warehouse with air conditioning)?
96%
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
How frequently does your job require face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams?
93%
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
How much freedom does the worker have in determining the tasks, priorities, or goals of the job?
92%
Freedom to Make Decisions
How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
91%
Spend Time Sitting
How much does this job require sitting?
86%
Frequency of Decision Making
How often is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
85%
Time Pressure
How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
85%
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
How important are continuous, repetitive, physical activities (like key entry) or mental activities (like checking entries in a ledger) to performing this job?
84%
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
83%
Telephone Conversations
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
83%
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with or contribute to a work group or team in this job?
82%
Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
How important is it to deal with external customers (as in retail sales) or the public in general (as in police work) in this job?
80%
Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities
How important is it to coordinate or lead others (not as a supervisor or team leader) in accomplishing work activities in this job?
72%
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
66%
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
63%
Consequence of Error
How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not easily correctable?
62%
Level of Competition
To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
60%
Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers
How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
60%
Written Letters and Memos
How frequently does your job require written letters and memos?
57%
Duration of Typical Work Week
Number of hours typically worked in one week.
52%
Degree of Automation
How automated is the job?
51%
Physical Proximity
To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks physically close to other people?
50%
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
46%
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
45%
Conflict Situations
How frequently are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?
40%
Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People
How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?
40%
Health and Safety of Other Workers
How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
32%
Spend Time Standing
How much does this job require standing?
23%
Spend Time Walking or Running
How much does this job require walking or running?
21%
Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body
How much does this job require bending or twisting your body?
15%
Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling
How much does this job require kneeling, crouching, stooping or crawling?
13%
Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures?
12%
Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings
How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings?
11%
Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?
11%
Public Speaking
How frequently does your job require public speaking (one speaker with an audience)?
11%
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment
How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or operate enclosed equipment (like a car)?
9%
Exposed to Contaminants
How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?
8%
Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions
How often does this job require working in cramped work spaces that requires getting into awkward positions?
8%
Exposed to Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting Conditions
How often does this job require working in extremely bright or inadequate lighting conditions?
8%
Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance
How much does this job require keeping or regaining your balance?
7%
Dealing with Violent or Physically Aggressive People
How frequently does this job require the worker to deal with physical aggression of violent individuals?
5%
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
How important is it to this job that the pace is determined by the speed of equipment or machinery? (This does not refer to keeping busy at all times on this job.)
4%
Work Schedules
How regular are the work schedules for this job?
4%
Exposed to Disease or Infections
How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?
1%
Exposed to Hazardous Conditions
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions?
1%
Exposed to Hazardous Equipment
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment?
1%
Exposed to High Places
How often does this job require exposure to high places?
1%
Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles
How much does this job require climbing ladders, scaffolds, poles, etc.?
1%
Exposed to Radiation
How often does this job require exposure to radiation?
0%
Exposed to Whole Body Vibration
How often does this job require exposure to whole body vibration (like operating a jackhammer or earth moving equipment)?
0%
In an Open Vehicle or Operating Equipment
How often does this job require working in an open vehicle or operating equipment (like a tractor)?
0%
Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working in an environment that is not environmentally controlled (like a warehouse without air conditioning)?
0%
Outdoors, Under Cover
How often does this job require working outdoors, under cover (like in an open shed)?
0%
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
How often does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats or life-jackets?
0%
Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection
How often does this job require wearing specialized protective or safety equipment such as breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suits, or radiation protection?
0%
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Post-secondary certificate
Bachelor's degree
Interests
Conventional
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or hum
Enterprising
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertis
Investigative
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the f
Realistic
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, t
Social
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Artistic
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts,
Work Styles
Work Values
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