Property
Property Deed
A property deed is the legal instrument that transfers ownership of real estate from one party (the grantor) to another (the grantee). It names both parties, contains the legal description of the property, states the consideration, and is recorded with the county. A warranty deed guarantees clear title; a quitclaim deed transfers only whatever interest the grantor has.
Written & maintained by the Granite team · Last updated June 2026
Overview
A deed must be signed by the grantor and delivered to the grantee to be valid, then recorded at the county clerk or recorder's office, where it becomes part of the public chain of title. Recording puts the public on constructive notice of your ownership — stamped with an instrument number and date, it's what protects the new owner's claim against later ones.
Deed type matters enormously: a warranty deed promises the title is clear of liens and defends against prior claims, while a quitclaim deed makes no such promise and simply passes along whatever interest exists — common between family or in divorces. The legal description, not the street address, is what legally identifies the property.
When you’ll get your Property Deed
- You bought, sold, or were gifted real property
- You transferred property into a trust or between family members
- You added or removed someone from a title (e.g. after marriage or divorce)
- You need to prove ownership for a sale, refinance, or estate
- You're confirming the legal description or recording details of your property
What’s on your Property Deed
These are the fields Granite reads and extracts automatically the moment you upload one.
- Deed Type
- Warranty, quitclaim, or grant deed — determines what title guarantees come with it.
- Grantor & Grantee
- The party conveying the property and the party receiving it.
- Legal Description
- The lot/block, subdivision, or metes-and-bounds that legally identify the property.
- Consideration
- The stated purchase price or value exchanged.
- County & State
- Where the property sits and the deed is recorded.
- Instrument Number & Recording Date
- The recorder's identifier and date that make the transfer official.
How long to keep it
Keep your deed permanently.
The deed is your proof of ownership and a link in the chain of title. You need it to sell or refinance, to resolve boundary or title disputes, and to settle your estate. Although the recorded copy lives at the county, keeping your own copy permanently means you can prove ownership instantly without ordering it from the recorder.
How Granite handles your Property Deed
Granite reads your deed — deed type, grantor and grantee, legal description, consideration, county, and instrument number — and files it with your property documents. Years later, when you refinance, sell, settle an estate, or face a boundary question, the deed and its recording details are one search away instead of buried in a closing folder.
FAQ
Property Deed: common questions
- What does a deed on a house mean?
- A deed on a house is the signed legal document that transferred ownership to you from the previous owner. It names the grantor and grantee, describes the property by its legal description, and — once recorded with the county — serves as the public record of your ownership. Holding the deed is how you prove the house is legally yours.
- What's the difference between a deed and a title?
- Title is the legal concept of ownership — your right to the property. A deed is the physical document that transfers that title from one party to another. You don't hold a "title" document for real estate the way you do for a car; the deed, recorded with the county, is the proof your title is valid.
- What is the difference between a warranty deed and a quitclaim deed?
- A warranty deed guarantees the grantor holds clear title and will defend against prior claims — standard in arm's-length sales. A quitclaim deed makes no guarantees; it transfers only whatever interest the grantor has, which could be none. Quitclaims are common between family, into trusts, or in divorces, where guarantees aren't needed.
- What is a legal description on a deed?
- The legal description is the precise, legally binding way the property is identified — by lot and block within a subdivision, or by metes-and-bounds survey coordinates. Unlike a street address, which can change, the legal description uniquely fixes the parcel. It's the part of the deed that actually defines what was conveyed.
- How long should I keep my property deed?
- Permanently. The deed is your proof of ownership and part of the chain of title. You'll need it to sell or refinance, to resolve boundary or title disputes, and to settle your estate. While the county keeps the official recorded copy, holding your own lets you prove ownership instantly.
Sources
This page is checked against primary and authoritative sources:
Keep your Property Deed in one place.
Drop it in once. Granite reads it, files it, and makes it findable forever — by you today, and by the people who'll need it later.