What is “title” to a property?

In real estate, “title” means legal ownership: the bundle of rights to possess, use, control, and sell a property. It’s a concept rather than a piece of paper. People often confuse title with the deed, but they’re different. The deed is the signed, recorded document that conveys title from a seller to a buyer, while title is the ownership itself that the deed transfers. When a title company researches and insures title, it confirms that you’ll receive clear, marketable legal ownership, free of undisclosed liens, claims, or defects, when the deed is recorded in your name.