A recorded deed is the official public document filed with a government office that evidences ownership of real property.
Definition
A recorded deed is a legal document that has been formally submitted to and indexed by the county recorder or land records office, providing public notice of a property's ownership and any transfers of ownership. Recording the deed makes the ownership information part of the public record, which can be accessed for research and verification purposes.
Why It Matters
Recorded deeds are fundamental to property research and OSINT investigations because they verify ownership, show the chain of title, and reveal liens or encumbrances, thereby providing authoritative evidence of property interest and history.