Title Search in Ontario: Protect Your Purchase
Buying a home is too important to leave title risk to chance. This guide explains what a title search in Ontario includes, how your lawyer and title insurance protect you, and the exact steps to take before you firm up your deal.
Answer Box: A title search in Ontario is your lawyer’s review of land registry records to confirm ownership and reveal issues like liens, easements, tax arrears, or restrictions. It protects buyers by flagging problems before closing. Pair the search with title insurance for extra coverage against fraud and some post-closing risks.
What a Title Search Covers in Ontario
A title search reviews the parcel register and related instruments to confirm who owns the property and what claims or rights exist. Findings can include mortgages and lines of credit, tax or utility arrears, easements and rights of way, restrictive covenants, builder’s liens, and survey or boundary concerns. Learn more on Ontario.ca.
Why It Matters for GTA and Niagara Buyers
Fast markets tempt buyers to rush. A clean title prevents delays at closing and avoids surprises that affect how you use the property. If you expect tight timelines or multiple offers, review our notes on offer strategy in the GTA before you waive conditions.
Pre-Offer General Check We Complete
- Confirm the seller name matches listing documents provided to the brokerage.
- Review MLS attachments, prior listings, and disclosures for easements or survey notes.
- Cross-check legal description and lot size against available records.
- Scan public municipal maps for heritage, conservation, or zoning flags.
- For condos, ask about recent information certificates or capital work notices when available.
This is not a legal title search. It’s an early screen so your lawyer can focus quickly during the formal search.
Lawyer’s Comprehensive Title Search vs Title Insurance
Your Ontario real estate lawyer completes the formal search in the land registry, reviews instruments, and confirms ownership, encumbrances, and tax status. They arrange discharges, payouts, or undertakings where needed. For a plain-language primer on coverage, see FSRA’s guide to title insurance. It complements the lawyer’s work; it doesn’t replace it. If you want an overview of a lawyer’s role in a purchase, read our article on the role of a real estate lawyer in Ontario.
Quick Comparison
| What it is | What it finds or covers | When it helps | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| REALTOR® pre-offer check | High-level review of listing docs, disclosures, basic records, visible red flags | Before you submit an offer, to shape conditions, timing, and price | Not a legal title search. No registry instrument review |
| Lawyer’s title search | Ownership, registered encumbrances, easements, tax or utility arrears, instrument review | Before closing, to identify and resolve defects so funds can be released | Doesn’t insure unknown or future issues |
| Title insurance | Certain losses from title fraud, some survey defects, defined off-title risks | At and after closing, for risks that are hard to detect | Policy-specific coverage with exclusions and limits |
Typical Timing and Costs
Searches usually occur after lender instructions arrive and before final signing. Legal fees and disbursements vary with complexity. Title insurance premiums scale with price and insurer. While budgeting, review your closing costs in Ontario and confirm the line items with your lawyer. If you’re early in planning, start with our guide to mortgage financing so timelines line up.
Common Issues We Catch Early
- Undischarged mortgages or secured lines of credit
- Property tax or utility arrears that follow the land
- Easements affecting parking, driveways, or additions
- Work orders or notices that require remediation
- Name discrepancies that require affidavits
Local Case Study: Port Dalhousie, St. Catharines
A buyer purchased a two-storey near Lakeside Park. The title search found an undischarged line of credit from 2008 and a utility lien tied to the property. The seller’s lawyer provided payout statements and undertook to register the discharge, and the lien was cleared from closing proceeds. The buyer’s real estate lawyer arranged a standard title insurance policy for added protection. Closing stayed on schedule.
Simple Buyer Checklist
- Ask us for a pre-offer general check and strategy.
- Hire a real estate lawyer as soon as your offer is accepted. See the lawyer’s role overview.
- Send ID, the APS, and lender details promptly.
- Review your lawyer’s title search summary and recommended fixes or insurance.
- Approve the plan, confirm closing funds, and sign once issues are cleared or insured. New to the process? Start with our First-Time Homebuyer Guide.
Talk To Keith & Françoise
Have questions about title searches, insurance, or timing? Book a quick consult and we’ll map your next steps.