Search Property by Name: Your Complete Expert Guide

Cindy Ellis - February 24, 2023

Searching through property records is not the most exciting of tasks, but sometimes it is necessary to find out the history of a property and its ownership. If you aren’t sure where to start when you’re trying to search for a property by name, you’re in luck.

Our article gives you information on the types of property records you may be able to access by name and the best search methods to obtain them. Read on to learn how to search for property by name.

Why Search for Property by Name?

There are plenty of reasons why someone may want to search for a property by name. Most of the time, homeowners or individuals looking to move into a certain neighborhood are interested in finding the history of a property, including its ownership.

Once you have the name of the person who lives at a property, you can search certain records to see the taxes on a specific property, the history of ownership, and even how old a property is. All these items help you make informed decisions about owning a property, purchasing a property, or maintaining your property throughout the years.

Are Property Records Public?

Most property records are public, thanks to the fact that county or state governments maintain the majority of these records. When properties are purchased, or taxes are paid on properties, all of this information goes onto public record in the county where the property is located. Public records are most commonly accessed through courthouses, county clerk’s offices, or county records offices.

Depending on your state’s public record procedures and your county, you may have to investigate public property records in any of these offices; perform a search for your specific state and county to see where to start.

How to Search Property by Name

Searching a property by name doesn’t need to be a confusing task. We give you the best search methods below for finding information about a property just by using a name connected with that property.

It’s important to note that these search methods may also work if you don’t have the exact full name of the property owner but have the address instead. Plenty of government records offices make sure that the name and address of properties are searchable using in-person or online methods.

Utilize Property Tax Records

Utilizing property tax records is one of the best ways to find information about a property just by searching with a name. Property tax records include information about when taxes have been paid on a property and how much taxes might be for a specific property. The exact information you see depends on your county or state’s record-keeping and disclosure regulations.

To search property tax records, you will first need to first out which county or state government office is in charge of property record-keeping. This directory of public records offices provides a directory of specific types of records offices in each state for you to reference.

Once you have found the correct records office for your county (or the county in which the property you are investigating is located), type in the property owner’s name to pull up information like tax payments and property tax history. Having the property’s address on hand is also helpful, as many county websites or in-person search attempts may require this in addition to the name.

Find Property Deeds

A property deed will give you all the information you need about a property and a history of ownership. Property deeds are helpful when determining who owns the majority of a parcel of land if there are liens on a property, or when investigating the overall history of a property. To find a property deed, you will need the name of the suspected current owner and the address of the property.

Property deeds in most counties or municipalities are kept by the “Recorder of Deeds.” This may be called something different in your county, such as the “Register” or “Commissioner of Deeds.” You will need to perform a quick internet search to find which office holds the property deeds for your specific county.

Once you have the deeds office located, search online or go to the office in person to search. You will usually be able to ask the staff at the deeds office any questions about locating the specific property deed you are looking for, searching through documents manually, or obtaining a copy of the property deed.

Keep in mind that copies of property deeds and some search requests might come with a small fee to maintain the upkeep of the county’s records and deeds offices.

Conduct an Online Records Search

Online records and property search tools are an easy way to locate information about a property without searching specific government websites or going to search through public records in person. Online records search options include the following:

• Real estate websites – if you know a property is for sale and you have the address or the current owner’s name, you can search through real estate websites to find the property and access information about it. This is especially helpful if you are interested in purchasing the property.
• Address search tools – online reverse address search tools can help you narrow down the property owner so you can search for other property records and deeds in their name. This is helpful if you don’t have the name of a property owner but you do have their address.
• Public record search tools – these online tools are either free or for a fee, depending on the type you use, and they will provide you with all of the public records possible about a specific person you search for using the tool. These are great ways to learn about a property and the owner of a specific property.

Keep in mind that online search tools will require you to have the full and accurate address of a property or the accurate first and last name of a property owner. Discrepancies in either of these items might lead to more confusion, so make sure your information is accurate before searching for a property by name online.

Finding Vital Property Information

Certain property information is essential to know about, especially when selling or purchasing a property. Public property tax records, deeds that give property history, and even real estate websites detailing specific information about a piece of property can all help you figure out vital property information and tell you everything you need to know about any property that you are interested in.