Which document transfers ownership interest in real property?

• A. Trust deed
• B. Warranty deed
• C. Title
• D. Deed

Answer: (D)

Ownership of real property is transferred through a deed—the written instrument that conveys title from the seller to the buyer. For a transfer to be effective, the deed must clearly describe the property, identify the grantor and grantee, contain a grant of ownership, be signed by the grantor, and be delivered and accepted. Recording the deed is typically done to provide public notice, though transfer can occur at delivery even if not recorded.

A trust deed, by contrast, is a security instrument that creates a lien against the property to secure a loan; it does not transfer ownership. Title is the legal concept that defines ownership and the rights that come with it, but it is evidence of ownership, not the vehicle that transfers it. A warranty deed is a type of deed that includes covenants about the title; it still performs the transfer of ownership—the deed is the instrument that conveys it.