How to Find a Property’s Owner: 5 Proven Methods for Real Estate Agents & Investors

If you’re trying to find out who owns a property, the fastest (and usually free) way is to look it up by address on your local county’s Assessor / Property Appraiser / Tax Collector website. In most counties, that search shows the owner nameand the mailing address used for tax bills.

If you need to confirm the legal owner (or see how the property is titled), use the county Recorder / Register of Deeds site to view the most recent deed.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the best free lookup options first, plus a few backup methods (paid tools, title search, and offline options) when the online records don’t give you a clear answer.

Agent note: If you’re a real estate agent, these same steps are also helpful for identifying the right owner contact info before you do outreach—just be sure to follow your local rules and privacy laws.

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#1 Visiting the County Recorder’s Office

Most U.S. counties now publish a free grantor-grantee or “Official Records” index online, so you rarely need to drive to their office. For example, Orange County, CA lets anyone search deeds back to 1982 through its web portal and download copies for a small fee.
Steps:

Go to your county recorder or assessor website and open the “Official Records” or “Land Records” search.

1. Enter the property address, parcel (APN) or owner name.
2. View or purchase the deed, lien, or transfer history.

Heads-up: Roughly 15 % of counties require you to create a free account and pay a $5–$30 fee to view or download document images.

Pro-tip: If your county is not online, many title reps will pull the deed for you at no cost.

#2 Do a Title Search to Find Out Who Owns a House

Traditional title-company logins still work, but agents and investors now also rely on self-serve data platforms like PropStream, Reonomy (commercial-focused), or DataTree, which aggregate public-record and tax data—and, in PropStream’s case, selected MLS/listing records—nationwide.

PropStream alone covers over 160 million parcels and lets you filter by owner type, equity, or distress status. DataTree spans 99 % of U.S. housing stock.

• DIY title profile: Search by address, APN, or owner to pull vesting deeds, mortgages, liens, and tax histories.
• Mailing-list builder: Export targeted lists (e.g., “absentee owners with 30%+ equity”) for direct-mail or SMS campaigns.

Keep your relationship with a local title rep—they can still verify legal description and insure the transaction.

How Does a Title Search Work?

They can give you access to their title search system by giving you your own login info. You can search by address or by APN number. If you have the owner’s name, you can also enter it to see what other properties they may own.

The title search will give more detailed information beyond the owner, such as year built, bedrooms, bathrooms, and square footage.

Also, it will tell you all the recorded mortgages on the house, what position they are in, when they were started and when they end, information about current and past owners, and liens. The title report will also disclose assessed property values, current property tax records, and delinquent tax information.

Pulling a title report is extremely thorough. It’s probably why it’s the most commonly used method by real estate agents.

#3 Find the Property Owner Using MLS Public Records (Agent-Only)

The Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is a members-only database where licensed REALTORS® cooperate by sharing listings and integrated public-record data.

Owner visibility: Since the 2024 privacy-rule updates, many MLSs mask the seller’s name and phone number by default; the fields appear only if the owner has opted in
or if you open the tax-record module (e.g., Realist).  

Off-market search: Modern MLS dashboards include a “Public Records” or Realist Tax tab that taps CoreLogic data for 160M+ parcels. Enter the street address or the APN to see the current owner, transfer history, mortgages, and liens—even when the property isn’t listed.

What is an APN?

The Assessor’s Parcel Number is the unique identifier the county assessor assigns to every lot; it appears on tax bills and recorder indexes and is
searchable inside MLS tax modules and county portals.

Why use the MLS in 2025?

1. One-stop research for active listings + public records.
2. Nightly county-feed refreshes give you cleaner ownership data than most skip-trace tools.
3. Built-in compliance flags (No-Call, No-Internet-Display) help you respect privacy and Clear Cooperation rules.  
4. Investor filters (equity %, absentee owner, pre-foreclosure) let you export mailing labels or call lists fast.

Creating an Opportunity for the Property Owner

Most agents will use the public records on MLS to create an opportunity when the listed inventory is scarce. It allows the agent to create targeted marketing specifically for the owner of the home letting them know they have a buyer.

While the public records on the MLS are practical, it does not have a comprehensive overview of the property.

This brings us to the other effective method used by real estate agents.

#4 Find Out Who Owns a Property Offline

This one is simple. Just knock on the door and ask! 

Before you knock, check your city or county’s no-solicitation / no-knock ordinances to avoid fines.

It might feel awkward to just knock on a stranger’s door, but as a real estate agent, this is considered a lead opportunity. If the owner is not home, leave behind your business card or door hanger with your contact information.

If you are targeting a specific home for a buyer and the owner isn’t home, don’t leave just yet. 

Go knock on the neighbor’s door! 

Remember: be prepared before you walk up to their door. Announce that you are a real estate agent and have your business cards ready and your name badge on.

Most neighbors are receptive and friendly. They will know who is living next to them and offer you the property owner’s name. But, be respectful of those neighbors who are not comfortable and may not want to share that information with you.

#5 NEW – County Property-Fraud Alert (Deed Recording Alerts)

With deed-fraud on the rise, many recorder offices (e.g., Orange County, CA) offer a free Property Fraud Alert. Once enrolled, you’ll get an email or text any time someone records a document against your name or parcel—allowing fast action if a fraudulent deed is filed.

Applying the Title Search to How You Prospect

Doing a title search is also a great way to send targeted marketing information. Here is an example:

You are an agent who wants to send postcards to all property owners who have 3 bedrooms, 3 bath homes in Beverly Hills because a buyer is interested in that area but there’s no inventory. 

A title representative can pull a mailing list specific to match those criteria.

Once you have a list of all the homeowners, it’s just a matter of connecting with them and opening escrow.

Final Thoughts on Finding an Owner of Property

Finding the owner of a property just became a lot easier now that you have the tools and resources. Let’s review the methods that you have at your disposal and when you would want to use them.

Keep it simple and start by knocking on the owner’s door. If they’re not home, ask a neighbor.

When going to the property is not an option, take a trip to the County Recorder’s Office. You will be able to make your request for the details on the property in question. 

If you are a licensed real estate agent, remember you have access to the public records on the MLS for a simple search and use the title for a more detailed search on the property.

FAQ Section

Q: How do you find out who owns a property?
A: Use your county’s Official Records / Land Records search by address or APN to see ownership and deed history. Jump to Method 1.

Q: Can I find the property owner’s name by address for free?
A: Often, yes—many counties let you search the index for free, even if document images have a small fee. Jump to Method 1.

Q: Where can I find the deed to a property?
A: The deed is typically found through your county recorder’s Official Records portal, where you can view or purchase document history. Jump to Method 1.

Q: What if the owner name is an LLC, trust, or company?
A: In that case, a title search or property data platform can help you pull vesting deeds, liens, and related ownership details. Jump to Method 2.

Q: Can the MLS tell me who owns a property?
A: Sometimes—MLS public record modules (like Realist) can show ownership and history, but privacy rules may limit what’s visible. Jump to Method 3.

Q: What is an APN and why does it help?
A: An APN is a parcel ID assigned by the county and is often the fastest way to search accurately in county portals or MLS tax modules. Jump to Method 3.

Q: If I can’t find the owner online, what can I do next?
A: You can try knocking on the door or asking neighbors, but always follow local no-solicitation rules and be respectful. Jump to Method 4.

Q: How do I protect against deed fraud or fake transfers?
A: Many counties offer a free Property Fraud Alert that notifies you if a document is recorded against your name or parcel. Jump to Method 5.

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