There are many reasons one might want to find out who owns a property or piece of land. Suppose you’re on a walk in Nashville, TN, and you pass by a home that you instantly fall in love with and want to buy – perhaps an antique Victorian home or a beautiful abandoned carriage house. Or maybe you’re just curious about who owns a house in your neighborhood or a piece of land on the edge of town. Well, the good news is that you can usually track down this information pretty easily.
In most cases, property ownership information is available for free online (just ensure the website you use is legitimate). If that doesn’t work, or if you’re looking in more rural areas, you’ll have to go to a local government agency, title company, or broker.
We’ll break each of these methods down to help you find out who owns a property.
First, find the address
Before using any information gathering methods, it’s essential to find the exact address of the real property (the parcel of land and everything that is permanently attached to it – often shortened to just “property”). There are three common ways to do this:
- Go in-person: Most homes and some properties have visible addresses. Take a walk or drive to search for the address yourself.
- Online map tools: Map programs like Google Maps make it easy to figure out a property’s address. If you know exactly where the parcel of land is, zoom in on its location, and the address should pop up. The satellite view can also give you a better idea of the entire plot’s terrain and features.
- Parcel maps: If map tools don’t work, your next step is to look at a parcel map. These are best for finding properties’ addresses but can also be helpful for homes. They’re often available online and feature detailed property maps. Parcel maps vary by state and may not be available in your municipality.
If you’re only looking for who owns a house, all you need is the address. However, if you’re looking for…