National Real Estate Practice Exam

Who has the primary responsibility for recording a deed?

1. Grantor

2. Grantee

3. County

4. State

The correct answer is: Grantee

The grantee has the primary responsibility for recording a deed. When a deed is executed, it is typically the grantee—the person receiving the property—who benefits from having the deed officially recorded. Recording the deed serves several important purposes, including establishing public notice of the property transfer, protecting the grantee's ownership rights, and helping to prevent future disputes regarding the ownership of the property. While the grantor (the seller) provides the deed, the onus is on the grantee to ensure that the transaction is documented with the appropriate local government office, often the county recorder or clerk's office. Recording the deed not only solidifies the grantee's claim to the property but also makes that claim visible to third parties, thus safeguarding against potential challenges to ownership. County and state entities may play roles in the recording process (by maintaining records and processing filings), but the initiative and responsibility to record rest with the grantee.