What is titled property?
Titled (fee-simple) property is land held in full private ownership and recorded in the country's public property registry in the owner's name. It can be sold, mortgaged, leased or inherited without a government grant behind it.
Last updated · Buying & ownership glossary
About Titled property
On coasts where the land nearest the sea is public, titled property is the alternative to concession land — and usually what a buyer means by "owning" a beach house.
A title is only as good as the registry record behind it, which is why buyers order a title search of the public registry before signing.
- Also called
- fee simple, fee-simple title, freehold title
This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm with a licensed local attorney before you buy.
Related terms
- Public property registry
- The public property registry is the government record of who owns each parcel of land and of the mortgages, liens and easements attached to it. A buyer's title search starts there.
- Coastal concession
- A coastal concession is a government-granted right to occupy, use and build on public coastal land for a fixed term, under conditions set by the grant. It is not ownership: the land stays public, and the concession can be lost if its conditions are broken.
- Escritura pública
- An escritura pública is a public deed: the formal document, drawn up and certified by a notary, that transfers ownership of real estate in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries. It is then recorded in the public property registry.
- Due diligence
- Due diligence is the set of checks a buyer makes before committing to a property: the registry title and any liens, the survey and boundaries, zoning and coastal rules, permits, access, utilities and unpaid taxes.