TITLE DUE DILIGENCE

How to Verify a Property Title in the Philippines

A photocopy or screenshot is useful for reference, but serious due diligence should work from government-issued records and a review of the title details relevant to the transaction.

Start with a Certified True Copy

The Land Registration Authority's eSerbisyo portal allows the public to request a Certified True Copy of an Original Certificate of Title, Transfer Certificate of Title or Condominium Certificate of Title. LRA specifically identifies due diligence for buying, selling and leasing as one reason for obtaining a CTC.

Useful principleSeller's copy → government-issued CTC → compare names, title number, property description and annotations → investigate anything unclear.

What to compare

Check that the registered owner and title details correspond to the transaction being proposed. Read the annotations rather than stopping at the first page. Mortgages, liens, restrictions, adverse claims and other entries can affect what needs to happen before or during transfer.

Condominium buyers

For a resale condominium, the relevant title is generally a Condominium Certificate of Title. Also verify unit identity and any parking title or right being sold. For a preselling unit that has not yet been individually titled, due diligence follows a different path and should include project registration, License to Sell, contract documents and developer information.

Primary source: The Land Registration Authority eSerbisyo portal provides online requests for Certified True Copies of titles and explains the title information required for a request.

Do not treat title verification as the whole transaction

Taxes, authority to sign, marital/property regime issues, corporate ownership, estate matters, unpaid obligations and the structure of the sale may require additional documents or professional review. Use this page as an educational starting point, not individualized legal advice.

BUYER SEQUENCE

Document confidence before property excitement.

Continue with the Cebu property due-diligence guide and the taxes and transaction-cost guide before comparing actual opportunities.