Grant means to give or to transfer something to someone, with or without payment. In real estate transactions, the recipient of property is called “grantee”, the person who transfers the ownership of the property to someone else called “grantor”. The term grant also can be used in a deed to convey land; for example, in California “a transfer in writing is called a grant or conveyance, or bill of sale.” The deed is an official written document declaring the legitimate owner of the property, according to CIV 1092; the title is the concept of the ownership. In California, grant deeds are very common. Commonly, in a real property transaction, the grantor (titleholder) needs to disclose the deed of the real property, and the grantee will look through the past transaction history to confirm the chain of title. When determining the grantor has full rights and title to the property, there must be no liens or mortgages, then the transaction may continue.
[Last updated in February of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]