The deed of transfer of title
The deed of transfer of title (this is the deed by which the ownership is transferred) has to be prepared by a notary and signed by the seller, the buyer and the notary as well as 2 witnesses. This has been stipulated by law. The content of the deed of transfer of title has to be in conformity with the purchase agreement concluded earlier. The notary will try to discover "holes" in the purchase agreement as early as possible in the process, for that matter. For this purpose, a follow-up meeting with the notary can be necessary.
The transfer of ownership is not complete until the notary has registered a transcript of the deed of transfer of title in the public registers with the Department Land Registry Office and Public Registers (also called: Mortgage Registry Office).
At the Land Registry Office, all real estate is registered with accurate specifications of the location. The public registers show who the owner is of which house. In addition to the deed of transfer of title, a transcript of the mortgage deed (if any) is registered in the public registers.
Both registrations are public, so that anyone can make inquiries as to in whose name a certain house is registered and what mortgages/attachments it is encumbered with.