What is the legal act of documenting any transfer or claim of interest in the title to property called?

The legal act of documenting any transfer or claim of interest in the title to property is known as recording. This process involves officially entering the details of a property transaction, such as purchases, sales, liens, and mortgages, into the public record at the appropriate government office, typically a county recorder's or clerk's office.

Recording serves several important purposes. First, it ensures that the information about the property's ownership and any claims against it are publicly available, which helps to provide notice to all interested parties. This transparency is crucial for the protection of property rights, as it minimizes the likelihood of disputes over ownership and eases the process for future transactions involving the property. Additionally, the act of recording often establishes the priority of interests; for example, a mortgage recorded before a subsequent lien will typically take precedence.

Other terms such as registration and filing may involve tracking property or legal documents, but they lack the specific meaning of formalizing a property's public record to establish ownership and interests, which is central to the concept of recording in real estate law.