The grantor on a deed is the person or legal entity that is currently the owner and is transferring (granting) their ownership or other property rights to someone else, called the grantee.

Quick Scoop: Who is the Grantor on a Deed?

Think of a standard home sale:

  • The seller is the grantor.
  • The buyer is the grantee.
  • The deed is the document the grantor signs to legally transfer ownership rights to the grantee.

In more formal terms, the grantor is:

  • The individual or entity that transfers ownership or an interest in real property to another party.
  • Usually the person whose name is currently on title as owner.
  • The one who must sign the deed, often with witnesses and a notary, to make the transfer legally effective (details vary by state).

If you are selling or giving away your property, you are the grantor; if you’re receiving it, you’re the grantee.

Extra Context in Plain Language

  • In a sale : Homeowner (grantor) signs a deed transferring the home to the buyer (grantee).
  • In a gift between family members : Parent adding a child to the deed is the grantor; the child is the grantee.
  • In a trust : The person who puts their property into the trust is also often called the grantor (or settlor/trustor) for that trust.

So when you look at a deed and see the word “grantor,” just read it as: the current owner doing the giving or transferring , not the one receiving. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.