THE PARANOID BUYER

BROKER: Juan, help! We're just about to close a deal, and my buyer doesn’t want to turn over the title after the signing. How can we even transfer ownership without it?

JPRE: Let’s pause. What’s his real worry?

BROKER: He thinks if he hands it over, he won’t see it again for three months. In that gap, he’s completely exposed. He’s an old lawyer—super paranoid.

JPRE: But he’ll be holding a notarized Deed of Absolute Sale, right?

BROKER: Yes, but he doesn’t trust that. He keeps imagining we’ll sneak the title back to the seller and the seller will resell the property.

JPRE: (laughs) That’s a first. Okay, let me think. What if—before the title leaves his hands—he/you could annotate the Contract to Sell or the Deed of Absolute Sale directly on the title at the Registry of Deeds? That annotation acts as a warning sign: “This property is already spoken for.” Even if the title somehow landed back with the seller, no one else could touch it without dealing with your client first.

BROKER: Interesting… Would that really work?

JPRE: In theory, yes. I haven’t had to do it myself, but an annotation like that is meant exactly for this kind of protection. It should calm his nerves.

BROKER: Oh wow, super thanks!!