Title & escrow • Richmond, Virginia
Title and escrow across the City of Richmond.
From the row houses of the Fan and Church Hill to the lofts of Manchester and Scott’s Addition, Prime Title and Escrow handles residential and commercial closings across Virginia’s capital with attorney-led care. Clear title, protected funds, and closings that land on time.
Mortgage Rates
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National averages as of June 17, 2026Prime Title and Escrow is a title and escrow company, not a lender. Rates are for general information, not an offer. Contact a lender for a personalized quote.
Local to the City of Richmond
Virginia’s capital, and some of the deepest chains of title anywhere.
The City of Richmond is an independent city of about 230,000 people, the capital of Virginia, sitting on the James River between Henrico and Chesterfield counties. It is a city of historic row houses, bungalows, and old warehouses turned into condos, and the price spread is wide: neighborhoods on the Northside and Southside still start in the $200,000s to $300,000s, while the Fan and the Museum District run well above $500,000. Recent Redfin figures put the citywide median sale price near $414,000.
Here is what makes title work in Richmond its own thing: the city’s deed books run back to 1782 for property north of the James River and to 1874 for property south of it, in the former city of Manchester, and the records are kept in north of the river and south of the river divisions. Few places in the country have chains of title this deep, which is exactly why an experienced search matters here. Deeds record with the Clerk of the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, at the John Marshall Courts Building. If you are buying, our guide to what happens at a Virginia closing and our first-time home buyer guide walk through each step.
What shapes a Richmond closing
- Deeds record at the Richmond Circuit Court Clerk
- Records split north and south of the James River
- Deep chains of title on historic homes
- Old and Historic District covenants and reviews
- Condo and loft conversions with association packets
- No Northern Virginia regional recording fees
The City of Richmond by the numbers
A capital city of neighborhoods.
230K
residents in Virginia’s capital city
U.S. Census Bureau
$378K
median value of owner-occupied homes
U.S. Census Bureau
44%
of city homes are owner-occupied, a renter-leaning market
U.S. Census Bureau
$65K
median household income
U.S. Census Bureau
Behind every one of those homes is a title that has to transfer clean. That is our work.
Where we close in Richmond
Every corner of the city, both sides of the river.
From the historic core and the West End to the Northside and the neighborhoods south of the James, we close throughout the city, for buyers, sellers, and lenders.
The capital city
Richmond is an independent city, the capital of Virginia, with historic neighborhoods on both sides of the James River. We close throughout the city.
The Fan • Church Hill • Manchester • Museum District
Where deeds recordDeeds record with the Clerk of the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, at the John Marshall Courts Building, and we handle that filing for you as part of closing.
Neighborhoods across the city
From the row houses of the West End to the bungalows of the Northside and the lofts south of the river, here are the areas we serve.
The historic core and West End: the Fan, Museum District, Carytown, Monument Avenue, Jackson Ward, Church Hill, Oregon Hill, and Scott’s Addition.
Northside: Bellevue, Ginter Park, Battery Park, and Highland Park.
South of the James: Manchester, Forest Hill, Westover Hills, and Woodland Heights.
The same standard, every closing
What we handle on a Richmond file.
Title search and exam
We trace ownership through Richmond’s deep land records, north or south of the river. More on what a title company does.
Clearing the title
Liens, judgments, easements, and old covenants resolved before closing, so title transfers clean and insurable.
Secure escrow
Your funds held and disbursed through protected escrow, with wire instructions verified by phone.
Recording and policy
We record the deed with the Richmond Circuit Court and issue your title insurance policy.
Closing costs in the City of Richmond
What recording a deed costs here.
Richmond is not in Northern Virginia, so a sale here does not carry the regional WMATA and congestion fees that apply up there. That keeps the seller’s recording costs simpler. The buyer generally pays the state recordation tax, and the seller, as grantor, pays the grantor’s tax.
The exact amount depends on your sale price and the deed. We calculate the precise numbers for your transaction and lay them out before closing. For the bigger picture, see our guide to closing costs in Virginia.
Recording charges on a Richmond sale
- State recordation tax: $0.25 per $100 (Va. Code 58.1-801), usually the buyer
- Local recordation tax: about $0.083 per $100, one third of the state tax (Va. Code 58.1-814)
- Grantor’s tax: $0.50 per $500 (Va. Code 58.1-802), the seller
- No WMATA Capital Fee or Regional Congestion Relief Fee, those are Northern Virginia only
Sources: Code of Virginia, Title 58.1, Chapter 8, and the Virginia Department of Taxation. This is general information, not tax or legal advice, and the exact amount depends on your transaction.
Why Richmond clients choose Prime
Attorney-led, independent, and local.
Attorney-led
Two real estate attorneys oversee your file, so when an old covenant or a deep chain of title comes up, you have legal judgment on it, not a checklist.
Built for historic homes
Much of Richmond was built before 1940. We are at home in the city’s older records and the easements and covenants that come with century-old property.
Condos and conversions
From Scott’s Addition to Manchester and Tobacco Row, we handle the association documents and condo packets that come with the city’s converted lofts.
Residential and commercial
Homes across the city and commercial property along the Broad Street and riverfront corridors, handled by the same team. See our commercial services.
How a closing runs
A clear path from contract to recording.
1
Open and order
We open the file and order the title search and any survey for the property.
2
Title commitment
We review what is recorded and surface liens, easements, and old covenants.
3
Clear and confirm
We resolve defects and confirm the figures with your lender and the parties.
4
Coordinate closing
We align buyer, seller, lender, and agents, and schedule the signing.
5
Fund and record
We protect and disburse the funds, record the deed with the Richmond Circuit Court, and issue the policy.
Richmond questions
What people ask us.
Do you handle closings throughout the City of Richmond?
Yes. We close across the entire city, from the Fan, Museum District, and Church Hill to Manchester and the neighborhoods south of the James, for buyers, sellers, and lenders, residential and commercial.
Where do City of Richmond deeds get recorded?
With the Clerk of the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond, at the John Marshall Courts Building downtown. Richmond is an independent city with its own circuit court, and we handle the filing for you as part of closing.
Why does the title search matter so much on an old Richmond house?
Richmond’s deed books run back to 1782 north of the James River and to 1874 south of it, and historic homes can carry old easements, recorded covenants, and long chains of ownership. A careful search confirms what is actually recorded against the property before you close.
What are the seller’s grantor taxes in Richmond?
As grantor, the seller pays Virginia’s grantor’s tax of $0.50 per $500 (Va. Code 58.1-802). The buyer generally pays the state recordation tax of $0.25 per $100, and there is a local recordation tax of about a third of the state amount. Because Richmond is not in Northern Virginia, the regional WMATA and congestion fees do not apply.
Do you close on condos and converted lofts?
Yes. Richmond has many warehouse and industrial buildings converted into condos, especially in Scott’s Addition, Manchester, and Tobacco Row, and we coordinate the condo disclosure packet and association documents as part of the closing.
Is the City of Richmond different from a Richmond County?
Yes. The City of Richmond is the independent capital city. There is also a separate Richmond County in the Northern Neck of Virginia. This page is about the city, and we confirm the correct jurisdiction from the property address before closing.
Closing in the City of Richmond?
Send us the property and the timeline, and we will send back a clear quote with no guesswork. Independent, attorney-led title and escrow for the City of Richmond and across Virginia and West Virginia.
(703) 552-4155Serving the City of Richmond and Central Virginia