A transfer on death (TOD) deed — sometimes called a beneficiary deed — lets a property owner name who inherits real estate directly, without that property passing through probate. It's one of the simpler tools available for avoiding probate delays on a home or land.
How it works while you're alive
The deed is recorded now, but it transfers nothing until death — the owner keeps full control, can sell, refinance, or revoke the deed at any time, and the named beneficiary has no rights to the property until then.
Not every state allows them
TOD deeds are authorized by statute in a majority of states but not all, and the exact form requirements vary. Using a form from the wrong state, or one that doesn't match your state's statutory language, can make the deed ineffective.
It doesn't replace a full estate plan
A TOD deed only handles the specific property named in it. It doesn't address other assets, doesn't name guardians for minor children, and doesn't resolve what happens if the named beneficiary dies before you do — a will or trust is still usually needed alongside it.
Getting the drafting and recording right
Because the deed has to be recorded before death to be effective, and revoked or updated the same way, precision in the drafting — legal description, beneficiary designation, and proper execution — matters more than with most estate documents, since there's no opportunity to fix a mistake after the fact.