Prior to the age of the internet, specific information about real estate, such as who owned the property, what mortgages were attached to it and what taxes were owed, could only be obtained by physically examining the County Clerk's records.  While this could be done by an attorney or even a lay person, few had the requisite expertise or time to do so and typically a title insurance company would be paid a fee to conduct a search and prepare a report containing the information required.