In real estate transactions, a trust deed transfers the legal title of a property to a third party until the borrower repays their debt to the lender. The major difference between a grant deed vs deed of trust has to do with the presence of a loan and future obligations.The main difference between a deed and a deed of trust is that a deed is a transfer of ownership, while a deed of trust is a security interest. The difference is a trustee is a person(s) or entity; a deed of trust is a document. A deed of trust is a document used in real estate transactions. It represents an agreement between the borrower and a lender to have the property held in trust. A deed of trust agreement obligates the borrower to repay a home loan, with the home serving as collateral if they default. You can search for, get copies of, or update property ownership records, such as deeds and mortgages. A deed is often referred to as a title. A deed is simply the title document that shows who the legal title holder is for a particular property.