Final answer:
Title insurance provides the best assurance of clear, marketable title for a buyer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best assurance of clear, marketable title for a buyer is title insurance. Title insurance is a type of insurance policy that protects the buyer from any unknown defects or claims on the property title, which could affect their ownership rights. It provides coverage for any potential losses or damages caused by issues with the title. Unlike a certificate of title, which is a document that confirms the ownership of the property at a specific point in time, title insurance offers extra protection by covering any unexpected issues that were not discovered during the title search process. An abstract of title, on the other hand, is a historical summary of the recorded documents related to a property, but it does not provide the same level of assurance as title insurance. Lastly, a general warranty deed is a type of deed that guarantees the seller's legal ownership and promises to defend against any claims on the property, but it does not protect the buyer from unknown title defects.