a transfer on death deed is a way to title real estate so it transfers, as the name would imply, upon your passing. in this article, you will learn about: a transfer on death deed, also called a tod deed, is a great way to ensure your property or real estate goes to the beneficiary you choose while avoiding the costly, timely and often-stressful process known as probate. it belongs to you until your death. whatever it’s called in your state, tod deeds serve one main purpose: to allow you to transfer the deed of a property to a named-beneficiary after you pass away while avoiding the probate process. perhaps the biggest benefit to a transfer on death deed is the fact that it allows real estate to bypass probate and instead just go directly to a beneficiary.