No lien upon or right in real estate, upon which there is no existing lien by virtue of an attachment, made in the action in which the execution issued, shall be acquired as against subsequent purchasers or attaching creditors without notice, by the levy of an execution upon it, or by the beginning of such levy, until the officer making the levy shall leave with the register of deeds for the county an attested copy of the execution, with a return thereon that he has begun such levy and of the steps already taken, or a record of the completed levy has been made in the registry of deeds as required by law.