Buyer & Seller Real Estate Settlement Procedure
Today, I fielded a few emails to line up a closing as the buyer’s agent side of a transaction in San Remo at Palmira. The emails were from the title company and the closing agent was lining up the time for the buyer and the seller to sign their settlement statements and closing documents.
This isn’t generally of event but this closing was happening in Naples, Florida and the property and the home buyer were in Bonita Springs. For about the fifth time this year, the title agent arranged for the seller to come in and sign on the day of closing, one hour AFTER the buyer signs.
I get it. They’re just shuffling papers but follow me on this, if the buyer signs at 9:00 a.m. and the seller signs at 11:00 a.m. they buyer is left sitting in a lobby, a car or wandering Costco while they wait for the seller to arrive to sign and the transaction to fund. Only after that are they able to get the keys to their new home.
First, the seller has had *weeks* to sign their closing documents. Real estate closings happen all the time so the title company could have had the seller sign the day before, a week before, and if the seller was going to be in China at the time of closing, even a month before. It can happen. I recently sold my own home and was going to be in Seattle when it closed so I signed my deed and settlement statement nearly a week in advance.
Second, for title companies to inconvenience any party by not knowing how to stack the signers is stupid. There I said it. Real estate 101. What they are doing is like putting underwear on over pants.
Third, had I not been both an experienced listing agent and a experienced buyer’s agent my buyer would have been reading a stale copy of Good Housekeeping in the lobby of a title company waiting for a seller to show up to sign.
If you’d like to learn more about buying Bonita Springs real estate, selling Bonita Springs real estate or what happens during the process contact Chris or Angela at 239-273-7430. We’re experienced listing agents and buyers representatives and we know how to get property closed with less hassle.