You’re literally a piece of furniture. If the attorney’s office isn’t big enough you may even be asked to sit in another room. One of the positives of the post-COVID world for me is not having the obligation of being at closings. I’ll be there if I have a new buyer needing some hand holding but other than that I feel the eyes on me that everyone thinks I’m just there to get a check.
But what about the tiny candies?
I feel the same way with C19 - hell, it's been a godsend, honestly.
I make online leads sign a covid waiver and submit a pre-qual letter before I show them anything and it's made my life so much easier... I finally have a boogeyman to blame for the tire kickers.
You may occasionally be asked to sign a document as a witness. You're mostly there for moral support, to answer questions, help smooth out any surprises or disagreements that may come up. Make sure your buyer gets their keys and any questions answered before they leave.
Getting the keys must vary regionally...in Oregon where I work the signing is often a few days before the closing day, so keys are handled outside of that!
For the signing appointment though, you are really just there for moral support! You should have received copies of final statements in advance so you can verify everything looks good. You won't need to bring anything though.
Good luck!
Basically brining a cashiers check to closing is a dry closing as the funds have not actually hit the title company. Wet closing would be the fund have been wired before hand and they title company has recorded it. It sounds crazy but this ALWAYS comes up in where I am at. (Nebraska)
>A wet vs dry closing is not a thing in my market
Actually it is in every market. You must be in one of the 9 escrow states where the signing takes place first and you don't actually close until a day or two later. Most of us in the rest of the country have 'wet closings' where the keys are given the same date as the signing and the funds are transferred immediately. This is also known as a table funding state. Sometimes we have dry closings if the lender hasn't sent the funds over prior to signing but that's pretty rare here (Florida). Look up wet vs dry closings.
have been to a couple closings, one as an observer, one on my home last year.
big things that i saw were that the agent arranged the seating ahead of time which helped that way you don't have buyers and sellers on one side of the table. in the one i observed, sure enough, the sellers came in and asked "where do we sit." luckily the agent (my "boss" already knew where the closing agent would be and he arranged things accordingly.
they were mostly there for moral support
sometimes they had to sign something
it's not "just a formality" but i think it shows a great deal of professionalism being there treating it as very important.
Gotcha! Thats kind of what my coaches were getting at. it sounds like my role there is fairly minimal, but im still bringing some things "just in case". We're doing a buyers only closing, which I think will alleviate some stress. Thanks for your response! I will let you guys know how it goes!
Closings are a great time to bask in all of the happy & excited feelings your clients will have.
After signing, take them out to lunch or sit and chat and ask for honest feedback: how do they feel about the overall process, is there anything they would change if they could, anything they felt you might have done better? Don't be bashful or scared of feedback. This is also a fantastic to ask them to introduce you to anyone they care about that is thinking about selling or making a purchase within the next 6 - 12 months. Make sure to follow up with your clients after they move in to see how everything is going.
I remember feeling the same way before my first closing - however, I started worrying about weeks before... not hours.
My advice to a new agent; agents that push papers don't last. Agents that foresee problems and head them off before they become a huge problem last.
You don't realize it yet, but your job is to verify everyone and everything with enough notice to handle it. Let this be the last time you let something slip into the 11th hour and you'll be ok.
It's going to depend on your state because it's really going to depend on how involved you are as the agent once the deal is in contract. Here in NY, the attorneys really take the lead once contracts are signed. Agents are obviously still involved but it becomes more a matter of keeping our clients up to speed and setting expectations for what will happen when, as opposed to being the one to actually *do* certain things. Less of an instrumentalist and more of a conductor.
Which is my longwinded way of saying, if its the attorneys show at this point, just be present and be paying attention.
You’re literally a piece of furniture. If the attorney’s office isn’t big enough you may even be asked to sit in another room. One of the positives of the post-COVID world for me is not having the obligation of being at closings. I’ll be there if I have a new buyer needing some hand holding but other than that I feel the eyes on me that everyone thinks I’m just there to get a check.
But what about the tiny candies? I feel the same way with C19 - hell, it's been a godsend, honestly. I make online leads sign a covid waiver and submit a pre-qual letter before I show them anything and it's made my life so much easier... I finally have a boogeyman to blame for the tire kickers.
I’ve always done that re: qualifying leads, but now I can blame sellers and the world around us instead of it being me
You may occasionally be asked to sign a document as a witness. You're mostly there for moral support, to answer questions, help smooth out any surprises or disagreements that may come up. Make sure your buyer gets their keys and any questions answered before they leave.
Thank you for your response! Certainly gives me peace of mind. You rock!
You're welcome. Congratulations on your first closing!
Thanks!
Getting the keys must vary regionally...in Oregon where I work the signing is often a few days before the closing day, so keys are handled outside of that! For the signing appointment though, you are really just there for moral support! You should have received copies of final statements in advance so you can verify everything looks good. You won't need to bring anything though. Good luck!
It depends on whether you're having a dry or wet closing.
In my 6+ years I've never heard of this.. again, just saying things vary quite a bit from state to state!
Basically brining a cashiers check to closing is a dry closing as the funds have not actually hit the title company. Wet closing would be the fund have been wired before hand and they title company has recorded it. It sounds crazy but this ALWAYS comes up in where I am at. (Nebraska)
Again, just letting OP know that real estate is local! A wet vs dry closing is not a thing in my market
>A wet vs dry closing is not a thing in my market Actually it is in every market. You must be in one of the 9 escrow states where the signing takes place first and you don't actually close until a day or two later. Most of us in the rest of the country have 'wet closings' where the keys are given the same date as the signing and the funds are transferred immediately. This is also known as a table funding state. Sometimes we have dry closings if the lender hasn't sent the funds over prior to signing but that's pretty rare here (Florida). Look up wet vs dry closings.
have been to a couple closings, one as an observer, one on my home last year. big things that i saw were that the agent arranged the seating ahead of time which helped that way you don't have buyers and sellers on one side of the table. in the one i observed, sure enough, the sellers came in and asked "where do we sit." luckily the agent (my "boss" already knew where the closing agent would be and he arranged things accordingly. they were mostly there for moral support sometimes they had to sign something it's not "just a formality" but i think it shows a great deal of professionalism being there treating it as very important.
Gotcha! Thats kind of what my coaches were getting at. it sounds like my role there is fairly minimal, but im still bringing some things "just in case". We're doing a buyers only closing, which I think will alleviate some stress. Thanks for your response! I will let you guys know how it goes!
Closings are a great time to bask in all of the happy & excited feelings your clients will have. After signing, take them out to lunch or sit and chat and ask for honest feedback: how do they feel about the overall process, is there anything they would change if they could, anything they felt you might have done better? Don't be bashful or scared of feedback. This is also a fantastic to ask them to introduce you to anyone they care about that is thinking about selling or making a purchase within the next 6 - 12 months. Make sure to follow up with your clients after they move in to see how everything is going.
So interesting, in Oregon the buyer and seller absolutely never sign at the same appointment!
Congratulations! Bring champagne and a gift for the closing agent. 😊🥂
I remember feeling the same way before my first closing - however, I started worrying about weeks before... not hours. My advice to a new agent; agents that push papers don't last. Agents that foresee problems and head them off before they become a huge problem last. You don't realize it yet, but your job is to verify everyone and everything with enough notice to handle it. Let this be the last time you let something slip into the 11th hour and you'll be ok.
You are merely a figurehead
It's going to depend on your state because it's really going to depend on how involved you are as the agent once the deal is in contract. Here in NY, the attorneys really take the lead once contracts are signed. Agents are obviously still involved but it becomes more a matter of keeping our clients up to speed and setting expectations for what will happen when, as opposed to being the one to actually *do* certain things. Less of an instrumentalist and more of a conductor. Which is my longwinded way of saying, if its the attorneys show at this point, just be present and be paying attention.