What Virtual Closing Actually Changed

The closing process looks very different than it did five or six years ago.

Before I was a lawyer, I was a Realtor. And at that time, every closing signing was in-person.

Clients went to the office, sat across from their lawyer, signed a stack of documents by hand, and then had to make a separate trip back to the office to pick up the keys on closing day.

That was just how it worked.

My video earlier this week walks through the changes in the closing process over the last few years and what your clients should expect when they close today.

Here's the short version:

Virtual signing is now the norm. We use software that creates a video signing room (video conference and e-signatures combined). No trip to the office. Some clients sign right from their work desk.

Key exchange has become more efficient too. A lockbox is left on the property, and once the deal is closed, we release the lockbox code to the buyer. They head straight to the property. That extra stop at the lawyer's office is gone.

Beyond the convenience of skipping the drive, something more significant has shifted.

Clients are no longer limited to whoever practices closest to their home. They can choose a lawyer based on what actually matters: communication, experience, expertise, and fit.

A client closing in Niagara can work with a lawyer in Toronto. A client in a small town doesn't have to settle for whoever's down the street.

That's a meaningful change. And it's worth thinking about what it means for you.

When a client has a bad experience at closing: a lawyer who's hard to reach, slow to respond, or drops the ball on something, that memory doesn't just stay with the lawyer. It stays with the deal.

And you, as the Realtor, can do everything right. Negotiate hard, manage the process, deliver on every promise. But if they have a poor experience with their lawyer, the client's lasting impression of the transaction is negative. That's not fair, but it's reality.

The practical upside of virtual closing is that your clients can now choose a lawyer based on their track record, communication style, and fit.

Geography doesn't have to be the deciding factor anymore.

That's worth something when you're thinking about who you recommend.

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