Before Covid, most closings were conducted in the same manner as far back as when I began practicing 27 years ago. Namely, on the day the property was transferred to the new owner, the Buyer and Seller (often with their lawyers/real estate agents) met at the Registry of Deeds or lawyer’s office. Both sides signed documents and then the big moment! The Seller gave the new deed to the Buyer and the Buyer handed the Seller a big check. The deed was filed at the Registry of Deeds and Done! New owners!
Then came Covid and things got weird. People did not want close contact with others. Many avoided public places like Registries of Deeds or offices. Hence, the birth of the “no contact closing”. The big Covid scare has left, but the no contact closing remains. If you close on a property after you read this, it will likely go something like this:
The Buyers attorney emails documents to the Sellers attorney for her to sign. Parties may use an internet signing program like Docusign; or the Buyer and Seller will have given their attorneys authority to sign their names by giving them a Power of Attorney. The Buyer and Seller, and maybe their lawyers sign what’s required and email them to each other. Someone records the deed at the Registry of Deeds and Presto, a new homeowner! Now, how about the money you ask… The Buyer does not hand the Seller a paper check. Instead, the purchase funds are wired from the Buyers to the Sellers bank; pretty much no contact.
Some Buyers and Sellers like to sign their real signatures in real ink. They simply go to their lawyer’s office and sign documents themselves instead of having the lawyer sign under a Power of Attorney.