Buyers and sellers are not always both at closing, and in large parts of the country they never share a room during the transaction at all. Whether you’ll sit across from the other party depends on where the property is, the type of closing your state uses, and whether either side has arranged to sign remotely or through a representative.
Why It Depends on Where You Are
Geography is the single biggest factor. States in the eastern half of the country tend to use a table closing, sometimes called a settlement closing. Everyone gathers in one room to sign documents, exchange funds, and hand over keys. A closing agent, title company representative, or attorney runs the meeting. Both real estate agents often attend to support their clients, and a lender representative may show up too.
Western states lean heavily toward escrow closings. A neutral third party, usually an escrow company or title agent, holds the documents and funds in a separate account. The buyer and seller sign their own paperwork at different times, sometimes on different days. The escrow agent records the deed and disburses funds once every condition is satisfied. The parties rarely see each other.
Even in traditional table-closing states, split closings have become increasingly common. In a split closing, each side signs at a separate title company, which means the format of the day looks a lot like escrow: separate rooms, separate appointments, no shared table.
When One or Both Parties Sign Remotely
Life doesn’t always cooperate with closing schedules. Even in states where a joint meeting is the norm, several arrangements let a buyer or seller skip the room entirely.
Power of Attorney
A power of attorney lets you designate someone to sign closing documents for you. The document needs to be specific to the real estate transaction. A general power of attorney that doesn’t mention the property or the authority to take on debt may not work, especially on the buyer’s side where loan documents are involved. Most lenders require advance approval of the POA, and the original typically needs to be notarized and recorded in the county where the property is located. A POA also expires upon the death of the person who granted it, so timing matters.
Mail-Away Closing
In a mail-away closing, the settlement provider sends documents to whoever can’t attend. A notary meets you at an agreed location to witness your signature, and the documents are mailed or shipped back to the closing agent.1Home Closing 101. Closing Options This works well when the parties are in different cities or time zones, but it adds a few days to the timeline and requires more coordination.
Remote Online Notarization
Remote online notarization, or RON, lets you sign and notarize through a live audio-video session without being in the same room as the notary. Over 40 states and the District of Columbia now have permanent laws allowing RON for real estate transactions. If your state permits it and your lender accepts it, RON can eliminate the need for physical presence entirely. Not every title company offers it and not every lender is on board yet, so check with your closing agent early.
What the Buyer Does, Together or Apart
The buyer’s side of closing is document-heavy regardless of format. You’ll need a government-issued photo ID, and your funds for the down payment and closing costs, typically delivered by cashier’s check or wire transfer. Closing costs generally run between 2% and 5% of the purchase price.
The most important documents are the promissory note, which is your personal promise to repay the loan, and the mortgage or deed of trust, which gives the lender a security interest in the property if you don’t pay.2Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Guide to Closing Forms You’ll also receive a Closing Disclosure that itemizes every cost and credit in the transaction. Federal rules require your lender to deliver this form at least three business days before closing so you have time to review it and flag errors.3eCFR. 12 CFR 1026.19 – Certain Mortgage and Variable-Rate Transactions Once everything is signed and funds are transferred, you get the keys and copies of all your documents.
What the Seller Does, Together or Apart
The seller’s paperwork is lighter. The central document is the deed, which legally transfers ownership to the buyer. Depending on the deal, you may also sign a bill of sale covering personal property included in the transaction, like appliances or window treatments, and an affidavit of title confirming you’re the rightful owner and that there are no undisclosed liens or claims against the property.
The seller is also responsible for prorated expenses up to the closing date, such as property taxes and any homeowners association dues. If there’s an existing mortgage on the property, it gets paid off directly from the sale proceeds at closing. After that payoff and all fees are deducted, you receive your net proceeds, usually by wire transfer. The seller gets their own version of the Closing Disclosure that reflects only the seller’s costs and credits. Federal regulations allow this to be a separate document from the buyer’s copy, and some state laws prohibit sharing one party’s financial details with the other.4Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 12 CFR 1026.38 – Content of Disclosures for Certain Mortgage Transactions That separation is one reason joint meetings are not necessary: each party only ever needs to see their own numbers.
States That Require an Attorney at the Table
About a dozen states require a licensed attorney to conduct or supervise the closing. In those states, the attorney handles document preparation, title examination, and fund disbursement. Another handful of states require partial attorney involvement for specific tasks like title certification. The remaining states allow title companies to handle closings without attorney involvement. In an attorney state, that’s one more person in the process, and the legal fees will show up in your closing costs. The attorney requirement doesn’t necessarily mean buyer and seller must appear jointly; it means a lawyer must be involved. Your real estate agent or title company can tell you what your state requires.
Finding Out What Yours Will Look Like
Ask your closing agent or title company early in the process how closings normally run in your area, whether a split or escrow format will be used, and whether a remote option is available if you need one. If you already know you can’t attend in person, raise it well before the scheduled date so a power of attorney, mail-away, or RON setup can be put in place without pushing the closing back.