We often get the question, “What does the Realtor do at the closing?” We try to clean up those questions in this post.

Contract

The first thing the Realtor does is send the contract to the closing company. The contract lets the closing company know what the purchase price is, who’s paying for the closing costs, and miscellaneous things like termites, surveys, etc. This contract is the closing company and the Realtor’s guideline to following through on the close effectively.

Closing Sheet

The next thing a Realtor is going to do is send over the closing instructions or closing sheet. The broker particularly wants to see this sheet to understand minute details like commission slips, bonuses being paid, and anything else that’s not initially in the contract between the buyer and the seller.

Miscellaneous Tasks

After these things have been communicated to all parties, the Realtor has a duty to make sure things are happening. If there’s supposed to be a survey, a warranty purchased, things of that nature, the Realtor tracks and assists in their execution.

Settlement Statement

The last official thing the Realtor must do is get the settlement statement (also known as the closing disclosure) from the closing company and make sure it’s correct. The agent will make sure the commissions are correct and the debits and credits of the closing costs are correct. It’s their last chance to make sure all the numbers look the same as on the contract. It’s at this point that a closing protection letter can be issued (at the Realtor’s recommendation), which is insurance for the buyer or seller, and will protect them from the closing company not following instructions or making mistakes.

Best Practices

Typically, the Realtor’s duty is solely contracts. If all contracts are executed properly, any issues should be resolved beforehand, and there is no further role for the Realtor outside of client relations. However, it is good practice for the agent to show up at the closing just in case. It’s not a strict rule, but it’ll set the client’s mind at ease, and improve their relationship in the long run.