HomeHomes
hand holding computer mouse

Can You Close on a House Remotely? Here’s What You Need To Know

Explore your mortgage options

NMLS #3030

*Connect with a mortgage specialist

We teamed up with Rocket Mortgage to help you get house-hunting sooner. Answer a few questions and an agent will reach out to discuss your options.

Get Started by selecting an option below

What kind of loan are you interested in?

What to expect

Tell us what you need and a representative from Rocket Mortgage will give you a call. You’ll have support at every step.

What kind of property do you want to purchase? What kind of property do you own?

Why we’re asking

Rocket Mortgage® can provide a more accurate rate estimate if they know what kind of property you’re interested in.

NMLS #3030
How do you use your property? How would you use this property?

Why we’re asking

Having a little more information upfront helps Rocket Mortgage® provide a personalized rate faster.

NMLS #3030
When are you planning to buy?

Still House Hunting?

Hope you find your dream home soon! In the meantime, it’s never too early to know your rate.

NMLS #3030
Are you a first-time home buyer?

It’s all good:

Whether it’s your first – or second property – Rocket Mortgage® can provide you with a rate estimate.

NMLS #3030
Do you have a second mortgage?

It’s all good

If you have a second mortgage, it’s no problem. Letting us know helps to customize your rate.

NMLS #3030
What is your credit score?

Don’t know your score?

Don’t sweat it! Make your best guess. Credit scores range from 300 (low) to 850 (excellent).

NMLS #3030

Tell us a bit more about you

What happens next?

A representative from Rocket Mortgage® will be in touch to discuss your commitment-free, personalized rate. Then you can decide whether you’d like to lock it in!

NMLS #3030

Enter your contact info so Rocket Mortgage® can get in touch!

By providing your contact information and clicking the "Agree & Send Information" button below, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You also expressly consent by electronic signature to receive telephonic sales, promotional, marketing and other calls and text messages, including any calls and messages sent by any automated system or other means for the selection or dialing of telephone numbers, or using an artificial or prerecorded voice message when a connection is completed, from Rocket Mortgage, its Family of Companies, our partner companies and our marketing partners at the telephone number you have provided, even if that telephone number is on a corporate, state, or national do-not-call list or registry. Your consent and agreement to receive such calls or text messages is not a condition of purchasing any property, goods or services from us, our Family of Companies or any of our partners.

NMLS #3030

Nowadays, you can buy almost anything online. With a few taps on a screen or clicks of a mouse, everything from cars, furniture, clothing, groceries and takeout can be yours. And while real estate might be the most complex transaction you ever tackle, you can buy your home online.

Yes, you read that right – a remote real estate closing is a real thing. And you can close on a house remotely in most of the U.S.

Keep reading to learn more about what you need to complete a remote real estate closing.

What Is a Remote Closing on a House?

A digital closing (aka remote closing, eClosing or virtual closing) is a home closing that allows you to sign documents electronically and verify your identity remotely.

Though a remote closing is often paired with an eMortgage, which finalizes the entire home buying process online, remote closings aren’t always completed entirely by computer. For those of us who prefer the sensation of putting ink to paper, remote closings can also include sending and receiving documents for signature by mail.

Let’s say you live in New York but plan to relocate to Texas. A remote closing will let you finalize purchasing your new home without you ever needing to book a flight to the Lone Star State.

Are you intrigued? We’ll get into the details and show you how it works.

How Does a Remote Closing Work?

To buy a house online, you’ll go through many of the same steps required for a traditional home purchase.

Buying a house is – first and foremost – a transaction. It is an exchange of something valuable (a house) for something else that is valuable (money). It involves an agreement (the mortgage agreement) and a lot of paperwork to document what’s happening and keep track of who owns what.

To close remotely, you must provide:

  • A government-issued photo ID (like a passport or driver’s license)
  • A wire transfer(s) for the closing costs and down payment
  • Signed, notarized mortgage documents (if applicable)
  • Notarized closing documents (like the deed)
  • Signatures on all other paperwork

Today, most remote closings are hybrid closings and most transactions are completed virtually. Other remote closing options include remote online notarization (RON) and in-person e-notarization (IPEN).

Hybrid closing

In 2020, the real estate market largely transitioned to showing homes remotely and closing electronically in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many states made exceptions to their existing laws, allowing home buyers to close on a home without ever coming in direct contact with another person.

Fully remote closings aren’t available in some states, but you may be able to finalize your home purchase with a hybrid closing, which is currently one of the most popular ways to close on a home.

With a hybrid closing, you can send payments and sign documents that don’t require meeting with a notary in person electronically.

The good news is that a hybrid closing usually allows you to do your part at your convenience – and you probably won’t have to be physically present on the closing date.

Remote online notarization (RON)

Even if you opt for a remote closing, you must verify your identity and sign all appropriate closing documents. This is where RON comes in.

RON offers the ultimate remote closing experience. You never appear in person to make any payments, verify your identity, sign paperwork or get documents notarized.

Instead, you log in to a video call (via Skype, Zoom or other video conferencing software), present your government-issued ID to a representative from the title company and a notary and sign all your paperwork electronically.

Remote online notarization is not available in all states. And it may be a temporary offering in response to COVID-19 concerns in the few states that offer it.

Nearly every state in the U.S. has (or had) temporary or permanent remote or electronic notarization laws in place. Because the rules may change, you should check your state government’s website to confirm the rules on remote notarization.

In-person e-notarization (IPEN)

Whether you’re attending an in-person closing or closing remotely, there will be documents you’ll need to get notarized. With IPEN, those documents are notarized electronically during an in-person meeting with a notary.

The difference between traditional notarization and IPEN is that IPEN uses digital signatures and stamps to notarize electronic documents, replacing physical notary stamps, pens and paper.

Closing documents can be signed and stamped electronically using both RON and IPEN. And in addition to not wasting paper and saving trees, IPEN provides a clear audit trail and improved security compared to the filing and storage of physical documents.

Can you close using DocuSign?

Thanks to the E-SIGN Act,[1] you can close on a house using DocuSign or other electronic signature software. But some states require a wet signature on certain documents.

What Is a Wet Signature?

A wet signature refers to a wet-ink signature. It’s what you get when you sign a physical document with a pen. A dry signature is an electronic signature, which, in most cases, is a legally acceptable way to sign documents.

Some states require wet signatures during remote closings for notarized or collateral documents, such as a promissory note, mortgage or deed of trust.

You Can Remote Start Your Car. Why Not Remote Close on a Home?

Today, there are so many things we can do remotely, like working from home or starting our cars. Depending on which state you call home, closing on a home remotely is an option you may be able to take advantage of.

Explore your mortgage options

Answer some basic questions and an agent will be in touch soon.

What do you want to do?
Learn more about this form
What kind of property do you want to purchase? What kind of property do you own?
How do you use your property? How would you use this property?
When are you planning to buy? It’s okay if you haven’t found a property yet!
Are you a first-time home buyer?
Do you have a second mortgage?
What is your credit score?
Determining Your Credit Score
  1. Your credit score is a three-digit number that’s used to predict how likely it is you’ll pay back money you borrowed.
  2. The score generally ranges from 300 (low) to 850 (excellent). It’s calculated by looking at your previous credit history.
  3. You can check your credit report to find the number or use a free credit tool. You can also plug in your best guess.

Tell us a bit more about you

Enter your contact info so Rocket Mortgage® can get in touch!

By providing your contact information and clicking the “Agree & Send Information” button below, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You also expressly consent by electronic signature to receive telephonic sales, promotional, marketing and other calls and text messages, including any calls and messages sent by any automated system or other means for the selection or dialing of telephone numbers, or using an artificial or prerecorded voice message when a connection is completed, from Rocket Mortgage, its Family of Companies, our partner companies and our marketing partners at the telephone number you have provided, even if that telephone number is on a corporate, state, or national do-not-call list or registry. Your consent and agreement to receive such calls or text messages is not a condition of purchasing any property, goods or services from us, our Family of Companies or any of our partners.

Your information has been sent!

A Rocket Mortgage® expert will reach out soon to discuss your options.

Your information has been sent!

A Rocket Mortgage® expert will reach out soon to discuss your options.

In the meantime…
Back to the content you came here for! 👍
Feel at Home Make your home feel like home with this handy move-in checklist. ✅
Feel at Home Settle in with home improvement tips & tricks. 🔨
Feel at Home Settle in with home improvement tips & tricks. 🔨

The Short Version

  • A digital closing (aka remote closing, eClosing or virtual closing) is a home closing that allows you to sign documents electronically and verify your identity remotely
  • Remote online notarization and in-person e-notarization allow closing documents to be signed and stamped electronically
  • Nearly every state in the U.S. has (or had) remote or electronic notarization laws in place
Back to top of page

  1. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. “The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-Sign Act).” Retrieved July 2022 from https://www.fdic.gov/resources/supervision-and-examinations/consumer-compliance-examination-manual/documents/10/x-3-1.pdf

You Should Also Check Out…

Our team of financial experts write, review and verify content for accuracy and clarity.