Should Sacramento Home Sellers Sign Documents After Closing Escrow?

Your Sacramento Realtor can advise whether to sign documents after closing.

As a top Sacramento listing agent, I am asked by buyer’s agents all the time to have my sellers sign documents after closing escrow. The reasons are many. They forgot to submit a document for signature. The buyers’ agents do not know which type of home disclosures apply to the particular transaction. Their broker enforces practices dating back to the last century that used to require signatures on certain real estate forms, which have long been obsolete and, if the agent doesn’t submit the form, the broker won’t pay her. See? A bazillion crazy reasons.

One of the benefits my sellers enjoy when they are working with Elizabeth Weintraub is reliability. They are assured all of the required documents are in the file and they will not be asked to sign documents after closing escrow. In my Sacramento real estate practice, I employ the services of a transaction coordinator. Yes, I pay her. I do not charge my seller for those services like I’ve seen other agents, especially some buyers’ agents, do. That seems like nickel and diming. I make a good income and refuse to squeeze my sellers. My transaction coordinator makes certain we are not missing any required real estate disclosures.

On top of this, my transaction coordinator is a licensed real estate agent, also employed by our broker. Our broker, Lyon Real Estate, has an escrow department within the company whose function is to audit real estate files in progress and make certain that every single required document has been received prior to closing. It’s an additional layer to prevent oversights or mistakes. We double check.

Our company is light years ahead of some smaller mom-and-pop companies with regards to ensuring our clients are protected. We stay informed about new legal issues and laws and guidelines pertaining to Sacramento real estate. Many transactions are different from each other and require different home disclosures. It’s not a cookie-cutter situation.

When a buyer’s agent asks if our home sellers will sign documents after closing escrow, the answer is NO. Not gonna happen. It’s not to be cruel to that agent, and some of them get their knickers in a twist. It’s real estate law. If a document was not signed during escrow, the agent has lost the chance to get it signed because escrow is now closed. You can’t disclose, for example, after the fact. There is no reason to incur additional liability for our sellers. Further, our fiduciary is over when we receive confirmation from title that the deed has recorded. We cannot continue to represent a client we no longer legally represent.

If you’re looking for a Sacramento Realtor to look out for your liability and protect your interests, call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759.