In order for a property to close successfully, a number of things must happen. First, the buyer and seller must come to an agreement on price and financing must be secured. After that, the title company gets involved and starts the behind-the-scenes work to have the property ownership transferred from the seller to buyer, which includes having a notary public to act as a witness.
Title Company Capabilities
The title company plays a critical role in the transaction: it is the responsibility of the title company to ensure the closing happens. Title companies handle all aspects of real estate closings. At Title Junction, for example, our full-service title insurance agency can serve as an escrow agent, witness courtesy closings and provide notary services in addition to providing real estate title insurance. Title companies research the title to ensure there are no liens against the property or other holds on the title. We also order the survey and prepare the deed for ownership transfer.
The title company coordinates closing instructions between the buyer and seller’s representatives, and the lender. A title insurance agency does not work on behalf of any one party over the other. Rather, the company’s role is to remain completely neutral in the transaction. We are only interested in making everything occur that is needed for the closing to happen.
The Role of the Notary
Title companies also often provide notary services. This is due to the sheer number of mortgage and closing documents that require a notary signature or seal in every transaction. It is not unusual for a notary at a title company to be referred to as a notary-signing agent. This simply means that the notary has had specialized training and experience in signing and acting as a witness to escrow and mortgage documents. In fact, you should feel good about having a notary-signing agent working at your closing because it means they have extensive experience handling real estate property ownership transfers.
Our notary’s role as an impartial witness to the signing plays an important role at closing too. One of the core services provided by a notary is his or her ability to prevent fraud. A notary does this by verifying that the signers are who they say they are, understand what they are signing and are doing so of their own free will.
It is for these reasons that Title Junction employs notaries in our office in Fort Myers. Notary publics on staff means our company can provide a convenient service for customers and facilitate a great number of closings at our office.
At Title Junction we care about helping you stay informed throughout your real estate transaction. Have questions? Give us a call at 239.415.6574.
In case you missed it, check out our last Title Junction post: What Responsibilities Do I Have During the Lending Process?