Real Estate Transactions Overview – Proof Help Center
Proof's real estate closing platform integrates with your lender or title company to facilitate either fully online or hybrid closings—where you either complete all documents remotely via live notary and eSignatures or partially online with some in-person signing—after verifying property eligibility and coordinating the transaction setup through your lender or title company.
Most real estate closings on Proof are coordinated by your lender or title company. Depending on your specific transaction, you’ll complete either a fully online or a hybrid closing. This guide walks you through both workflows, so you know exactly what to expect on closing day.
How to Get Started
Proof works alongside your existing real estate process. You don't need to start from scratch. Here's how to get the ball rolling:
- 1.
Contact Your Lender or Title Company
Most closings need to be created through your lender or title company because technical and legal arrangements must be in place before you can close online. If you'd like to use Proof, just let them know and they can get things set up on their end. - 2.
Check Your Property's Eligibility
When your lender or title company creates your transaction, Proof automatically checks whether your property is eligible for an online closing based on the property address. If online closing isn't available for your property, check with your underwriter or county recorder for more information. - 3.
Choose Your Closing Type
Based on your transaction, you'll be set up for one of two closing types:- Fully Online Closing (eClosing): Everything happens online. You connect with a notary via live video, eSign your documents, and complete the entire closing package remotely. No in-person meeting required.
- Hybrid Closing: Some documents are eSigned online through Proof before your closing. The remaining documents that require a physical signature are printed and wet-signed at an in-person meeting with your title agent.
Not sure which closing type applies to you? Reach out to your lender or title company and ask:
"Will my closing be fully online or a hybrid closing?"
What About Deeds and Power of Attorney?
Good news — deeds and power of attorney documents can typically be completed on Proof without needing to go through a lender or title company. You can get started on your own.
That said, if you're planning to submit your document to a title agent, mortgage broker, realtor, or the county, it's worth confirming they'll accept it first. Just ask them:
"Will you accept a document that has been electronically signed and notarized online?"
Summary Checklist
- Contact your lender or title company to set up your closing through Proof.
- Proof will automatically check your property's eligibility for online closing.
- A fully online closing means everything — including notarization — happens via video call.
- A hybrid closing means some documents are eSigned online and the rest are wet-signed in person.
Still unsure? For a deeper look at each closing type, check out the Fully Online Closing Overview or Hybrid Closing Overview. For technical help, contact Proof Support.
Related
How to Keep Transactions Secure | Proof
The article explains that the surge in real estate fraud, exacerbated by the shift to digital closings, demands integrated security measures throughout transactions—such as verified identity checks, URL verification, client education, and ongoing monitoring—to protect large financial transfers and sensitive personal data from threats like wire fraud, deed fraud, and social engineering scams.
Essential Tips to Fight Property Fraud
Property fraud—including mortgage, wire, and title fraud—is surging due to factors like rising interest rates, limited housing supply, an aging population transferring generational wealth, and increasing cyber fraud, with significant increases in seller misrepresentation and risks in transactions, notably in states like New York, Florida, Rhode Island, and Utah.
Fast, Secure Online Closings for Title Professionals
Proof Title Pro offers title professionals a secure, efficient platform for managing home closings with eClosing and online notarization tools, featuring pay-per-transaction pricing, built-in fraud protection through multi-factor identity verification, and support for hybrid and fully digital closings to streamline processes and enhance client experience.
What You Need to Know About eRecording | Proof
eRecording enables the digital submission of mortgage closing documents to county recorders, significantly speeding up the process by replacing physical delivery with online exchange, supported legally by the Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act (URPERA), and while most U.S. counties accept eRecording, alternatives like papering out and hybrid closings ensure electronic workflows can still proceed where full eRecording isn't available.
Why Lenders Are Doubling Down on eMortgage Tech and What It Means for Title Agents
Lenders are rapidly adopting eMortgage technology to reduce closing costs, save time, enhance fraud prevention, and ensure compliance, compelling title agents to adapt to digital workflows like eClose and RON to remain competitive in the evolving mortgage industry.
ALTA's Best Practices: The Guide to Securing Your Closings
The American Land Title Association (ALTA) released updated Best Practices Framework (Version 4.2) and Identity Verification Guidance to help title and settlement companies combat rising real estate fraud by mandating robust, documented identity verification programs, enhanced oversight of notaries and signing professionals, and a layered approach combining human oversight, training, and technology to ensure valid IDs, identity matching, and transaction legitimacy.