Successful Change Management Techniques for Moving to eClosings
The article emphasizes that successful adoption of eClosings, which can save lenders up to $444 per loan and title agents up to $97 per transaction, depends not on technology alone but on structured change management involving active leadership sponsorship, comprehensive education, workflow documentation, and continuous measurement to ensure organization-wide buy-in and effective implementation.
New
Proof launches portable digital identity for banks
Introducing portable identity

Updated September 8, 2026
Roughly half of all organizational change initiatives fail. The technology is rarely the problem. The plan for getting people to use it is.
eClosings powered by remote online notarization give lenders and title agents a clear path to lower costs, faster funding, and a better borrower experience. A study by MarketWise Advisors found that lenders can save up to $444 per loan and title agents can save up to $97 per transaction by switching to eClosings. But those savings only materialize when teams actually adopt the new workflow. That requires structured change management, and most organizations underinvest in it.
This guide breaks down the change management techniques for eClosings that work, based on input from Keri Rogers, SVP of Strategic Planning at Lennar Mortgage, and Jordan Brown, CEO of MarketWise Advisors.
Key takeaways
- Technology alone does not deliver ROI from eClosings. Adoption does, and adoption requires a deliberate change management plan.
- Active, visible leadership sponsorship is the single most important factor in driving organization-wide buy-in for eClosing rollouts.
- Education, workflow documentation, and ongoing measurement are the three operational pillars of a successful eClosing implementation.
- Roughly half of all organizational change initiatives fail, most often because of inadequate change management rather than technology failure.
- A phased rollout, starting with a pilot by transaction type or geography, reduces risk and builds internal advocates before enterprise-wide deployment.
- Measuring and reporting results to leadership keeps ROI visible, surfaces problems early, and sustains executive support over time.
What is change management, and why does it matter for eClosings?
Change management is a systematic approach to transitioning an organization's goals, processes, or technologies. It includes preparing and supporting employees, establishing the necessary steps for change, and monitoring pre- and post-change activities to ensure successful implementation.
For eClosings, change management matters because the shift touches every party in the transaction. Loan officers, title agents, closing teams, notaries, and borrowers all interact with documents and each other differently in a digital closing than in a paper one. That is a significant workflow change, and without a structured plan to support it, adoption stalls.
The consequences of skipping change management compound quickly:
- Lower adoption rates across teams
- Lower ROI on your technology investment
- Unexpected outcomes that erode confidence in the platform
- A history of failed rollouts that makes future technology introductions harder
According to Rogers, a veteran of automation and eClosing technology implementation, change management is non-negotiable. The organizations that treat it as optional are the ones that end up with expensive software nobody uses.
How to build leadership sponsorship for eClosing adoption
Leadership sponsorship is the starting point. When the organization is fully committed from the top down and everyone sees the value and ROI of a particular initiative, buy-in from the broader organization follows.
That means sponsors need to understand exactly what their role is in the change management process. Sponsorship is active, not passive. It includes:
- Communicating the business case for eClosings to their teams, with specific numbers attached
- Participating visibly in rollout activities, including training sessions and pilot reviews
- Removing organizational barriers that slow adoption
- Holding teams accountable for adoption targets
The business case for eClosings is concrete. Lenders save up to $444 per loan. Title agents save up to $97 per transaction. Present those numbers alongside a realistic implementation timeline and a defined change management plan. When leadership sees a credible path to ROI, buy-in follows. Ongoing measurement and transparent reporting keep that support in place as the rollout progresses.
Choosing the right eClosing technology partner
Before you can manage the change, you need the right platform. Choosing the right partner for your eClosing technology needs is essential. Consider:
- Compliance coverage. Does the platform automatically enforce state RON laws, underwriter requirements, and company policies? Manual compliance tracking creates risk.
- Workflow fit. Does the platform support the closing types you run, including cash, seller-side, mortgage, refinance, HELOC, and loan modifications?
- Integration depth. Does it connect with your existing LOS and title systems, or does it require teams to work in a separate tool?
- Identity verification. Does the platform perform rigorous identity checks that protect against fraud and satisfy regulatory requirements?
- Customer enablement and support. What does onboarding look like for your team, and what ongoing support is available?
Once you have selected a vendor that fits your needs, you can focus on implementation and adoption.
The three pillars of a successful eClosing rollout
Rogers identifies three critical elements of a successful eClosing implementation: education, workflows, and measurement. These are the operational backbone of your change management plan.
Education: start early and cover every party
Both employees and customers need to understand what eClosings are, how the process works, and how they improve the transaction experience before the first digital closing takes place.
For internal teams, education means training loan officers, closers, and operations staff on the new platform and the new workflow. For borrowers, it means setting clear expectations about what they will experience, what technology they need, and who to contact if something goes wrong.
Education that starts late creates friction at the worst possible moment: during a live transaction.
Workflow documentation: remove doubt before it starts
Define your workflow clearly and present it in a straightforward format for everyone to follow. A well-documented process removes doubt and uncertainty around the eClosing process before it starts.
This documentation should cover:
- How eClosing eligibility is determined for each transaction
- How closing packages are prepared and sent
- What identity verification steps borrowers will complete
- How notary connections are established and managed
- What happens after the closing is complete, including package delivery and archiving
When teams know exactly what to do and in what order, adoption accelerates. When they are guessing, they revert to paper.
Measurement: keep ROI visible
Use data and customer feedback to determine success and present those findings to leadership. Measurement keeps ROI visible, surfaces problems early, and sustains buy-in over time.
Define your eClosing KPIs before the rollout begins. Useful metrics include:
- Adoption rate by transaction type and geography
- Error rate compared to paper closings
- Time-to-fund from closing completion
- Borrower satisfaction scores
- Notary session completion rates
Report these metrics to leadership on a regular cadence. When results are positive, they reinforce the investment. When results reveal a problem, they give you the data to fix it before it compounds.
How to address resistance to eClosing adoption
Resistance is predictable. Change scares people, especially when it touches established workflows they have used for years. The goal is to address resistance early, before it becomes entrenched.
In the eClosing context, resistance typically shows up in a few specific forms:
- Loan officers who are skeptical that borrowers will complete the digital process without friction
- Closers and notaries who are comfortable with in-person workflows and uncertain about video-based signings
- Borrowers who are unfamiliar with identity verification steps or video notarization
- Compliance teams who are uncertain about how state RON laws apply to specific transaction types
Address each form of resistance with specific information, not general reassurance. Show loan officers borrower completion data. Walk closers through a live demo of a digital session. Give borrowers a clear guide to what they will experience. Give compliance teams a documented map of how the platform enforces state-specific requirements.
Too many changes at once can overload teams and stall progress. A phased rollout, starting with a pilot by transaction type, geography, or branch, gives you a controlled environment to identify friction points before scaling.
Using pilot programs to build internal advocates
A pilot is the most effective way to de-risk an eClosing rollout and build internal advocates at the same time. Start with a defined subset: one transaction type, one geography, or one team. Run the pilot long enough to generate meaningful data, typically 60 to 90 days.
Employees involved in the pilot become your change champions. They have firsthand experience with the platform, they can answer peer questions, and they model adoption for the broader organization. Their credibility with colleagues is higher than any top-down directive.
Use the pilot to:
- Identify workflow gaps before enterprise rollout
- Collect borrower experience data that supports the business case
- Train a core group of internal advocates
- Refine your training materials based on real questions from the field
Brown explains that the objective is to close a loan while providing the best possible customer experience. When introducing eClosings, set clear expectations with your borrowers and make sure all operations are aligned internally, with title agents, and with the local recording office. A smooth and seamless digital transaction should always be the goal.
"For Lennar, when a borrower can close a loan on their mobile device while standing in their new kitchen, holding the keys to their new home, that is success," said Rogers.
Aligning internal teams and external partners
eClosing adoption does not happen inside a single organization. It requires alignment across lenders, title agents, notaries, and recording offices. Each party has its own workflows, its own technology, and its own threshold for change.
Build alignment by:
- Communicating the rollout plan to title agents and settlement service providers early, before the first digital closing
- Confirming that your notary network, whether in-house or through a platform like the Notarize Network, is trained and available
- Verifying that the recording offices in your target geographies accept electronically notarized documents
- Establishing escalation paths for transactions that encounter technical or compliance issues mid-closing
When all parties know what to expect and have a clear path to resolution when something goes wrong, the transaction experience improves for everyone, including the borrower.
Sustaining adoption after the initial rollout
The rollout is not the finish line. Adoption requires reinforcement over time, especially as team turnover introduces new employees who were not part of the original training.
Sustain adoption by:
- Building eClosing training into onboarding for new hires in relevant roles
- Celebrating milestones, including the first fully digital closing, the 100th RON session, and error-free months
- Continuing to report adoption metrics to leadership on a regular cadence
- Gathering ongoing feedback from borrowers and closing teams to identify friction points as they emerge
The organizations that treat eClosing adoption as a continuous process, rather than a one-time project, are the ones that realize the full financial and operational benefits over time.









































.jpg)





























































.jpg)




























