Paper Signatures are Slowing Down Real Estate Transactions 

By some estimates, purchasing a single-family residential home may require more than 230 different activities, including research, document drafting, document review, inspection, closing, and many other steps. Commercial transactions can be even more complicated. Every unnecessary step adds complexity, contributes to delay, and imposes costs. Removing pen-and-paper signatures and replacing them with electronic signatures and online identity verification can speed the process. 

Electronic signing comes with all of the following advantages: 

Enabling signatories to execute contracts from wherever they happen to be. Geography is not a limitation.  
Unlike wet signatures, they cannot be physically forged or altered 
Paper documents can be lost or destroyed  
An enhanced user experience 
Greater accuracy. There’s no need to decipher confusing handwritten. 
Speed 
Cost-savings 
Flexibility and convenience 

Real estate documents that can and should become part of digitized workflows include: 

Construction permit applications 
Listing agreements 
Rental, lease, and housing agreements 
Agent onboarding and licensing documents 
Buyer/seller agreements 
Purchase and sale agreements 
Disclosure forms 
Amendments 
Power of attorney forms 

Camber Creek portfolio company Proof is the leading electronic identity verification company. It enables real estate agents, title insurance companies, and enterprises across a range of industries to know their customers, verify their identity, and transact quickly and seamlessly. 

Photo by Romain Dancre