Seller's Pre-Closing Checklist
Sellers · 5 min read
Sellers have less paperwork than buyers at closing — but the seller's side is where title issues actually live. A little preparation in week one prevents nearly every seller-side delay. Here's your list.
Right after ratification
- Send your title company your mortgage information. Lender name, loan number, and authorization to order payoffs — for every mortgage and line of credit on the property, including that HELOC you opened years ago and never used. Open credit lines must be paid off and formally closed at settlement, even at a zero balance.
- Disclose everything with a lien or claim. Solar panel leases or loans, HOA arrears, judgments, unpaid contractors, tax payment plans, child support orders. None of these are deal-killers — but every one of them takes time to document and clear, and surprises found in week five are how closings get postponed.
- Dig out your old owner's title policy if you can find it. It can speed up the search and sometimes reduces costs.
If your situation has a wrinkle
Flag these to us immediately — each is routine when we know early:
- Inherited property / estate sale: we'll need probate documentation showing authority to sell
- Divorce: the deed, the contract, and the court order need to agree on who signs
- Property in a trust or LLC: we'll need the trust agreement or entity documents
- Out-of-state or traveling sellers: remote and mail-away closings are common — we just need lead time to arrange notarization
- Power of attorney: must be pre-approved before closing day, never sprung at the table
Two weeks out
- Confirm how you'll receive proceeds. Wire transfer is fastest; give us your account details through our verified process (never plain email).
- Keep utilities on through the closing date — the buyer's final walkthrough needs power and water.
- Gather house items for the buyer: keys, garage remotes, mailbox keys, appliance manuals, alarm/gate codes.
- Schedule your move to be complete before the walkthrough, which usually happens the day before or morning of settlement.
Closing week
- Review your estimated settlement statement when we send it. Check the payoff amounts, commission figures, and any credits against your contract.
- Bring to closing: government-issued photo ID. If your state of residence differs from Maryland, ask us about Maryland's nonresident withholding tax — it's collected at settlement and often catches out-of-state sellers off guard.
- Attend or pre-sign: many sellers pre-sign a day or two ahead, especially when the buyer's signing time is inconvenient. Ask us — it's easy to arrange.
What happens to your money
After the buyer's funds arrive and documents are signed, we pay off your mortgage(s), the commissions, taxes, and any liens — then wire your net proceeds, typically the same day or next business day. Your old mortgage's formal release gets recorded by our post-closing team in the weeks after; you don't need to do anything.
The one-sentence version
Tell your title company everything early, respond quickly, and keep your ID handy — do that, and the seller's side of a Maryland closing is about as painless as paperwork gets.