After weeks of inspections, appraisals, and paperwork, the parties finally sit down and sign the last documents. Ownership transfers. That meeting is the closing. Funds move, keys change hands, and the transaction becomes final.

Closings can occur in person at a title company or attorney’s office, or through remote online processes where permitted. The buyer typically brings a cashier’s check or wire for the remaining funds. The seller receives the net proceeds after mortgages, commissions, and other obligations are paid.

The closing disclosure, reviewed days earlier, itemizes every cost. Title is recorded in the new owner’s name shortly afterward. A smooth closing feels anticlimactic after the tension of negotiations; a problem-filled one can stretch for hours. Once the documents are signed and funds confirmed, the property has a new owner.

• Final step transferring property ownership
• Involves signing documents and moving funds
• Handled by title company or closing attorney
• Followed by public recording of the deed