Closing the Circle with Electronic Signatures

To borrow from The Lion King, even real estate documents have a "circle of life." They begin as forms and end up as documents. Closing that circle has gotten infinitely easier with the advent of electronic signatures.

You're probably nodding your head, agreeing that this is a no-brainer. But, the truth is that digital signatures have been legal for many years (protected by federal statute) and yet adoption was growing at a snail's pace until only recently. What caused this shift? Consumers are the driving force behind the growth of electronic signatures.

"The downturn in the real estate market led to the growth of investors making deals in other states. Those out-of-state buyers loved the convenience of electronic signatures," explains Marilyn Wilson, co-founder of the WAV Group. "International investors also became much more active during the real estate crash. They, too, were the perfect user group for electronic signatures." Wilson also points to eCommerce as a driver of electronic signature adoption. "Consumers are used to entirely digital transactions and feel comfortable when their real estate transactions are digital as well," she says.

Wilson and other thought leaders discussed a range of issues associated with electronic signatures in their webinar, "Not All Electronic Signatures Are Created Equal." You can view their full discussion here: