What is the role of the closing attorney in a real estate transaction?

The role of the closing attorney in a real estate transaction is primarily to facilitate the closing process and ensure that all legal aspects of the transaction are properly handled. This includes preparing and reviewing documents, ensuring that title issues are resolved, conducting the closing meeting, and disbursing funds as required. The closing attorney verifies that all necessary legal requirements are met, which provides protection to all parties involved, thereby ensuring a smooth transition of property ownership and compliance with local laws and regulations.

This role contrasts with other aspects of real estate transactions that would involve different professionals; for instance, evaluating property value is typically handled by appraisers, while marketing strategies fall under the purview of real estate agents. Likewise, negotiations on behalf of the buyer would typically be managed by the buyer's agent, rather than the closing attorney. Thus, the closing attorney plays a critical and specific role focused on the legal and procedural elements of the closing process.