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What to Expect at Your Real Estate Closing
By Robin Wyatt
July 4, 2026
Clients ask me some version of the same question almost every week: "What actually happens at the closing table?" It's a fair question. For most people, buying or selling real estate is one of the largest transactions of their life, and closing day is the one part of the process where everyone finally sits down in the same room and makes it official. Here's what to actually expect, from someone who runs closings out of our Snellville office every week.
What Is a Real Estate Closing?
A closing is the meeting where ownership of a property legally transfers from the seller to the buyer. The deed gets signed and prepared for recording, any loan documents get signed, the money moves where it needs to go, and everyone walks away with what they came for: the seller with their proceeds, the buyer with their keys.
Why Georgia Requires an Attorney at Closing
Georgia is what's known as an "attorney closing state." Under Georgia law, only a licensed attorney can conduct the closing, prepare or approve the deed, and disburse loan proceeds. That's true even if you already have a great real estate agent handling your contract. Your agent negotiates the deal; a closing attorney is the one who has to make sure the title is clear and the transaction is legally sound before any money or property changes hands.
Who Attends the Closing?
Typically the buyer, the seller (or their respective attorneys, if they aren't local), and the closing attorney or a paralegal from the closing attorney's office. Real estate agents often attend as well, though it isn't required. If the buyer is financing the purchase, a lender representative usually isn't in the room, but their loan package absolutely is.
What Documents Will I Sign?
The paperwork varies by transaction, but most closings include the deed, a settlement statement (sometimes called a Closing Disclosure), a title affidavit, and, for financed purchases, the full loan package from the lender: the note, the security deed, and various disclosures. We walk through each document before you sign it, and there's no such thing as a question that's too basic to ask at the table.
How Long Does a Closing Take?
A straightforward residential closing usually takes 30 to 60 minutes. Cash purchases tend to be quicker since there's no lender paperwork. Closings with title issues that need to be resolved, multiple sellers, an estate, or a commercial property can take longer, sometimes significantly longer, which is part of why we like to review title well before closing day rather than the morning of.
What Should I Bring to Closing?
Bring a valid, government-issued photo ID. If you owe money at closing, bring certified or cashier's funds, or arrange a wire in advance; we do not accept personal checks for closing funds. If you're financing the purchase, your lender will typically require proof of homeowner's insurance before we can close.
What Are Typical Closing Costs?
Closing costs generally include the closing attorney's fee, title insurance premiums (which I wrote about in more detail in my earlier post on title insurance), recording fees paid to the county, and prorated property taxes and any HOA dues between buyer and seller. If you're financing, expect additional lender fees, which your loan estimate should already outline.
What Happens After Closing?
Once everyone has signed and funds have been confirmed, we send the deed and security deed to the county clerk's office for recording, which makes the transfer part of the public record. Funds are disbursed to the seller, any existing loans being paid off, and other parties owed money at the table. For buyers, keys are typically handed over the same day, once we've confirmed funding and the deed is clear to record.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not always. If you can't attend in person, we can often arrange a mail-away closing or a power of attorney signed in advance, but this needs to be set up with our office before closing day, not the morning of.
Yes. In Georgia, real estate agents are not permitted to conduct the closing itself. State law requires a licensed attorney to handle the closing, prepare or review the deed, and disburse funds, regardless of who represented you in finding the property.
Cash closings are usually shorter and involve fewer documents since there's no lender's loan package to sign, no lender's title policy, and no financing contingencies to satisfy. You'll still sign a deed, a settlement statement, and standard title affidavits.
Typically the same day, once your funds have been disbursed and, for a purchase, once the deed is confirmed clear to record. Your agent or our office will let you know the moment you're cleared to get the keys.
Questions About Your Upcoming Closing?
Every transaction is a little different, and the details above are the general shape of a Georgia closing, not a substitute for advice about your specific contract. If you have a closing coming up in Snellville, Lawrenceville, or anywhere else in Gwinnett County, reach out to our office and we're happy to walk you through what your closing will look like.