You can buy or sell a home in Ontario without ever setting foot in your lawyer’s office. A virtual closing lets you verify your identity, review and sign your documents, and complete the deal by video and secure software, while your lawyer registers the title transfer electronically the same way an in person closing is registered.
Ontario closings have run largely on electronic registration for years through Teraview, the provincial land registration system. What changed is the client side. Lawyers can now confirm identity, witness signatures, and commission documents remotely, so the whole file can run from your kitchen table. This guide explains how a remote closing works at our firm, what it costs, where it tends to go wrong, and how to get ready, with the Ontario rules that actually govern the process.
What is a virtual real estate closing?
A virtual or remote real estate closing is a property transaction completed without an in person meeting between you and your lawyer. You handle identity checks, document review, and signing through secure video calls and electronic signing platforms. Your lawyer still does everything a lawyer does in a traditional closing. They review your agreement of purchase and sale, search title, prepare your closing documents, deal with your lender, and register the transfer.
One point trips people up. Most assume that virtual means the registration itself is digital. In Ontario, registration has been digital for a long time. Title transfers across the province are registered electronically through Teraview, the system operated by Teranet, and only a licensed lawyer can register in it. So the electronic part of your closing already happened behind the scenes long before remote closings became common. The truly remote part is the client facing work, the identity verification, the signing, and the commissioning, which used to require a trip to the office and no longer does.
Remote closings tend to suit out of province or overseas sellers, buyers with mobility or scheduling constraints, and anyone who would rather not travel. At our firm you can choose either format. If you prefer to sign across the desk, you still can. Learn more about what we handle on our Toronto real estate page and our Ottawa real estate page.
Is a virtual closing legal in Ontario?
Yes. A remote closing relies on the same legal framework as any Ontario closing, plus a few rules that let the client steps happen at a distance. Three pieces matter to you.
Electronic registration and signatures
Your lawyer registers the transfer of title electronically through Teraview. Because only licensed lawyers can register in that system, a lawyer is required to complete a purchase or sale in Ontario. Your agreement of purchase and sale and most of your closing documents can be signed electronically under Ontario law, which is what lets you sign from home rather than at a desk.
Verifying who you are
This is the rule most generic guides get wrong. Since January 1, 2024, a lawyer who verifies your identity remotely cannot simply look at your ID over a video call. Under the Law Society of Ontario’s client identification and verification rules, the lawyer must authenticate your government issued photo identification using technology that checks the document against its security features, or use another approved method such as the credit file method or the dual process method. The change followed a rise in title and mortgage fraud. In practice it means a virtual closing now includes an ID authentication step through a verification app, not a casual video peek at your driver’s licence.
Swearing and commissioning documents remotely
Some closing documents must be sworn or commissioned, which means you confirm under oath that what they say is true. Ontario Regulation 431/20, made under the Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act and in force since August 1, 2020, lets a commissioner administer an oath or declaration remotely. You and the commissioner must be able to see, hear, and communicate in real time, your identity must be confirmed, and the document must record where each of you was located. That regulation is what makes remote commissioning during a virtual closing possible. If you ever need a document commissioned on its own, our notary and commissioner services cover that too.
How a virtual closing works at our firm, step by step
Here is the path a typical residential virtual closing follows once you retain us. Timelines shift with your closing date and your lender, but the order rarely changes.
- Open the file and authenticate your ID. Within a day or two of retaining us, we send you a secure link to authenticate your government issued photo identification. It takes a few minutes on your phone.
- Title search and review. In the weeks before closing we search title, review your agreement, review a condo status certificate if one applies, arrange title insurance, and coordinate with your lender.
- Statement of adjustments and funds required. About a week before closing we prepare your statement of adjustments and tell you the exact amount you need to bring to close.
- Signing appointment by video. A few days before closing we meet you by video, walk through every document, witness and commission what needs it, and you sign electronically.
- Deliver your closing funds. You send the balance by wire or certified bank draft to our trust account, early enough that the funds clear before closing day.
- Closing day. We exchange documents and funds with the other lawyer in escrow under the Law Society’s Document Registration Agreement, register the transfer in Teraview, and confirm the deal has closed so the keys can be released. The escrow step matters because registration and the release of funds do not happen at the exact same instant, and the Document Registration Agreement is what protects both sides in that gap.
Virtual closing or in person closing, which fits you
Both formats produce the same legal result. The right choice comes down to where you are, how complex your file is, and how comfortable you are signing on a screen. This table sets the two side by side.
| Factor | Virtual closing | In person closing |
|---|---|---|
| Where you sign | Anywhere with stable internet | At the lawyer’s office |
| Identity check | Authenticated remotely through verification technology | Photo ID examined in person |
| Document review | By video and screen share | Across the desk |
| Commissioning | Remote under O. Reg. 431/20 | In person |
| Closing funds | Wire or bank draft to trust | Wire or bank draft to trust |
| Best if | You are out of province or abroad, travel is hard, or your schedule is tight | You prefer face to face, have complex documents, or want hands on guidance |
| Timeline | Same as in person | Same as virtual |
If you are local and your file is straightforward, either works. The further away you are, or the tighter your timing, the more a virtual closing earns its place.
How to prepare for your virtual closing
A little preparation removes almost all of the friction. Run through this before your signing appointment.
- Have valid, current two government issued photo IDs ready. Check the expiry date now, not on closing day.
- Make sure the name on your IDs matches your agreement of purchase and sale and your mortgage.
- Set up in a quiet space with stable internet and a device with a working camera and microphone.
- Arrange your closing funds early and confirm with us how to send them.
- Tell us at the start if you will be out of the country or signing through a power of attorney.
- Read your statement of adjustments before the signing call so you can ask questions while we are together.
- Keep your phone nearby on closing day in case we need to reach you quickly.
Frequently asked questions
Is a virtual closing as legally valid as an in person one?
Yes. The documents, the registration in Teraview, and the legal effect are identical. The only difference is that your identity check, signing, and commissioning happen by video and secure software instead of in the office.
Can I close from another country?
Often, yes, with planning. Time zones, ID authentication, and the funds transfer all need to be coordinated in advance, and in some cases a power of attorney is the cleaner route. Tell your lawyer early so the extra steps fit inside your timeline.
Do I still need a lawyer for a virtual closing?
Yes. Only a licensed lawyer can register your transfer in Ontario’s electronic land registration system, so a real estate lawyer is part of every closing, remote or not.
How do I sign if I do not have a printer or scanner?
You will not need them for most of the file. Documents are signed electronically through a secure platform on your phone or computer. If anything truly must be signed on paper, we tell you in advance and arrange a courier.
Is remote identity verification safe?
It is more rigorous than the old approach of viewing ID on a video call. Since 2024, your lawyer must authenticate your photo ID using technology that checks its security features, a rule brought in specifically to reduce title and mortgage fraud.
What happens if my internet drops during the signing?
We pause and resume, or reschedule that portion. Nothing is final until every document is properly signed, commissioned where required, and the transfer is registered, so a dropped call does not put your signature somewhere you did not intend.
The information provided above is of a general nature and should not be considered legal advice. Every transaction or circumstance is unique, and obtaining specific legal advice is necessary to address your particular requirements. Therefore, if you have any legal questions, it is recommended that you consult with a lawyer.
