Title insurance firm uses remote online notarization for first time in Texas
Fidelity National Financial has successfully completed a first-of-its-kind real estate closing.
The digital real estate closing using remote online notarization was the firm’s first in Texas, where escrow officers commissioned as online notary publics are permitted to perform fully digital closings using a combination of video technology and digital signatures.
An FNF affiliate was able to connect sellers in Austin with an escrow officer in Pearland, with the sellers digitally signing several documents which were remotely notarized.
“As consumers' lives become increasingly mobile, we are evolving our service to include a broad range of digital tools that allow us to meet them wherever is most convenient." said Jason Nadeau, Chief Digital Officer, Fidelity National Financial, Inc. "Remote online notarization is just one part of this wider toolset, and allows sellers and buyers to close on a real estate transaction when and where best suits their schedules.”
Secure and compliant
The solution used by FNF for the transaction enabled electronic verification of the sellers, created a fully-compliant set of documents, and uploaded a video of the remote closing experience to FNF’s secure server as an archived record of the closing along with the relevant documents.
"Digital closings and remote notarization tools are key components of Fidelity National Financial's wider vision for an end-to-end digital real estate experience," Nadeau added. "By combining the very best in eClose, eSign, remote notarization and other innovations, we are moving our operations – and the industry – forward into the digital future. At the same time, we're ensuring our vast network of settlement agents, escrow officers and notaries maintain their competitive edge in an increasingly digital market."
