REMOTE CLOSING?

What if you’re racing to close a sale, but the signatories are scattered across the globe?

Picture this: the property is in Makati. The eager buyer lives in Makati. But the seller? He’s in Davao—too busy to hop on a plane anytime soon. The buyer doesn’t mind skipping the face-to-face closing. So now what? Can the broker close the deal without the seller ever setting foot in Manila?

Many brokers, eager to seal the deal fast, might suggest this shortcut: have the seller sign in Davao, courier the documents to Maka

ti, let the buyer sign there, and have it all notarized in Makati. Easy, right?

Not so fast.

That “shortcut” leaves the transaction wide open to risk. What if, later on, someone contests the notarization? After all, the notary in Makati would be falsely certifying that both parties signed in their presence—when in truth, the seller was miles away. That’s a legal headache waiting to happen.

Another route? The seller could issue a Special Power of Attorney (SPA) and appoint someone he trusts to sign on his behalf. But that opens a new challenge: who does he trust enough for such a big transaction?

So what’s the clean, foolproof way to get this done?

Two notarizations. Let the seller sign and have the document notarized in Davao—where the notary can truthfully certify the signature. Then send the documents to Makati, where the buyer signs, and the Makati notary certifies that signature.

The result? A contract with two acknowledgment pages. Both signatories protected. Both notarizations valid. No shortcuts. No risks.

What if one party is located abroad? Same thing. That party simply has the document apostilled or consularized where they are, and the other notarized in the Philippines.

That’s how you close a deal—legally, safely, and smart.

Actually, there other solutions: a unilateral Deed of Absolute Sale where only the seller signs and the electronic notarization (e-notarization). But these are topics for another post.