Power of attorney
A signed document giving another person the legal authority to sign on your behalf. Useful for closing when you can't be there in person. Lenders often require a specific form.
Your Room opens on going under contract and closing, with the offer and everything before it already ticked.
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See how it worksWhere this comes up in a sale, and what follows
- Clear to close (comes before)
Part 1 of 4
Why a seller cares
If you cannot be at closing, a power of attorney lets somebody sign the deed for you. The title company and the buyer's lender usually want a specific form, approved in advance, not the day before.
Part 2 of 4
A simple example
You are deployed overseas. Two weeks before closing you sign a limited power of attorney for your sister, on the title company's form, and it is recorded with the deed.
| What is needed | When |
|---|---|
| The title company's approved form | Well before closing, so the lender can review it |
| Your notarized signature on it | Wherever you are, with a notary |
| The original at closing | It is recorded alongside the deed |
A power of attorney is arranged early or it is not arranged at all.
Part 3 of 4
What people get wrong
That any power of attorney will do. A general POA from years ago is often refused; closings usually want a limited one naming this sale.
Part 4 of 4 · where to read next
Where it appears in the sale
What a definition is, and what it isn't
Keighbor is a software company, not a law firm, brokerage, or tax adviser. This is general information, not legal, tax, financial, or real estate advice about your sale. Your situation may differ. Before acting on a contract, disclosure, title, tax, or pricing question, ask an appropriately licensed professional in your state.
Written and researched by Keighbor Research · drawn from the reference glossary · how we research and check what we publish
In your Room, this word explains itself where it appears.
Your Room defines power of attorney in the step you meet it in, beside the document or the date it belongs to. Free to set up, with an agent or on your own.
Organize my saleFree to set up. Pay once when you list: $89 or $189. 7-day refund.