Ratified contract
A contract signed by both buyer and seller, with the fully signed copy delivered to both sides. Deadlines usually start counting from the ratification date.
Your Room opens on this part of the sale, with the offer and everything before it already ticked.
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See how it worksWhere this comes up: under contract
Part 1 of 4
Why a seller cares
Ratification is the moment the clocks start. Inspection days, financing deadlines and closing dates count from it, so knowing the exact date matters more than knowing the day you shook hands.
Part 2 of 4
A simple example
You sign the buyer's offer on Tuesday. Your agent delivers the signed copy on Wednesday. The contract is ratified Wednesday, and a ten-day inspection window ends the Saturday after next.
| The moment | Does the clock run yet? |
|---|---|
| Buyer signs and sends the offer | No; it is an offer |
| You sign it | Not until the signed copy is delivered |
| The signed copy reaches the buyer | Yes; this is ratification and day one |
Ratified means signed by both and delivered, and every deadline counts from that day.
Part 3 of 4
What people get wrong
That the contract date is the day you signed. It is the day the fully signed copy reached the other side, which can be a day or two later.
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 ratified contract 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.