- The closing clock starts the moment your deal is firm — meaning all conditions (financing, inspection, status certificate) have been satisfied or waived, and both parties are committed.
- Your lawyer is busy even if you are not hearing much.
- Under most standard Agreement of Purchase and Sale forms used in Ontario, the buyer's lawyer has a deadline (the "requisition date") to raise title objections with the seller's lawyer.
From the moment you sign a purchase offer to the moment keys change hands, the real estate closing process in Ontario involves dozens of steps across multiple parties — lawyers, lenders, agents, insurers, and government registries. Most buyers and sellers experience the middle of this process as a waiting game interrupted by urgent document requests. It does not have to feel that way. Understanding the week-by-week timeline helps you anticipate what is coming, act quickly when action is needed, and arrive at closing day prepared.
This timeline assumes a typical residential purchase that goes firm (conditions waived) about 4–6 weeks before closing. Shorter windows compress everything — adjust accordingly.
Day the Deal Goes Firm: Your Starting Gun
The closing clock starts the moment your deal is firm — meaning all conditions (financing, inspection, status certificate) have been satisfied or waived, and both parties are committed. On this day:
- Send your Agreement of Purchase and Sale to your lawyer immediately. The APS contains the closing date, purchase price, deposit, conditions, and every term that drives the legal work. Delayed delivery delays everything downstream.
- Send your mortgage commitment letter (for buyers) if you have not already.
- Retain your lawyer if you have not yet done so. If you are past the condition waiver date without a lawyer, you are already behind.
Weeks 4–6 Before Closing: Searches and Setup
Your lawyer is busy even if you are not hearing much. During this period:
What Your Lawyer Is Doing
- Opening the file, reviewing the APS, and noting all key dates
- Ordering title searches through the Teranet electronic registry
- Ordering off-title searches: PPSA (personal property liens), execution certificates, tax certificate, zoning compliance, utility holdbacks, outstanding work orders
- For condominiums: reviewing the status certificate (if not already reviewed during the condition period)
- If a survey exists: reviewing it and determining whether it is usable or whether title insurance will substitute
- Corresponding with the seller's lawyer on any title issues discovered
What You Should Be Doing
- Confirm your home insurance — contact your broker now, not the week before closing
- If selling: contact your lender for a mortgage payout statement
- If buying: confirm with your mortgage broker that the lender has all documents needed and is on track to issue mortgage instructions
Weeks 2–3 Before Closing: Requisition Period
Under most standard Agreement of Purchase and Sale forms used in Ontario, the buyer's lawyer has a deadline (the "requisition date") to raise title objections with the seller's lawyer. This is a critical legal milestone.
What Your Lawyer Is Doing
- Completing the review of all search results
- If any title issues are found (old mortgages not discharged, easements, encroachments, outstanding work orders), your lawyer sends a "requisition" to the seller's lawyer demanding they be resolved before closing
- Preparing or reviewing the draft Transfer/Deed of Land
- Preparing the Direction re: Funds
What You Should Be Doing
- Respond promptly to any questions from your lawyer about the searches or the property
- Confirm your home insurance policy is in place and your insurer has the closing date and lender details
- Verify your closing funds: calculate what you will owe and confirm you can wire the amount to your lawyer's trust account before closing day (bank transfers can take time — check with your bank)
Week 1 Before Closing: Mortgage Instructions and Signing
This is the busiest week for your lawyer.
What Your Lawyer Is Doing
- Receiving and reviewing mortgage instructions from your lender (this typically arrives 5–10 business days before closing, sometimes later)
- Preparing the full signing package: Transfer, mortgage documents, Direction re: Funds, Statement of Adjustments, reporting documents
- Coordinating the signing appointment (in person or virtual via video call)
- Confirming the exact amount you need to wire to their trust account
What You Should Be Doing
- Complete the signing appointment as soon as your lawyer schedules it — do not delay
- Arrange the wire transfer of your closing funds to your lawyer's trust account. Wire funds at least one business day before closing — same-day wires carry risk if there are banking delays
- Conduct your final walk-through of the property (arrange with your agent; this is your right under most standard APS forms and should happen in the last 24 hours before closing)
- Confirm key-release arrangements with your agent
Closing Day: Your Lawyer Runs the Play
You have nothing to do on closing day if you have completed all the steps above. Here is what your lawyer does:
Morning:
- Confirms that mortgage funds have been received from the lender (or that the lender is ready to fund)
- Confirms your trust deposit (balance of purchase price) has been received
Midday:
- Exchanges signed closing documents with the seller's lawyer (typically by electronic exchange)
- Verifies all conditions for registration are met
Registration:
- Registers the Transfer/Deed of Land on the Ontario land registry (Teranet), transferring ownership to you
- Registers the new Charge/Mortgage in favour of your lender
- Confirms registration to both lawyers
After Registration:
- Pays out the seller's existing mortgage (from the seller's net proceeds)
- Distributes net proceeds to the seller
- Notifies you and your agent that closing is complete
- Keys are released by the seller's agent to your agent per the time agreed in the APS
After Closing: The Reporting Package
Within a few weeks of closing, your lawyer will send a reporting package including:
- A reporting letter confirming the details of the transaction
- Copies of the registered Transfer/Deed of Land and mortgage
- Your title insurance policy
- Final statement of account and disbursements
- Any other relevant documents from the file
Keep this package permanently. You will need the Transfer and title insurance policy documents if you ever sell, refinance, or need to prove ownership.
What Can Delay a Closing?
Common causes of closing delays include:
- Mortgage instruction delays — lenders sometimes send instructions late; flag this to your broker early
- Title issues — old undischarged mortgages, estate issues, or liens that require time to resolve
- Missing documents — ID verification, insurance confirmation, or signing delays
- Buyer's funds not wired in time — the most preventable cause of delay
- Seller's mortgage payout complications — penalty calculations or lender delays in issuing discharge
Most delays are preventable with early action and good communication with your lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
How close to closing can I expect to sign documents?
For most purchases with institutional lenders, mortgage instructions arrive 5–10 business days before closing. Signing happens shortly after. For very short closings (under two weeks), the timeline is compressed — everything happens faster and any delay becomes critical.
What if closing day falls on a Friday or before a long weekend?
Registration deadlines and banking cutoffs are tighter on Fridays and before holidays. Some real estate lawyers charge a short-closing premium for Friday closings. Confirm any timing risks with your lawyer.
Can the closing date be changed after the APS is signed?
Yes, with written agreement from both parties. A closing date extension (Amendment to APS) is common when unforeseen delays arise. Both lawyers must be notified, and the extension document must be signed by everyone. Avoid unilateral assumptions about date changes — they must be in writing.
What should I do if my lender says my mortgage won't be ready in time?
Contact your mortgage broker immediately and escalate within the lender. Alert your lawyer so they can coordinate with the seller's lawyer. If the mortgage will genuinely not be available by the closing date, you may need to negotiate an extension — which requires the seller's cooperation.
This is a real estate question
Start a file online — flat, published fees, reviewed by a licensed Ontario lawyer before a dollar is owed.