Last Updated: November 2, 2026
Quick Summary
Remote real estate closing costs are the fees you pay to finish buying a home without visiting a lawyer's office in person. They include legal fees, disbursements, land transfer tax, title insurance, inspection and appraisal fees, and mortgage-related charges. Your lawyer's itemized estimate is the most reliable way to budget for them.
- Closing costs are usually a percentage of the purchase price, but the exact figure varies widely.
- Land transfer tax is often the largest line item and varies by province and municipality.
- First-time buyer rebates can reduce or eliminate land transfer tax, so confirm eligibility.
- Remote notarization, courier for originals and identity verification add small extra line items.
- Verify any change to wire instructions by phone using a number you independently sourced.
Table of Contents
- What Real Estate Closing Costs Include and When You Pay Them
- Typical Closing Costs as a Percentage of the Purchase Price
- Legal Fees, Disbursements and Land Transfer Tax
- Title Insurance, Title Searches, Inspection and Appraisal Fees
- Mortgage Closing Costs and Lender Fees to Budget For
- How Online Notarization Fees Change Your Remote Closing Budget
- Your Remote Home Closing Checklist and Timeline
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Real Estate Closing Costs Include and When You Pay Them
Remote real estate closing costs are the fees you pay to finish buying a home without visiting a lawyer's office in person.
The exact list depends on your deal, but most buyers see the same core categories. Plan for these items when you build your budget:
- Legal fees for your real estate lawyer or notary
- Disbursements, meaning third-party charges the lawyer pays for you
- Land transfer tax and any municipal land transfer tax
- Title insurance and title search costs
- Home inspection and appraisal fees
Remote closings still carry these costs. Learn the practical paperwork and steps a remote real estate closing involves on Real Estate Closing With No Travel or Paperwork.
Watch out: Many buyers forget closing costs when they set their budget. Confirm the total with your lawyer well before the closing date.
Typical Closing Costs as a Percentage of the Purchase Price
Closing costs are usually a percentage of the purchase price. Closing costs are usually a percentage of the purchase price, but the exact figure varies widely and is not a quote. The exact figure depends on the province, the type of property, whether you are a first-time buyer, and, for a remote closing, which services you add to replace an in-person visit.
Your lawyer will give you an itemized figure once the deal details are set.
What the percentage range hides
The headline percentage bundles very different cost drivers. Two buyers at the same price can land at opposite ends of the range because of:
- Land transfer tax. This is often the single largest line item, and it varies widely by province and, in some cases, by municipality. First-time buyer rebates can reduce or eliminate it, so confirm eligibility before you budget.
- Legal fees and disbursements. Fees vary by firm and by complexity. Disbursements, registration, courier, certified copies, searches, are billed back on top of the fee.
- Title insurance and title search. Some lenders require title insurance; many buyers choose it even when optional.
- Mortgage-related charges. Application or administration fees, mortgage insurance premiums where they apply, and registration fees charged through your lawyer's office.
- Prepaid adjustments. Property tax and home insurance adjustments are settled on the closing statement and can move the total in either direction.
A sample line-item budget for a remote purchase
The table below shows a realistic structure at a $600,000 purchase price. The amounts are illustrative placeholders, replace them with your lawyer's itemized estimate and the current provincial and municipal rates for your property.
| Line item | Illustrative amount (CAD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Legal fee | $1,500 | Varies by firm and complexity |
| Disbursements | $400 | Registration, searches, certified copies |
| Land transfer tax | $8,000 | Province- and municipality-specific; rebates may apply |
| Title insurance | $350 | Often lender-required; optional for some buyers |
| Title search | Included in legal fee | Confirm with your lawyer |
| Home inspection | $500 | Usually paid up front, before closing |
| Appraisal | $400 | Usually ordered and charged by the lender |
| Mortgage registration | $300 | Charged through your lawyer's office |
| Remote notarization | $100 | Per appointment or per document set |
| Courier (originals) | $50 | Only if original signed documents must be mailed |
| Estimated total | ~$11,600 | Roughly 1.9% of the purchase price |
How remote closing shifts the percentage
A remote closing does not usually change the big-ticket items, land transfer tax, legal fees and title insurance are the same whether you sign at a table or over video. What changes is the tail of the budget: notarization, identity verification, courier for originals, and occasionally a platform or convenience fee charged by the service provider. In most deals those extras are small relative to the total, but they are easy to forget because they do not appear on a traditional closing statement.
Legal Fees, Disbursements and Land Transfer Tax
Legal fees pay for the work your lawyer or notary does on your file. That includes reviewing the agreement, running title searches, preparing documents and handling the transfer.
Disbursements are separate costs the lawyer pays on your behalf and then bills back to you. Common examples include registration fees, courier charges and certified copies of documents.
Land transfer tax is set by the province or municipality where the property sits.
Title Insurance, Title Searches, Inspection and Appraisal Fees
A title search confirms that the seller owns the property and that no hidden claims, liens or easements affect it. Your lawyer usually runs this search as part of the legal fee.
Title insurance protects you if a problem with the title surfaces after closing. Some lenders require it.
A home inspection checks the condition of the building. Keep receipts for every payment you make. (Source: provincial land transfer tax rates)
Mortgage Closing Costs and Lender Fees to Budget For
Mortgage costs are separate from legal costs, and lenders charge them in different ways. Common items include:
- Mortgage application or administration fees
- Mortgage insurance premiums, where they apply
- Mortgage registration fees charged by your lawyer's office
- Prepaid property tax and home insurance adjustments
Ask your lender for a full list of fees in writing. Compare that list against your lawyer's estimate so nothing is missed.
How Online Notarization Fees Change Your Remote Closing Budget
Online notarization adds a cost that in-person closings often do not. A notary performs the identity check and seals the documents through a live video session.
Remote notarization also has a few practical costs to plan for:
- The notarization fee itself
- Courier charges if original signed documents must be mailed
- Any extra disbursements tied to the remote process
Pricing depends on the number of documents, the timing of the appointment and whether originals are needed.
Watch out: Remote closings can fail if the video session drops or identity documents do not match.
Your Remote Home Closing Checklist and Timeline
A remote closing succeeds or fails on sequencing. The documents, the funds and the identity checks all have deadlines, and a missed video appointment or a delayed wire can push your closing date. Use the timeline below to work backward from the closing date.
Four weeks before closing
- Get your lawyer's itemized cost estimate in writing, including disbursements and any remote-service charges.
- Confirm your lender's full fee list and final mortgage amount in writing.
- Ask your lawyer which documents will be signed remotely and which, if any, require original signatures.
- Confirm whether your province accepts electronic signatures and remote witnessing for the documents in your deal, rules differ by province and by document type.
- If a signer is outside the country, ask early whether a power of attorney or additional authentication is needed.
Two weeks before closing
- Book your remote notarization or remote signing appointment, and confirm the video platform works on the signer's device.
- Have government-issued photo identification ready for every signer, and check that names match the documents exactly.
- Arrange the funds transfer with your bank. Confirm the amount, the method and the cutoff time for same-day settlement.
- Confirm the courier address and cutoff if original signed documents must be mailed.
- Collect receipts for inspection, appraisal and any fees you paid directly.
The week of closing
- Reconfirm the appointment time in the signer's time zone, not yours.
- Verify payment instructions by phone using a number you independently sourced, never a number or link from an email.
- Confirm every document is signed, every fee is paid and every date is confirmed.
- Keep a backup plan: a phone number for the lawyer's office, a second device, and a reschedule window before the closing date.
Fraud prevention for remote closings
Remote closings concentrate risk because instructions arrive by email and funds move by wire. A common pattern is a last-minute email that changes the wire instructions. Treat any change to payment details as a red flag until you have verified it independently.
- Call your lawyer's office using a number from their official website or your original engagement letter, not a number in the email.
- Never send funds based on instructions received only by email or text.
- Ask your lawyer what identity checks they run on signers, and confirm how they handle secure document delivery.
- Keep a written record of every instruction and every call.
Contingency planning
Remote closings can fail for practical reasons: a dropped video session, a signer without reliable internet, a document that cannot be e-signed, or a signer in another time zone. Plan for these before they happen.
- No reliable internet: ask whether a phone-based or in-person alternative is available for that signer.
- Cannot use e-signatures: confirm which documents need originals and build courier time into the schedule.
- Another time zone: book the appointment in the signer's local time and confirm the platform's availability.
- Signer unavailable: ask your lawyer in advance whether a power of attorney is acceptable for your deal and province.
Province and transaction-type caveats
Rules and costs vary by province, and they also vary by transaction type. A purchase, a sale, a refinance and a transaction where a party is outside the country can each require different documents, different identity checks and different signing rules. Ask your lawyer to confirm the requirements for your specific province and deal type rather than assuming a process that worked in another province will apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in closing costs?
Closing costs are the fees paid to complete a property purchase beyond the price itself. They typically include legal fees and disbursements, land transfer tax, title insurance and title search, appraisal or inspection fees, and mortgage-related charges such as lender fees and registration. Prepaid property tax and home insurance adjustments are also settled at closing. The exact amounts depend on the province, the property and the lender, so ask your real estate lawyer for an itemized estimate before your closing date.
Do remote real estate closings cost more than in-person closings?
A remote closing can change some line items rather than add a single large fee. You may avoid courier and travel costs, but you may pay for online notarization and electronic document handling. Whether the total is higher or lower depends on your lawyer's fee structure and how many documents need to be signed or couriered. Compare an itemized estimate for a remote closing with one for an in-person closing before deciding, and confirm the online notarization fees with the service you use.
Can real estate documents be notarized online?
Documents can often be notarized through live video with a commissioned notary, provided identity is verified and the notary is satisfied the process meets the requirements for that document. Not every document or transaction is suited to remote commissioning, so confirm with your real estate lawyer which signed documents they will accept electronically. The Online Notary connects you with licensed Canadian notaries for live video notarization; check current pricing on its website.
What fees should I budget for when closing on a home remotely?
Budget for the same core categories as any closing: legal fees and disbursements, land transfer tax, title insurance, inspection and appraisal costs, and mortgage fees. Add any remote-specific charges, such as online notarization or secure document handling, and any courier costs if original documents still need to be sent. Ask your lawyer and lender for written estimates, and keep a buffer for adjustments that are settled at closing.
