Best RON Platforms for eClosing

Selecting the best RON platform for your title company can seem overwhelming. The platform must meet your state’s remote online notarization (RON) regulatory requirements and deliver a stellar customer experience. And with more customers demanding easy, convenient, and remote experiences, title companies that provide this service can stand out from the crowd.

However, with so many technology providers to choose from, selecting the best RON platform for your organization can be difficult. Here are some questions that might come up during the decision-making process:

• What digital closing capabilities do you need? 
• How can you be confident a RON platform is secure? 
• And how can you make sure it’s easy to use and has excellent customer support? 

We’re here to help you figure that all out. 

Best RON platform: Digital features and functionality to look for 

Needing to speed up workflows and productivity is a given when shopping for a RON solution. But other features, such as robust security, real-time customer support, and ease of use, are also crucial to eClosing success. Here are a few must-have features to add to your list. 

Secure storage

Security is critical with all technologies, especially eClosing platforms that collect and store sensitive customer and transactional data. Stavvy’s RON feature leverages electronic notary journals to offer a more secure and dependable means of storing notarial records than traditional paper-based journals. These digital journals are safeguarded through encryption and password protection, providing an added layer of security. Each online notarization session is meticulously recorded and saved in the electronic journal, which also maintains a comprehensive audit trail that includes audio-visual recordings. Should any legal issues arise, the data housed in these electronic journals can be reliably assessed for compliance checks. Here at Stavvy, we store electronic notary journals for a minimum of 10 years. 

Additionally, you’ll want to ensure a solution is SOC 2 Type II compliant and provides signer identification with the rigors of knowledge-based authentication (KBA) and credential analysis. Also, select a MISMO^®-certified solution to ensure compliance with MISMO RON standards and industry best practices.

Real-time customer support and product training

Evaluate the onboarding, training, and support of a potential RON solution. If your team gets stuck, you’ll need to get reliable support fast. Stellar customer support is not always a given with RON platforms, either. For example, product support was a challenge for Celebration Title, but when they switched to the Stavvy eClosing solution from another provider, its closers started receiving help in real time.

“Unlike our previous notarization and eSignature providers, Stavvy has immediate support services available to its customers. In the past, we’d report an issue to a generic support hotline and wait three to four days for a response. This isn’t particularly favorable for time-sensitive real estate closings.”

Stavvy’s accessible customer support is equally essential to Summit Title, a title services company serving New Hampshire and Maine. 

“In the beginning, [support] was huge because we were in the middle of COVID and overwhelmed already. We’re not tech people; I mean, tech-savvy enough to be dangerous, but we're not tech people. We didn't go to school for that. We can fiddle with documents and stuff, but technology is not our forte. And to have someone on 911 with a red phone was amazing.”

Excellent user experience

You'll likely sit through several demos when looking for the best RON platform. Test the platform user experience during scheduled demos to ensure that the platform is simple for your team, customer, and all parties involved in a transaction. 

Don’t undervalue the need for a simple user experience. Prioritize an intuitive design that allows your operations team to manage documents without a hitch and gives notaries the ease they need to facilitate meetings. This can help maximize operational efficiency, adoption, and productivity. 

“Stavvy is really user-friendly too, so once you’re trained and onboarded, you need very little support. It’s been a good business partnership, period.”

The experience for buyers and sellers in the closing process should also be informative, hassle-free, and welcoming for real estate agents, lenders, family members, translators, and anyone else who may need to participate. Also, make sure the platform has eClosing features and functions that fit your current closing workflow and future eClosing goals so it can grow with you as you become a digitally mature organization. 

Compliance with RON legislation in your state

Ensure the solution complies with local state RON regulations. We’ve compiled a list of states where RON is allowed; however, keep in mind that state laws change frequently. Some states require RON providers to apply and be evaluated to ensure compliance, and most Secretary of State (SOS) websites publish approved and/or suggested RON vendor lists. If you have questions about local RON laws, we recommend that you consult with your attorney and refer to your state’s SOS website for a list of compliant RON vendors before investing in a platform. 

Title underwriter approval

Check if the major title insurance underwriters approve your potential RON solutions. For example, Stavvy is approved by all major title insurance underwriters.

All-in-one eClosing platform

Consider investing in an all-in-one eClosing platform capable of handling all levels of remote closing, whether fully remote with RON, hybrid, or something in between. With an all-in-one eClosing platform like Stavvy, you can move away from using separate, disparate tools to a single, unified solution for everything from eSign to RON and digital transaction eligibility. For example, Stavvy customers can confirm RON, IPEN, and eRecording eligibility for every transaction using the Eligibility Engine via the Stavvy platform. 

Before switching to Stavvy, Celebration Title used two stand-alone products for eClosing, resulting in a fragmented, frustrating, and expensive experience for closers and customers. With Stavvy, the organization was able to streamline closings to improve the user experience and save money. 

“The consolidation and cost savings were a big reason for us to switch to Stavvy. Stavvy provided a single platform for eSign domestically and internationally and remote notarization. Plus, conducting a digital closing with the Stavvy platform gave our closing specialists more time to prep and work on other transactions.”

Why Stavvy’s RON platform? 

As you evaluate RON solutions, you’ll notice something important: not all are designed specifically for the real estate industry or include a robust set of eClosing features. And this makes a big difference for title companies interested in maximizing their digital investment. 

Using a RON platform customized for the real estate industry helps create closing experiences that build trust, loyalty, and repeat business. It also ensures that you’re partnering with a provider that understands the nuances, legalities, and complexities of real estate transactions, creating a smooth, scalable, and seamless experience for your operations team. 

The Title Team noticed an immediate improvement in customer experience when they invested in Stavvy’s eClosing solution. The platform was agile enough for their staff and dazzled customers, many of whom were new to digital closing. 

“People really enjoy the simplicity aspect of a RON closing. They can close at home. They can close at their office. They can be on vacation. The flexibility Stavvy offers is pretty impressive. I would say that 99% of the people I close digitally with using RON are super happy with us and would love to do it again.”

The Title Team also noticed significant time savings for their lender partners, with lenders saving 30-40 minutes per closing, helping The Title Team grow its eClosing program and digitally close mortgage transactions alongside eligible sell-side and cash real estate deals. 

Learn more about how the is taking real estate beyond documents.