E-Signatures for Real Estate in Australia: A Guide for Agents and Agencies

August 20257 min read

Real estate moves fast. Don't let paperwork slow you down. Learn how Australian real estate professionals are using electronic signatures to close deals faster, reduce errors, and improve client experience.

Why Real Estate Agents Need E-Signatures

In real estate, timing is everything. A delay in getting signatures can mean losing a sale to a competitor, frustrated clients, and unnecessary stress. Electronic signatures eliminate the delays of printing, scanning, posting, and chasing paperwork.

Benefits for Real Estate Professionals:

  • Close deals faster - signatures in minutes, not days
  • Sign anywhere - clients can sign from their phone at inspections
  • Reduce errors - no more missed signatures or incomplete forms
  • Better client experience - modern, professional process
  • Secure storage - all documents organised and accessible

Real Estate Documents You Can Sign Electronically

Most real estate documents can be legally signed electronically in Australia. Common examples include:

Sales & Purchases

  • • Agency agreements
  • • Contracts of sale (in most cases)
  • • Vendor disclosure statements
  • • Buyer agreements
  • • Commission agreements

Property Management

  • • Residential tenancy agreements
  • • Rental applications
  • • Property management agreements
  • • Condition reports
  • • Lease renewals

Note: Some documents related to land transfers may still require wet-ink signatures depending on your state. Always check current requirements for contracts of sale in your jurisdiction.

Speed Up Your Sales Process

Consider a typical property transaction without e-signatures:

Traditional process: Print documents → Meet client or post → Client prints, signs, scans → Client emails back → You print final copy → File and store → Days to complete

With AirSign: Upload document → Add signature fields → Send link to client → Client signs on phone → Download completed document → Minutes to complete

When a buyer is ready to sign, every hour counts. E-signatures let you capture that commitment immediately, reducing the risk of buyers changing their mind or competitors swooping in.

Sign at Open Homes and Inspections

One of the biggest advantages of e-signatures in real estate is the ability to sign on the spot. At an open home or property inspection, you can:

  • Get rental applications signed immediately by interested tenants
  • Capture agency agreements while the vendor is motivated
  • Sign condition reports with tenants present at the property
  • Close on buyer agreements before they leave the inspection

With AirSign, clients sign directly on their phone or tablet - no app download required. Just send them a link, and they sign in their browser.

Templates for Real Estate Documents

Real estate involves many standardised documents that you send repeatedly. AirSign's template feature lets you set up your common documents once and reuse them:

Template Features:

  • • Pre-placed signature and date fields
  • • Template variables for names, addresses, dates
  • • Reuse for each new client instantly
  • • Consistent branding across all documents

Common Templates:

  • • Agency agreement template
  • • Tenancy agreement template
  • • Rental application template
  • • Property management agreement

Handling Multiple Signers

Real estate documents often need signatures from multiple parties - buyers, sellers, agents, and sometimes witnesses. AirSign handles this seamlessly:

  • Add as many signers as needed for each document
  • Each signer gets their own signature fields
  • Track who has signed and who is still pending
  • Automatic reminders to signers who haven't completed
  • E-Witness feature for documents requiring a witness

Compliance and Legal Validity

Electronic signatures are legally binding in Australia under the Electronic Transactions Act. For real estate professionals, this means e-signed documents have the same legal standing as wet-ink signatures, with some important considerations:

  • Audit trail - Every signature includes a record of when, where, and how it was signed
  • Tamper evidence - Digital certificates detect if documents have been altered after signing
  • Identity verification - Email verification confirms the right person is signing
  • Secure storage - Documents stored safely and accessible when needed

Cost Savings for Agencies

Beyond time savings, e-signatures reduce real costs for real estate agencies:

No printing

Save on paper, ink, and printer maintenance

No postage

No more express post for urgent documents

Less admin

Staff spend less time on document handling

Getting Started with AirSign

AirSign is built for Australian businesses, including real estate agencies of all sizes. With Australian data storage, simple pricing, and an intuitive interface, you can start sending documents for signing in minutes.

Set up templates for your common documents, add your team members, and transform how your agency handles paperwork. Try it free today and see the difference for yourself.

Ready to streamline your real estate paperwork?

Join real estate agencies across Australia using AirSign to close deals faster. Start your free trial today.