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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>80642</law_id><section_number>55.1-1000</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>38.2-1800</reference><reference>38.2-1810</reference><reference>54.1-2131</reference><reference>54.1-2132</reference><reference>55.1-1007</reference><reference>55.1-1800</reference><reference>55.1-1900</reference><reference>55.1-2307</reference><reference>55.1-3100</reference><reference>55.1-3102</reference><reference>55.1-339</reference><reference>55.1-347</reference><reference>55.1-906</reference><reference>6.2-328</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="55.1">Property and Conveyances</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Real Estate Settlements and Recordation</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="10">Real Estate Settlement Agents</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Association</span>&#x201D; means the National <span class="dictionary">Association</span> of Insurance Commissioners.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Closing disclosure</span>&#x201D; means the combined mortgage loan <span class="dictionary">disclosure statement</span> of final loan terms and closing costs prescribed under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 (RESPA)(12 U.S.C. &#xA7;&#xA0;2601 et seq.) and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Regulation X (12 C.F.R. Part 1024) and Regulation Z (12 C.F.R. Part 1026).
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Commission</span>&#x201D; means the State Corporation <span class="dictionary">Commission</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Escrow</span>&#x201D; means written instruments, money, or other items deposited by a <span class="dictionary">party</span> with a settlement agent for delivery to other persons upon the performance of specified conditions or the happening of a certain event.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">Escrow</span>, closing, or settlement services</span>&#x201D; means the administrative and clerical services required to carry out the terms of <span class="dictionary">contracts</span> affecting real estate. These services include placing <span class="dictionary">orders</span> for title insurance, receiving and issuing receipts for money received from the parties, ordering loan checks and payoffs, ordering surveys and inspections, preparing <span class="dictionary">settlement statements</span> or <span class="dictionary">closing disclosures</span>, determining that all closing documents conform to the parties&#x2019; <span class="dictionary">contract</span> requirements, setting the closing appointment, following up with the parties to ensure that the transaction progresses to closing, ascertaining that the lenders&#x2019; instructions have been satisfied, conducting a closing conference at which the documents are executed, receiving and disbursing funds, completing form documents and instruments selected by and in accordance with instructions of the parties to the transaction, handling or arranging for the recording of documents, sending recorded documents to the lender, sending the recorded deed and the title policy to the buyer, and reporting federal income tax information for the real estate sale to the Internal Revenue Service.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Lay real estate settlement agent</span>&#x201D; means a person who (i) is not licensed as an attorney under Chapter 39 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Practice of law; student internship program; definition" href="/54.1-3900/">54.1-3900</a> et seq.) of Title 54.1; (ii) is not a <span class="dictionary">party</span> to the real estate transaction; (iii) provides <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">escrow</span>, closing, or settlement services</span> in connection with a transaction related to any real estate in the Commonwealth; and (iv) is listed as the settlement agent on the <span class="dictionary">settlement statement</span> or <span class="dictionary">closing disclosure</span> for such transaction.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Licensing authority</span>&#x201D; means the (i) <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> acting pursuant to this chapter, Title 6.2, Title 12.1, or Title 38.2; (ii) the Virginia State Bar acting pursuant to this chapter or Chapter 39 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Practice of law; student internship program; definition" href="/54.1-3900/">54.1-3900</a> et seq.) of Title 54.1; or (iii) the Real Estate Board acting pursuant to this chapter or Chapter 21 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/54.1-2100/">54.1-2100</a> et seq.) of Title 54.1.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Party</span> to the real estate transaction&#x201D; means, with respect to that real estate transaction, a lender, seller, purchaser, or borrower and, with respect to a corporate purchaser, any entity that is a subsidiary of or under common ownership with that corporate purchaser.
		&#x201C;Settlement agent&#x201D; means a person, other than a <span class="dictionary">party</span> to the real estate transaction, that provides <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">escrow</span>, closing, or settlement services</span> in connection with a transaction related to real estate in the Commonwealth and that is listed as the settlement agent on the <span class="dictionary">settlement statement</span> or <span class="dictionary">closing disclosure</span> for such transaction. Any person, other than a <span class="dictionary">party</span> to the transaction, who conducts the settlement conference and receives or handles money shall be deemed a &#x201C;settlement agent&#x201D; subject to the applicable requirements of this chapter.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Settlement statement</span>&#x201D; means the statement of receipts and disbursements for a transaction related to real estate, including a statement prescribed under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 (RESPA)(12 U.S.C. &#xA7;&#xA0;2601 et seq.), as amended, and the regulations thereunder.</p></section></text><history>1997, c. 716, &#xA7; 6.1-2.20; 1998, cc. 69, 598; 1999, c. 647, &#xA7; 6.1-2.32; 2002, c. 375; 2010, c. 794, &#xA7; 55-525.16; 2016, c. 619; 2019, c. 712.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
