PDF for real estate agents
A transaction file has to be complete at closing and still readable years later, when the regulator asks for it.
What brokers actually have to keep
California (Business and Professions Code §10148): a broker keeps copies of all listings, deposit receipts, canceled checks, trust records and other documents from a licensed transaction for three years, counted from closing — or from the listing date if the deal never closes.
Texas (22 TAC §535.2(h)): at least four years from closing, termination of the contract or the end of the transaction, in a format that is readily available to the Real Estate Commission.
Other states set their own periods, and a brokerage's own policy may be longer. What they share is a file that can be produced on request, complete and readable — which argues for one searchable PDF per transaction over a folder of phone photos.
That file is full of account numbers, signatures and personal details. Anything sent to someone outside the deal should have them removed, properly.
The tools for it
- Fill PDF formFill in a PDF form’s fields and lock them if you want — nothing uploaded.
- Sign PDFDraw or type your signature and place it anywhere — embedded as vector.
- Merge PDFCombine several PDFs into one, in the order you want.
- OCR PDFMake a scanned PDF searchable.
- Compress PDFMake a heavy file small enough to email, without wrecking it.
- Convert a PDF to PDF/AThe archival format — and an honest list of what still blocks it.
- Redact PDFActually remove sensitive parts — not just draw a box over them.
- Flatten PDFBake form fields into the page so no one can change them.
What this does not do
We do not notarize, and we do not record documents with a county. A signature added here, or through a signature request, is an electronic signature: many real estate documents accept one, but deeds and some affidavits need a notary, and the county decides what it will record.
We are not a transaction management system: we do not keep your files for the retention period, run broker compliance review or connect to form libraries. Keep the finished PDFs wherever your brokerage keeps its records.
In every case above, the document is processed without ever being transmitted. Nothing is uploaded, which for confidential filings, student records, unpublished manuscripts and salary data is not a convenience but the point.
Set it up for the whole team
One Team plan covers everyone: $7 per seat, per month · 2 seats minimum. Every tool with no daily limit, shared seats and roles, and up to 100 signature requests a month with an audit trail. Your team's first yearly plan comes with a 30-day refund.
Tell us how your work flows and a person replies within one business day with a setup that fits.