Qualia has launched a video chat platform it said is designed to make contactless home closings possible for millions of potential homebuyers around the country.
Qualia said its Connect Video Chat can be used for remote ink-signed notarizations (RIN) during home closings in accordance with state emergency mandates and requirements, as well as RIN guidelines established by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Connect Video Chat enables title companies to launch video conferences with partners and clients, including real estate agents, lenders, homebuyers and sellers. It uses real-time, two-way audio video technology that can facilitate recording an ink-based signature, and has long-term video storage functionality.
“Our goal is to support our community by building products that make home closings safe, secure, efficient and affordable,” Qualia co-founder and CEO Nate Baker said in a release. “The launch of Connect Video Chat is an important step toward fulfilling that goal of enabling homebuyers across the country to continue to close on a home. Now they can do this from anywhere they have an Internet connection, at any time, and ultimately in a safe way.”
New regulations and certain temporary executive orders related to the coronavirus pandemic have made it permissible in many states to notarize through approved audio visual conferencing tools.
“The COVID-19 crisis has magnified the need for contactless, digital real estate tools throughout the entire home buying journey for businesses and clients, from the beginning of the initial search all the way to the closing,” Baker said. “We recognized this need early on during the crisis and went to work. I’m extremely proud of our engineering and product teams for shifting gears so quickly to build even more remote closing features that enable our customers to stay open for business now and into the future.”