A contract usually sits unsigned for reasons that have nothing to do with its contents — the wrong person received it, or it was unclear what was being asked.
Why signatures stall
- It reached the wrong person. The contact is not the signatory, and the request has to travel internally before anything happens.
- Printing is required. Every step needing a printer and scanner adds days, and many people no longer have either at home.
- The ask is unclear. "Let me know your thoughts" attached to a contract does not read as a request to sign it.
- There is no deadline, so it is never today's problem.
- Something in it needs a decision the recipient cannot make alone, and they have not said so.
The first is the most common and the least visible. Ask early who will sign and whether anyone else must approve first — that single question routinely saves a week, and it is much easier to ask before sending than after a fortnight of silence.
Making the request
Treat the covering message as part of the document, because it determines what happens to it.
State what it is in one line, what you need, and by when. Name the signatory if you know them. Say what happens after signing, so the recipient knows the process ends rather than continuing indefinitely.
Keep the subject line specific — "Signature needed: services agreement, by Friday 5 September" is acted on; "Contract" is not. And if there were negotiated changes, say where they are. A recipient who cannot tell whether the document matches what was agreed will re-read all of it, or park it until they have time to, which amounts to the same thing.
Following up
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Day 3 | Short reply in the same thread — no new email |
| Day 7 | Phone or message. Ask whether anything is blocking it |
| Day 10 | Ask directly whether the deadline still works |
| Day 14 | Escalate, or ask whether the deal is still live |
Replying in the same thread matters more than it sounds. A fresh email starts a new conversation the recipient has to reconstruct; a reply keeps the document, the history and the original ask in one place. And when a follow-up produces nothing twice, the real question is usually not about the signature — asking whether something in the document is the problem tends to get an honest answer.
Working from home
Remote signing is straightforward provided nothing in the chain assumes an office.
The chain breaks at printing. If a signature must be wet ink, the recipient needs a printer, a scanner and somewhere to post it, and each of those is a point at which the process stops for a day or more.
- Establish the requirement first. If wet ink is not actually required, do not build a process around it.
- Phone cameras replace scanners — the built-in document scanner in Notes or Files produces a proper flat scan.
- Keep files small enough to email. A scanned contract at photo quality will not send.
- Agree the countersigning order in advance if several parties sign.
- Decide where the executed copy lives before you need to find it.
That last point is dull and repeatedly regretted. An executed contract sitting only in one person's email is retrievable until that person leaves.
Property transactions
Real estate is where e-signature rules are least uniform, because the documents are a mixture of types with different requirements.
Listing agreements, offers and disclosures are commonly signed electronically. Deeds and mortgage instruments frequently are not, because they must be recorded with a public registry that may require an original, and notarisation requirements vary considerably by jurisdiction.
The practical approach is to ask the closing agent, conveyancer or solicitor which documents in that specific transaction can be signed electronically, rather than assuming either way. Remote online notarisation is now available in many US states and not in all of them, and requirements differ across the UK, EU and elsewhere. Getting this wrong means re-executing documents late, which is exactly when it is most expensive.
Choosing a tool for a team
If you are buying rather than improvising, a handful of questions separate tools that fit from tools that are merely popular.
Volume first: pricing is often per user per month with an envelope limit, and a team that sends occasionally is served by a very different plan from one sending daily.
- Who needs to send, not who needs to sign. Signers rarely need accounts.
- Does it integrate with the CRM or document system you already use.
- What identity verification is offered, and do you need it.
- Where is data stored, and does that satisfy your obligations.
- What does the audit certificate contain, and can you export it.
- How do you get your documents out if you leave.
The first and last are the ones that cost money later. Buying seats for everyone who might sign is a common and expensive mistake — recipients almost never need an account. And a provider that makes bulk export awkward has made a decision about switching costs that is worth discovering during a trial.
Frequently asked questions
Why do people not sign documents I send?
Usually because it reached someone without signing authority, because the request did not clearly say a signature was needed, because there was no deadline, or because signing would require printing. Disagreement with the terms is a much less common cause than it feels like.
How should I ask for a signature?
A specific subject line, one line saying what the document is, a clear statement of what you need and by when, the signatory named if you know them, and a note on what happens after signing. If there were negotiated changes, say where they are.
How often should I follow up?
Around day three with a short reply in the same thread, day seven by phone asking what is blocking it, day ten confirming the deadline still works, and day fourteen escalating. Reply in the existing thread rather than starting a new email.
How do I sign contracts working from home?
Establish first whether wet ink is genuinely required — if not, sign electronically and skip the printer entirely. Where a physical signature is needed, a phone document scanner replaces a scanner, and compressing the scan keeps it emailable.
Can real estate documents be signed electronically?
Some can and some cannot, within the same transaction. Listing agreements, offers and disclosures commonly can; deeds and mortgage instruments often cannot, because a registry may require an original and notarisation rules vary. Ask the closing agent or conveyancer about that specific transaction.
What should I check before buying an e-signature tool?
How many people need to send rather than sign, whether it integrates with your existing systems, the identity verification options, where data is stored, what the audit certificate contains, and how you bulk-export executed documents if you leave.
Do signers need their own account?
Almost never. Pricing is usually per sending user, so buying seats for everyone who might sign something is a common and expensive mistake.