Table of contents
A single missing signature can hold a mortgage file longer than a complex condition. The document may be a disclosure, a gift letter, a letter of explanation, or a closing form. The borrower is willing to sign, but the request arrives late or the wrong version was sent. The file waits while the team reconstructs the sequence. This protocol measures how often a mortgage file waits on a single missing signature. It defines the signature delay, separates it from other blockers, and records the request timing. The result shows whether the delay comes from the borrower, the request process, or the document version.
Question and scope
The study asks what share of files experience at least one signature-driven delay. Scope names the team, the loan stages, the document types, and the period. A team might study purchase files from conditional approval through funding during a six-week window. The result describes that setting and should not be presented as an industry average.
Define a signature-driven delay before collecting data. The file must be waiting on a signature for a specific document, and the next milestone must be unable to proceed without it. A file waiting on a review that happens to include a signature is not a signature delay. The distinction keeps the count honest.
Decide whether the unit is the file or the document. A file may wait on several signatures at different stages. Count each document event and report the file-level share beside the document-level share. The two numbers answer different questions.
Defining a missing signature
A missing signature is a required signature that is not present on the correct version of the document. A signature on an outdated version is still missing for the current version. A signature that is present but illegible or incomplete may count as missing under the team's rule. State the rule before the sample.
A missing signature is not the same as a missing decision. If the borrower has signed but the lender has not approved, the blocker is the decision. If the borrower has not signed because the terms are still being negotiated, the blocker is the negotiation. Record the real blocker. A missing signature is also not the same as a missing payment. A funding condition that requires a wire is a payment event, even when a form accompanies it. Keep the categories separate so the analysis does not blur the cause.
Choosing document types
List the document types that commonly require a signature in the team's files. Examples include the closing disclosure, the note, the deed, the gift letter, the letter of explanation, and the lender's own forms. Use the team's actual list rather than a generic list from another lender. Group the types into three bands: pre-approval, condition clearance, and closing. The timing matters because a late signature on a pre-approval document is less costly than a late signature on a closing document. The band also points to the owner who should act.
Review the list with the closing team before the sample. A document that the team rarely sees should not dominate the list. A document that appears in every file should be tracked separately. The list should be short enough to code consistently.
Recording the request timing
Record when the document was sent, how it was sent, and when the team expected the signature. The gap between the send time and the expected time is the request window. A short window may be realistic for a portal signature and unrealistic for a mailed document. Record the number of reminders and the channel for each reminder. A reminder that repeats the same request without a new explanation may not help. The reminder sequence is part of the process, not a measure of borrower effort. Keep the record factual. Record the time the signed document was returned and the time the team confirmed it. A signature that arrives but is not confirmed can still block the file. The confirmation step is often where the delay hides.
Sampling files and documents
Use consecutive weeks and include files that closed on time. A sample of delayed files only will overstate the problem. The on-time files show how often a signature process works without a delay. Record the closing date and the scheduled date.
Stratify by document band so the sample is not dominated by closing documents. Pre-approval and condition documents may show a different pattern. If the volume is small, report the raw counts rather than percentages alone. Include files that were canceled or withdrawn if the signature was a factor. A canceled file can reveal a request process that never worked. State the inclusion rule and keep it stable across the sample.
Coding the blocker
Record the document, the missing signature, the date the team identified the blocker, and the next milestone. A blocker without a milestone is only a missing item. The milestone shows the cost and the owner. Use a short list of blocker causes, such as late request, wrong version, borrower unavailable, portal failure, or notary issue. Add one free-text field for the detail. A cause list that is too long will not be used consistently.
Do not ask the coder to judge the borrower's intent. The log records what happened, not why the borrower behaved a certain way. A judgmental log produces defensiveness and vague entries. The analysis can look for patterns without assigning motive.
Coding and agreement
Have a second reviewer code a subsample of documents. Compare the document type, the blocker cause, the request date, and the return date. Report agreement for each field. A low agreement on the blocker cause usually means the categories overlap.
Write a rule for the ambiguous cases. For example, decide whether a signature that is present but dated incorrectly counts as missing. Write the answer in the protocol and apply it to the rest of the sample. Keep the examples that caused the disagreement.
Do not change the definition during the sample. If a rule must change, start a new segment and report both segments. A mid-study change can move the share for reasons unrelated to the work. The baseline segment should remain usable.
Reporting the result
Report the share of files with at least one signature delay, the median delay in business days, and the most common document type. Break the result down by band and by blocker cause. Show the request window separately so the reader can see whether the team gave the borrower enough time. A high share caused by late requests points to a process problem. A high share caused by borrower unavailability points to a communication or channel problem. A high share caused by wrong versions points to a document control problem. The breakdown keeps the team from treating every delay the same.
Pair the result with the closing delay data. A signature delay that does not affect the closing date may still consume staff time. A signature delay that does affect the date is a priority. The mortgage operations support lead can use the pair to set the review order.
What the result can change
A high late-request share may justify a document checklist at the start of the file or a signature calendar. A high wrong-version share may justify a version control rule. A high borrower-unavailability share may justify a different channel or a clearer explanation. The study should list the candidate changes before recommending one.
Test one change and rerun the protocol. A signature calendar is easy to test because the team can compare the request window before and after. The test should cover a full closing cycle. Keep the definitions stable so the comparison is valid. If the share does not move, the team may have a document control problem that requires a system change. The loan processing support team can review the document versions and the portal settings. The result should distinguish a behavior problem from a tooling problem.
Limits and sources of error
The study measures recorded requests, not the borrower's experience. A borrower who receives three reminders may feel pressured even when the team followed the rule. Pair the timing with a short borrower feedback sample if the team can collect one. A signature delay can be a symptom of a different problem. A borrower may delay signing because the payment changed or the terms are unclear. The log should record the stated reason when it is available. Do not assume the signature is the root cause.
The sample may miss signatures collected outside the tracking system. A wet signature at a table can bypass the portal. Add a short prompt for offline signatures. The prompt improves coverage without changing the definition.
Review cadence
Repeat the study after a change to the document list, the signature tool, or the closing process. Use the same definitions and the same sampling rule. A delay share that falls while rework rises may mean the team is rushing signatures without confirming the version. The quality sample should catch that tradeoff.
Share the result with the closing team and the borrower-facing staff. Ask which documents were hardest to collect and which requests needed a second explanation. The discussion can reveal a form that should move earlier in the process. The next study should test one of those findings. End with a sentence that states the file share, the median delay, and the most common cause. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's closing resources explain the borrower's review period, which is one reason a late signature is costly. The goal is a process that asks for the right signature at the right time.