Episode 1: What is Rock the Closing?

Written By Monica Monique Embile

In our debut episode of Rock the Closing, hosts Orsolya Bartha and Dalia Zaza introduce themselves and explain what this podcast is all about. They share their unique backgrounds and experiences in real estate, offering a glimpse into the wealth of knowledge they bring to the show. Discover why this podcast is a must-listen for anyone involved in real estate transactions in New York State.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

  • The professional journeys of Orsolya Bartha and Dalia Zaza and their passion for real estate.

  • What makes Rock the Closing a valuable resource for buyers, sellers, and real estate professionals.

  • An overview of the topics and questions the podcast will address, including the step-by-step real estate transaction process.

  • A humorous story from Dalia highlighting common pitfalls in the closing process and the importance of preparation.

TRANSCRIPT:

Disclaimer: The transcript that follows has been generated using artificial intelligence. We strive to be as accurate as possible, but minor errors and slightly off timestamps may be present due to platform differences.


[00:00:02:06] Orsolya: Welcome to our new podcast, Rock the Closing. We are going to talk about the intricacies of real estate transactions in New York State. Let's dive into it and get to know our hosts. So, I'm sitting here with Dalia. Dalia, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

[00:00:20:21] Dalia: Thank you, Orsolya. My name is Dalia Zaza. I am a New York State-licensed attorney since 2005. I have been practicing exclusively in New York State. I started my career in litigation, and I did some real estate work back then. But the more and more I did real estate, the more I realized that's where I wanted to be. Now, I have all kinds of experience with real estate transactions, both in the city and in Long Island, as well as outside of those areas. So, I'm really excited to be on this show and to host it with you. Tell me about yourself.

[00:01:00:02] Orsolya: Thanks! So, similar to you, I'm also a real estate attorney in New York State. But before doing that—when I was very young—I started to invest in real estate, and I found it to be my passion. At that time, professionally, I was a human rights attorney and advocate, and I did that for over 20 years before I decided to make real estate my profession. I am now a licensed attorney in New York State, and I primarily focus on real estate transactions in the city, in the five boroughs.

[00:01:39:09] Dalia: Sounds great! Let me ask you, why should our listeners be tuning in to us?

[00:01:45:20] Orsolya: That's a good question. The reason is that you and I, together, bring a lot of experience and passion for real estate to this podcast. So hopefully, many of you tune in and listen to us. Speaking of tuning in—Dalia, who should be listening to the podcast?

[00:02:07:21] Dalia: I think our episodes would be very beneficial to anyone buying a home, selling a home, sales agents, brokers, title agents, mortgage brokers, loan officers, other real estate attorneys, and real estate investors. I think all of these people can benefit from our episodes. We will also have guest visitors come on the show to talk to us about their knowledge of real estate transactions in New York.

[00:02:42:02] Orsolya: Exactly! Very exciting.

[00:02:43:17] Dalia: Yeah! Lastly, why don't you tell us what the podcast series is going to be about?

[00:02:48:09] Orsolya: This podcast series came about because we were discussing our experiences representing buyers and sellers in real estate transactions. What we realized is that everyone is asking us the exact same questions. For example, I had a client purchasing a tiny, small apartment somewhere up in the Bronx for $200,000. At the same time, I had a similar client buying something in Midtown New York City for $5 million in cash. Both clients were asking the same questions. It was such a revealing experience—these questions kept coming up again and again—all because real estate transactions in New York are so complicated. So, when I was talking about this with Dalia, we decided, why not launch a podcast where we walk through the real estate transaction process from the very beginning to the very end? This way, we can give people the knowledge they need to understand what they are facing and what lies ahead.

[00:04:05:08] Dalia: I think it's a great idea! We really want to bring transparency to these transactions. They are complicated, but they don't have to be so stressful for the parties involved. Please keep in mind that we are not here to give legal advice, and nothing we say on this podcast should be construed as legal advice just because we're attorneys.

We're here to help you understand the transaction process, including:

  • What happens after the deal sheet is drawn up

  • When the contract gets signed

  • What the due diligence process is

  • What title is and why it matters

  • How to communicate with your lender

  • What questions to ask your lender

  • If you're a lender, what questions you should ask the buyers

Basically, everything you need to prepare for the closing. Because for most buyers and sellers, this is the biggest transaction of their lives. A lot of times, this will be the most they spend on anything—and the most they sell anything for. All the parties need to be knowledgeable and do everything right. You’d be surprised how many tiny steps need to be taken by everyone involved in the closing. We felt it was our duty to bring this information to the public and share it with you.

So, what is Rock the Closing? It's our podcast title! Orsolya, why don't you tell us a little bit more about what it means?

[00:05:38:15] Orsolya: Rock the Closing is something that everyone involved in a real estate transaction—whether you are a seller or a buyer—should aim for. Your goal is to go to your closing and rock it! You want to sail through that moment of success, whether it lasts two hours, one hour, or even four hours. What you want is to sit at the table and rock it. That’s why we chose the name. The closing is the last step in the real estate transaction. It’s when money and keys exchange hands. Everything you’ve worked toward leads up to this moment. Your goal should be to arrive at the closing table confident and prepared—to rock it!

[00:06:34:17] Dalia: We really want you to feel comfortable and prepared every step of the way. And when you're sitting at the table, signing all the papers, collecting checks—you should have full confidence in everything that brought you to that moment. Whether you're a sales agent, a broker, a mortgage broker who got the loan approved quickly—whatever your role is—you should rock it. You should feel like, "Yes! I rocked this!"

That’s our goal, and that’s what our podcast is all about.

[00:07:12:23] Orsolya: I couldn't agree with you more! But let's finish with some perspective—and a funny story. Tell me, was there ever a time when you did not rock the closing?

[00:07:27:18] Dalia: Oh my gosh—so many closings under my belt and so many opportunities for things to go wrong! I'll just pick one. Some things you don’t even think about because they seem so small. I had a closing once where I represented the buyer. We showed up at the closing table at the lender’s office, and the sellers rushed in hurriedly and late. They had never met their attorney before. The attorney introduced himself, we all sat down, and we started the closing.

The sellers were a married couple—and neither of them had brought any form of ID whatsoever! This entire transaction had taken place over email and mail, so I had no way of verifying that these were the actual owners of the house. To my knowledge, neither did their attorney!

It was an unexpected glitch in the closing. We worked it out, but it could have been avoided if the sellers had been better prepared. They should have been given a checklist of what to bring—not just their wallets, but their IDs and checks.

[00:08:46:01] Orsolya: Thank you for that insight! That’s exactly what we’ll be doing on this podcast—helping listeners be fully prepared for their closings so they can avoid situations like that. Okay, once again, thank you so much for listening! Please tune in to our next session of Rock the Closing and learn more about real estate transactions.

[00:09:11:18] Outro: That’s right! Check out our website, rocktheclosing.com, and feel free to ask us any questions you’d like us to discuss in future episodes. We’re happy to listen to our listeners. Thank you!

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Music Credits

Music by SoundHills, Beautiful Minds. Find more at ⁠https://protunes.net/⁠

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Disclaimer:

Thank you for tuning in to RTC! This podcast is hosted by real estate attorneys, who offer valuable insights. Please remember that the content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making any decisions. This podcast is copyrighted by Rock the Closing, and any reproduction, syndication, or rebroadcasting of the content requires written permission.

Monica Monique Embile
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Episode 2 : What should be on the Deal Sheet?