eSignature API for Real Estate

Each document type has a signing pattern. This table shows which API options handle it, so you can plan the integration before you write code.

1. Lease generated by your platform, signed by co-tenants

Your system builds the lease PDF from unit, rent and tenant data. Write signature tags into the document text, set extractTags to true, and the API creates the fields for you. Style the tags white so they stay invisible in the signed PDF. With signInOrder true, the tenants sign in the order you list them and the manager signs last.

curl --request POST \
  --url https://app.quicksigner.com/api/v1/requests \
  --header 'Authorization: YOUR_API_KEY' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{
    "fileName": "f3c1...-lease-unit-4b.pdf",
    "extractTags": true,
    "signInOrder": true,
    "senderName": "Maple Street Properties",
    "emailSubject": "Your lease for Unit 4B is ready to sign",
    "recipients": [
      { "type": "EMAIL", "email": "ana@example.com",  "name": "Ana Popescu" },
      { "type": "EMAIL", "email": "dan@example.com",  "name": "Dan Ionescu" },
      { "type": "EMAIL", "email": "manager@example.com", "name": "Property Manager" }
    ]
  }'

Tag syntax and the full request schema are in the API reference.

2. Signing inside your tenant or owner portal

Load the signer's signUrl in an iframe in your portal. Set hideInfoPanel on the request so the view fits your layout, add disable_notifs to the options of a signer who is already on your screen, and use signedRedirectUrl to move the tenant to the next onboarding step.

<iframe
  src="https://app.quicksigner.com/sign/..."
  width="100%" height="900" style="border:0"
  allow="camera; clipboard-write">
</iframe>

3. Close the loop with webhooks

Signatures are applied asynchronously. Listen for RECIPIENT_SIGNED to show progress on the unit or deal ("2 of 3 signed"), and act on REQUEST_COMPLETED:

1. Request the signed PDF and the signing certificate download links.
2. Download both right away and store them with the lease or deal record. The links are short-lived (about 2 hours for the PDF, 15 minutes for the certificate).
3. Update the record: lease active, unit occupied, offer accepted, deposit due.

Statuses such as REJECTED and CANCELED come from GET /requests/{requestId}, which also returns each recipient's sigStatus and signing order.

Use POST /recipients/{recipientId}/remind to nudge a slow co-tenant and POST /requests/{requestId}/cancel when an offer is withdrawn.

Most real estate paperwork can be signed electronically. A few documents have extra rules, and your product should route them differently. This is general information, not legal advice.

United States

The ESIGN Act and UETA give electronic signatures the same effect as handwritten ones, so leases and purchase contracts signed through the API are enforceable between the parties. Recording a deed is a separate question. Many county recorders accept electronic documents under the Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act (URPERA), which most states have adopted, and documents that need notarization can go through remote online notarization where the state allows it. ESIGN does not cover notices of default, acceleration, foreclosure or eviction under a credit or rental agreement for a primary residence (15 U.S.C. § 7003(b)(2)), so deliver those under your state's rules.

United Kingdom

Tenancy agreements and most property contracts can be signed electronically. Deeds lodged with HM Land Registry are different: in August 2025 the Land Registry began inviting conveyancers to submit deeds signed with a qualified electronic signature (QES). QuickSigner signatures are sealed with a certificate but are not qualified electronic signatures, so they are not the right tool for those deeds.

European Union

Under eIDAS, an electronic signature cannot be refused as evidence only because it is electronic, and leases and agency agreements are commonly signed this way. Transfers of land are usually set by national law, and many countries require a deed before a notary.

Production runs on the Professional plan at $15 per user a month, plus $0.30 per sign request. The first 50 sign requests are free, once. Above 500 requests a month, ask for volume pricing.

The scenarios leave out the 50 free sign requests. Testing is free on a developer account; completed test documents carry a watermark.

Are electronic signatures valid on real estate contracts?

Yes, for most of them. In the US the ESIGN Act and UETA cover leases, purchase agreements and disclosures. Deeds that must be recorded, documents that need a notary, and some notices to residents follow extra rules.

Can a lease have several tenants on one sign request?

Yes. Add each tenant to the recipients array. A request can have up to 50 signers, and you pay $0.30 per request, not per signer.

Can buyers and sellers sign in a set order?

Yes. Set signInOrder to true and list recipients in the order they should sign. Leave it false and everyone signs in parallel.

Can tenants sign on their phones?

Yes. Signers need only a link and a browser, with no account or app. Add include: ["phone_urls"] to the request to get a shorter phoneUrl for each signer, suited to text messages.

Can agents get a copy without signing?

Yes. Add is_copy_only to that recipient's options and they receive the completed document without being asked to sign.

Can I e-sign a deed with the API?

Usually not on its own. Deeds are recorded or registered, and the recorder, registry or notary sets the rules. In the UK, deeds lodged with HM Land Registry use a qualified electronic signature, which QuickSigner does not provide.

How do I prove who signed a lease?

Every completed request comes with a signing certificate, and the PDF carries a PAdES seal that Adobe Acrobat shows as valid. Any change made after signing is detectable.

Can I use association or MLS forms?

If your platform is licensed to use them, upload the forms as templates and call them by templateId. Check that your form license allows use in third-party signing software.

What happens to signed leases if we change providers?

The signature and seal are embedded in the PDF itself, so a signed lease still validates in Adobe Acrobat without QuickSigner. Download each signed PDF and its certificate on completion and keep them in your own records.

Can I test before paying?

Yes. A free developer account allows unlimited test sign requests. Completed test documents are watermarked.

• eSignature API overview
• API reference
• Developer guide on GitHub
• eSignature API for property management
• eSignature API for HR onboarding and staffing
• eSignature API for insurance
• eSignature API for lending
• eSignature API for SaaS onboarding
• Free contract templates