Earnest money and closing instruction forms

Earnest money and closing instructions come up on almost every transaction. This article covers the three forms Done-Deal supports for tracking them.

The forms

Code	Form	What it's for
EMRECEIPT	Earnest Money Receipt	Acknowledges that the earnest money deposit was received at contract signing.
EMR	Earnest Money Release	Documents the release of earnest money to the buyer or seller when a contract terminates.
CI	Closing Instructions	Instructs the title company on how to handle the closing.

Each is a standalone form in the library — fill it the same way as any other contract in Done-Deal. See Filling out a contract for how the editor itself works.

Earnest money amount tracking

The earnest money amount you set on your Contract to Buy & Sell (CBS1) carries forward automatically as a field you can review — and, on a counterproposal or amendment, renegotiate — without retyping it from scratch. It's one of the fields shown by default in both the counterproposal and amendment flows.

When to use the release form

If a contract terminates — whether from an inspection issue, a financing failure, or any other contingency — the Earnest Money Release (EMR) form documents who the deposit goes to and closes out that piece of the transaction in writing.

FAQ

Do I need an Earnest Money Receipt on every deal?

It's standard practice to document that the deposit was received, but whether it's required depends on your brokerage's policy and the specifics of the transaction.

Who fills out Closing Instructions?

The listing or selling agent typically prepares Closing Instructions for the title company handling the deal. Confirm with your title company which details they need before sending.

What happens to earnest money if a deal falls through?

That depends on the reason the contract terminated and what the contract itself specifies. The Earnest Money Release form documents the agreed outcome once buyer and seller (or their attorneys) have resolved it.