When does the risk of loss transfer to the buyer in a property transaction?

In property transactions, the risk of loss generally transfers to the buyer at the point when the buyer has equitable title to the property. Equitable title can be understood as the right to obtain full ownership or legal title in the future, typically upon the completion of certain conditions—most often the closing of the sale.

Once the buyer has equitable title, they are considered the true owner for most practical purposes, and thus assume the risks associated with the property, such as damage or loss. This principle reflects the buyer's financial interest and stake in the property, even before the legal title is formally transferred.

The other potential points of risk transfer do not align with this principle. For instance, merely signing a contract does not confer any rights or risks pertaining to the physical property itself; possession of the property does not necessarily establish ownership rights or risk; and closing marks the formal transfer to legal title, not the equitable title, which is what triggers the risk of loss to the buyer beforehand.