If a credit is specified to be for a repair either in the contract or addendum, the repairs will have to be completed prior to close of escrow. An escrow holdback is the act of collecting additional funds at closing that will be refunded after necessary repairs have been made to the purchased property.The repair escrow agreement details the scope of the repairs, the budget, and the timeline, ensuring that the work is completed postclosing. The only ones that can instruct escrow to not close are the principals ( buyer and seller ) only . Agents don't legally have the right to. With an escrow holdback, additional funds are collected at closing and held until repairs are made to a purchased property. A holdback is meant to encourage the seller to make needed repairs in a timely fashion. In some cases, repairs can be completed after the loan closes. The borrower would need to put money to pay for these repairs in an escrow account. An escrow holdback can benefit both buyers and sellers in some situations.