In my State, to release an escrow holdback after closing to make repairs, BOTH PARTIES must sign the release of the escrow agreement. 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. A repair escrow is an agreement between the Buyer and Seller to set aside money to complete required repairs after the transaction closes. Learn how to create a repair escrow to ensure the home seller makes repairs even after the sale and honors promises from your negotiations pre-closing. It allows the sale to proceed while ensuring that repairs are completed after closing. If your agreement was for the seller to address these issues, the repairs should be done before you close on the house. Under Contract or Escrow. Once the sellers accept your offer, the contract goes into escrow. Closing costs are made up of individual closing cost items such as origination fees and attorney's fees.