Shredding for New Hampshire Realtors and Brokerages

Every real estate office in New Hampshire holds documents that carry social security numbers, bank account numbers, mortgage details, signature samples and government IDs. Closing files. Buyer disclosures. Loan applications referred through the office. Agency agreements. Old MLS sheets that got annotated with a buyer note. Each one a target for fraud if it ends up in the wrong place. Each one subject to FACTA disposal requirements and the NH real estate commission rules on records handling.

NewHampshireDocumentShredding.com has served Southern New Hampshire real estate offices since 2007. Closing file purges, post-deal cleanouts, brokerage transitions and quarterly retention purges. Drop-off, off-site and witnessed shredding. Certificate of Destruction every job. Call 📞 978-636-0301 or book online.

Why realtor records carry destruction risk

Real estate records are identity-theft gold. A single closing file contains the buyer’s social security number, the seller’s social security number, both parties’ bank routing and account numbers, the loan amount, the lender, the buyer’s signature on multiple documents and frequently a copy of a driver’s license or passport. A single mishandled file is enough to open accounts in someone else’s name, file a fraudulent return, or refinance a property under a stolen identity.

FACTA (the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act) applies to any person who maintains consumer information. Real estate offices fall inside the definition. The FACTA Disposal Rule requires reasonable measures to dispose of consumer information. Cross-cut shredding to BNBA A+ with a Certificate of Destruction is the accepted commercial standard.

The NH Real Estate Commission Rules require brokerages to maintain records related to transactions for specific periods. Once the retention window closes, destruction is required. The destruction method must protect confidentiality. Tossing closing files in the dumpster behind the office does not meet that standard. Neither does an unsecured paper recycling pickup.

What real estate offices shred

NH brokerage retention rules

The NH Real Estate Commission and brokerage best practices set the working retention windows below. Confirm specifics with your principal broker and your errors and omissions carrier.

• Transaction files: Generally 3 to 7 years from closing. NH RSA 331-A requires brokers to maintain records for at least 3 years. Most brokerages extend to 7 years for tax and litigation safety.
• Trust account records: Keep 6 years (aligns with NH attorney standard for trust account records).
• Agency agreements: Keep duration of agreement plus 3 years.
• Independent contractor agreements (agents): Keep duration plus 7 years.
• Personnel files: Keep duration of employment plus 7 years.
• Tax records: Keep 7 years.

For a fuller retention reference see our NH Document Retention Guide.

Three service tiers for real estate offices

Drop-off shredding ($0.99 per pound)

Walk in to our Tewksbury, MA facility with a few boxes. No appointment. Same-day Certificate of Destruction. Best for solo agents or small offices with one to four boxes. Convenient from Nashua, Salem, Hudson, Pelham and surrounding NH towns.

Off-site shredding (by appointment)

We arrive at your brokerage in a locked vehicle, load the boxes under chain of custody and destroy at our Tewksbury facility. Certificate of Destruction within two business days. Best for brokerages doing an annual retention purge or transitioning offices.

Witnessed shredding ($1.99 per pound, by appointment)

Principal broker watches destruction at our facility in real time. Useful for files with contested matters, transitioning brokerages or any record where supervisory chain of custody matters.

Pricing for brokerages

Two scenarios and the right tier for each

The solo realtor in Nashua with two file cabinets of old closings

You have been licensed for nine years. Two filing cabinets hold closing files from your earliest years. Most of those clients are well past the seven-year retention window. The volume is four to six banker boxes. The right tier is drop-off at our Tewksbury location. Total cost runs around $150. Same-day Certificate of Destruction. You file it with your broker.

The 25-agent brokerage in Manchester doing an annual purge

Your brokerage has twenty-five agents plus an admin team. Every December the principal broker runs a retention purge of closing files past seven years and old agent agreements past three years. Volume is twenty to thirty-five boxes. The right tier is off-site shredding by appointment. We arrive at your Manchester office, load the boxes under chain of custody and destroy them at our Tewksbury facility. Certificate of Destruction arrives within two business days.

Who we serve

Solo realtors, independent agents, residential brokerages, commercial brokerages, property management offices, real estate franchises and broker-developers across Southern NH. For city-specific information see Nashua, Manchester, Salem, Derry, Londonderry and Portsmouth.

Frequently Asked Questions