It’s not exactly like the home team batting second 
in baseball, but there is something analogous to “home field advantage” in residential real estate.
Namely, by convention, the Buyer gets to choose the location of closing (typically, at the office of the title company they’re using).
That fact was . . . uhhh, driven home to me on the long ride back from my closing earlier this afternoon at a not-so-central Twin Cities location.
P.S.: Buyers will sometimes accommodate Sellers who have health or mobility issues, and close at their title company.
Of course, when those issues are acute, pre-signing is appropriate.
