Transaction coordinator checklist: contract to close, step by step

A contract is a list of promises with dates attached. A transaction coordinator makes sure every promise is kept on time, by the right person.

Most deals do not fall apart in one dramatic moment. They slip. A deposit receipt nobody filed. An inspection deadline that passed over a weekend. A lender waiting on one bank statement.

This checklist walks a file from signed contract to closing, step by step, with who owns each step. Use it as a starting point. Your contract, your state forms and your broker's rules decide the details.

Why a checklist beats memory

Delays are common. In NAR's monthly Confidence Index survey for 09/2026, contracts typically closed in 30 days. In the same survey, 16% of contracts had a delayed settlement, and 7% of contracts were terminated in the prior three months. Appraisal issues alone delayed 5% of contracts.

Some delays are outside anyone's control. Many are not. A missing document, a late reminder or a party who never got the message can push a closing date. A checklist turns those risks into tasks with owners and due dates.

Day 0: the contract is signed

1. Get the fully signed copy. Every page, every initial, every addendum. Confirm the effective date, since most deadlines count from it.
2. Open the file. Property address, buyers, sellers, both agents, lender, title or escrow company, and an attorney if there is one.
3. Build the timeline. Pull each deadline from the contract: deposit, inspection period, financing, appraisal, title, walkthrough and closing. Put each one on the calendar with an owner.
4. Send an introduction. One email to everyone on the deal with the address, the key dates and who to contact for what.
5. Share deposit instructions safely. Tell the buyer to confirm wiring instructions by calling the title or escrow company at a number they already know, never one from an email.

Week 1: deposit, disclosures and inspection

• Deposit receipt. Get written confirmation from the escrow holder and file it. If it is not in by the due date, the agent needs to know that day.
• Seller disclosures. Make sure the buyer has every disclosure your state requires, signed where needed. The lead-based paint disclosure applies to homes built before 1978.
• HOA or condo documents. Request them early. Associations can be slow.
• Schedule the inspection. Book it in the first days of the inspection period, not the last, so there is time for a second visit if needed.

Inspection period: report, requests, decisions

This is where dates matter most. Once the inspection period ends, the buyer's options usually narrow.

• Get the report to the buyer and the buyer's agent as soon as it arrives.
• Draft the repair request from the report for the agent to review. Nothing goes to the other side until the agent approves it.
• Send reminders before the deadline: a few days out, the day before and the morning of.
• Log every response from the other side with the date and time.

A coordinator does not tell a buyer to cancel, waive or accept anything. Those are decisions for the client, with advice from the agent and, when needed, an attorney. The coordinator's job is to make sure everyone knows the date.

Financing and appraisal

• Confirm the loan is moving. Check with the lender that the application is in and the appraisal is ordered. The lender handles the loan. The coordinator tracks dates and documents.
• Chase missing paperwork. Lenders often ask for one more statement or letter. Ask once, nudge after a couple of days, then tell the agent.
• Watch the appraisal. If it comes in low, the agent and client need to know right away, while there is still time under the contract.
• Track the financing deadline. Put it on every calendar with reminders, like the inspection date.
• Plan for the Closing Disclosure. The CFPB says borrowers must receive the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing. Build that into the last week.

Title, insurance and closing prep

• Title commitment. Review it when it arrives and flag anything that needs clearing.
• Survey and insurance. If the contract or lender requires a survey, order it early. Remind the buyer to set up homeowners insurance before closing.
• Association and payoff letters. Request them from the HOA and the seller's lender.
• Final walkthrough. Schedule it close to closing and confirm agreed repairs are done.
• Closing numbers. Make sure both sides see the final figures before closing day. Sellers often want a rough estimate much earlier. A seller net sheet helps with that.

Closing day and after

1. Confirm the time, the place and what each person needs to bring.
2. Collect the signed closing documents for the file.
3. Check the file against the office checklist, then send it for broker review.
4. Prepare the commission statement with splits, caps, referrals and fees.
5. Send a thank-you and a review request to the client.
6. Archive the file so it is easy to find later.

The master checklist at a glance

One more habit: when a deadline lands on a weekend or holiday, check what your contract says. Many contracts move it to the next business day, but the contract decides, not the calendar app.

What a coordinator should not do

• Sign anything for a client or an agent.
• Give legal advice or explain what a clause "really means." Send those questions to the broker or an attorney.
• Tell anyone to waive, cancel or accept terms.
• Text clients who did not agree to texts.
• Write state forms from scratch. Use the forms from your state's licensed forms provider.

Questions