The Transaction Coordinator Checklist: Contract to Close

Every real estate deal is a sequence of dates and documents. A transaction coordinator's value is making sure none of them slip. This checklist breaks the contract-to-close process into five stages. Use it as a starting template and adapt it to your state's forms and your team's workflow. (New to the role? Start with what a transaction coordinator does.)

Stage 1 — Accepted offer & file opening

• Confirm the purchase agreement is fully executed and signed by all parties.
• Verify all pages, addenda, and counteroffers are present and attached.
• Open the transaction file in your management system.
• Record the key dates: acceptance, earnest money due, inspection, appraisal, loan approval, contingency removals, and closing.
• Confirm earnest money is delivered and receipted on time.
• Send the opening / introduction email to all parties (agents, lender, title/escrow).
• Order title and open escrow.

This stage is where errors are cheapest to prevent and most expensive to miss. Accurate dates here protect the entire timeline — which is exactly why getting them off the contract correctly matters so much.

Stage 2 — Due diligence: inspections, appraisal & contingencies

• Schedule the home inspection within the contract window.
• Track the inspection-response / repair-request deadline.
• Prepare and route any inspection addenda or repair amendments for signature.
• Confirm the appraisal is ordered by the lender and track its completion.
• Monitor financing and appraisal contingencies; flag any value or loan issues early.
• Collect and distribute seller disclosures and confirm buyer receipt.
• Track HOA document delivery and review periods if applicable.
• Confirm each contingency is removed (or extended in writing) by its deadline.

Stage 3 — Loan processing & approval

• Confirm the buyer's loan application is in and processing.
• Stay in contact with the lender on conditions and milestones.
• Track the loan-approval / financing-contingency deadline.
• Provide the lender any documents they request from the file.
• Confirm the appraisal supports the contract price; handle gaps via amendment if needed.
• Watch for "clear to close" from the lender.

Stage 4 — Clear to close & signing

• Confirm the file is complete and compliant (all signatures, disclosures, and addenda in).
• Coordinate the closing date, time, and location with all parties.
• Confirm the buyer's final walkthrough is scheduled.
• Review the closing disclosure / settlement statement for accuracy with the agent.
• Confirm wiring instructions and warn clients about wire fraud.
• Make sure all parties know what to bring and expect at signing.

Stage 5 — Post-closing wrap-up

• Confirm the transaction funded and recorded.
• Save the complete, final document set to your compliance archive.
• Submit the closing and commission paperwork to the brokerage.
• Send a closing congratulations / handoff to the client and agent.
• Request a review or referral if appropriate.
• Close out the file and tasks in your system.

Make the checklist run itself

A checklist is only as good as the data behind it. Most of the deadlines above come directly from the executed contract — so the fastest way to a reliable file is to capture those dates accurately at Stage 1 instead of retyping them by hand.

SimpliTC pulls the key fields straight from the accepted offer packet so you can review them and sync the approved record into your transaction management system — including Open To Close — without hand-keying. That makes Stage 1 fast and the rest of the checklist dependable. You can try it free on real packets, or read our guide to choosing transaction coordinator software.