Transaction Coordinator Checklist: Intake to File Close-Out

A transaction coordinator checklist covers five stages: intake (executed contract, parties, side, fee agreed), file setup (deadlines, checklist, required documents), active management (reminders, document requests, signatures, updates), pre-closing (final documents, commission paperwork, compliance submission) and close-out (complete file, fee paid, archive). Adjust it to your state's forms and your broker's requirements.

More on this topic: TC and brokerage operations, every guide in one place.

This is the operating checklist for the coordinator's own work. It doesn't replace the contract: every date still comes from the executed agreement and its addenda, which we cover in the deadlines in a purchase contract. In Closingbird the checklist runs as tasks on each file; see task management.

Key takeaways

• Use one checklist on every file, then switch off what doesn't apply, rather than building a new list per deal.
• Day one decides most problems: confirm the acceptance date, every party and every deadline before anything else.
• Every item needs an owner and a due date counted from acceptance or closing.
• A short weekly review of every open file catches what reminders miss.
• A file isn't closed until it has passed compliance, the fee is paid and the record is archived.

Stage 1: Intake

• Receive the fully executed contract, every counter-offer and addendum.
• Confirm which side you represent and which agent you work for on this file.
• Confirm the acceptance (effective) date from the last signature or initial on the final counter.
• Collect names, emails and phone numbers for buyers, sellers, both agents, lender, title or escrow, and any attorney.
• Confirm your fee, who pays and when, and that a signed TC agreement is in place.
• Note anything unusual: cash or financed, HOA, well and septic, short sale, sale of another home, leaseback.
• Ask whether either side is in a 1031 exchange. A selling investor needs the exchange agreement with a qualified intermediary signed before closing; a buying investor's 180-day deadline, counted from their earlier sale, can fall before this contract's closing date. The free 1031 exchange deadline calculator gives both dates; see the 1031 exchange timeline.

Stage 2: File setup (day one)

• Enter acceptance and closing dates.
• List every deadline and whether it counts calendar or business days. See calendar vs business days.
• Give every deadline an owner (agent, buyer, seller, lender, escrow).
• Add the checklist and required documents for this side and deal type; mark items not applicable.
• Send the introduction email to every party with the key dates and who to contact for what. The free contract timeline generator turns those dates into a printable timeline and an .ics calendar file to attach.
• Send wire-fraud warnings to buyers on day one. See our wire fraud checklist.
• Request the first documents: earnest money receipt, seller disclosures, HOA documents where relevant.

Stage 3: Active management

• Remind each deadline owner before their date, not on the day.
• Track inspections, appraisal and loan progress, and log every notice and response.
• Chase missing documents with a link and scheduled follow-ups rather than ad-hoc emails.
• Send documents for signature and check every page for signatures, initials and dates.
• When an amendment is signed, recalculate the dates it changes and tell every party.
• Give clients and agents a regular update, or a status link they can check themselves.

Stage 4: Pre-closing

• Confirm the closing date, time and location or remote signing details. The free closing date calculator checks the date against weekends and federal holidays and gives the latest day the buyer can receive the Closing Disclosure.
• Confirm the walkthrough is scheduled and utilities are being transferred.
• Collect anything the closing agent still needs.
• Prepare commission paperwork if the brokerage asks, such as the commission disbursement authorization (CDA).
• Check the file against the broker's required documents and submit it for compliance review. See the broker compliance file review checklist.

Stage 5: Close-out

• Record the actual closing date (or the fall-through reason and what happened to the earnest money).
• Fix anything compliance returned, then get final approval.
• Add the final signed closing documents to the file.
• Invoice your fee and record payment.
• Archive the complete file. Brokers must keep transaction records for a period set by state law: for example, three years in California and four in Colorado.
• Send the agent a short close-out note, and ask for a referral.

A weekly routine for every open file

Make it your standard, not a document

A checklist in a document gets copied, edited and forgotten. Build it once in the tool where you run files, so every new file starts with it. In Closingbird, admins and coordinators set the team's standard checklist and required documents: each step has a phase, which sides it applies to, when it's due (counted from acceptance or closing), who usually delivers it, and whether it only applies to financed deals. New steps can be pushed to files already open. Every step is also a task, so it appears in My Work with the rest of the day's deadlines; see task management.

Frequently asked questions

What should be on a transaction coordinator checklist?

Intake, file setup, active management, pre-closing and close-out items: contract and parties, every deadline with an owner, document requests and signatures, updates, commission and compliance paperwork, and archiving.

What does a transaction coordinator do on day one?

Confirm the acceptance date, enter every deadline and party, add the checklist and required documents, send an introduction email with key dates, and send wire-fraud warnings to buyers.

Is a TC checklist different for buyers and sellers?

Yes. Many items are shared, but listing-side files include seller disclosures and payoff information, and buyer-side files include loan and inspection steps. Use one list with steps tagged by side.

How long should a TC keep transaction files?

It's set by state law for the broker. California's DRE says three years and Colorado's Division of Real Estate says four. Check your state and your broker's policy.

Can I use one checklist for every state?

The stages are the same everywhere, but deadlines, forms and disclosures differ by state. Keep one structure and adjust the items for each state you work in.

Run it in Closingbird

Closingbird adds your checklist and required documents to every new file automatically and reads the dates from the executed contract. Start a free trial (14-day free trial, no credit card required) or see pricing.

Related reading

• The deadlines in a purchase contract
• Transaction coordinator job description
• Broker compliance file review checklist
• Deadline tracking in Closingbird
• Help: the checklist and required documents

Sources

Checked in October 2026. Rules and prices change, and many vary by state, so confirm with the source, your state's real estate commission or your broker before you rely on them.

• California Department of Real Estate: Broker Self-Evaluation Compliance Checklist (RE 540, rev. 5/26)
• Colorado Division of Real Estate: Transaction File Checklist (2025-08)