Handing your files to a transaction coordinator is an act of trust. Done right, it's the best leverage in your business. Done wrong, it can cost you a closing, a client, or your reputation. Before you hire, these nine questions will tell you almost everything you need to know.
1. What's your background in real estate?
This is the most important question. A coordinator who has worked in title, mortgage, or escrow understands the whole transaction, not just the paperwork. They anticipate problems instead of reacting to them. Ask specifically where they've worked and in what roles.
Experience across title, mortgage, and escrow isn't a nice-to-have. It's the difference between a coordinator who follows a checklist and one who actually understands what's happening in your file.
2. Exactly what's included in your fee?
Get the full scope in writing. The fee should cover file opening, timeline management, party coordination, document and signature chasing, compliance, settlement statement review, and closing coordination. Watch for "extras" that quietly inflate the real price.
3. How do you track deadlines?
You want a clear, systematic answer — a transaction-management platform, a calendar discipline, proactive reminders. "I just keep on top of it" is not a system. Ask how they make sure a date never slips.
4. How and how often will you communicate with me?
The best coordinators are proactive: you always know where the file stands without chasing them. Ask what their update rhythm looks like and how quickly they respond.
5. Do you handle both buyer and seller side?
A capable TC handles either side and can adapt to your brokerage's specific requirements. Ask how they handle dual-side transactions and brokerage compliance.
6. What are your hours?
This matters more than people think. A coordinator with clear, sane working hours is a sign of a sustainable professional — not someone who will burn out mid-transaction. You want reliability, not a 2 a.m. responder who disappears next month.
7. How do you handle compliance?
Your broker's file requirements are not optional. A good TC knows how to complete a compliance checklist and deliver an audit-ready file. Ask how they ensure nothing's missing for your broker.
8. What happens if a deal falls through?
Understand the fee structure for terminated files up front. A fair TC has a clear, reasonable policy — not a surprise.
9. Can you describe a deal you saved?
This is the tell. A coordinator who's been doing this well will have a story — a deadline they caught, a problem they spotted, a closing they rescued. Vague answers here are a red flag.
Hire for judgment and experience, not just the lowest fee. The right transaction coordinator becomes invisible infrastructure for your business. The wrong one becomes a liability you don't discover until closing week.
One last thing
Trust your gut on communication. You'll be handing this person your clients and your reputation. If they're warm, clear, and organized in the interview, that's how they'll treat your deals. If they're scattered or hard to reach now, it won't get better later.
