← Day in the Life — Choose Your REVA Role
Transaction Coordinator — a real day
Cineminn-original lesson · v1.0 · May 2026 Audience: Trainees who selected Transaction Coordinator as their primary track Time to read: 25–35 minutes Prerequisites: Session 1 + Session 2 completed What you'll know after this: What the TC role is, why it's the highest-paid coordinator role, what your day looks like, and the deadlines that define your week.
The role in one sentence
A Transaction Coordinator owns a deal from the moment the Purchase Agreement is fully executed to the moment the deed is recorded — every contingency date, every signature, every party in the deal, every dollar that moves. Your job is to get the deal across the finish line on time, every time.
If you remember nothing else: the TC's deliverable is a closed deal. Not a clean file. Not a happy seller. Not a satisfied agent. A closed deal. Everything else flows from that.
What a TC owns
| Phase | TC owns |
|---|---|
| Day 0 (offer accepted) | File opening, party introductions, deadline mapping |
| Days 1–10 (option / inspection period) | Earnest money tracking, inspection coordination, response amendments |
| Days 10–25 (financing / appraisal) | Loan progress tracking, appraisal coordination, title work, contingency releases |
| Days 25–30 (clear to close) | CD review, final walkthrough, wire verification, closing logistics |
| Closing day | Funds confirmation, signature confirmation, recording confirmation |
| Post-close | File archiving, post-close client touches, anniversary scheduling |
You do not own: pre-listing prep (LC), social marketing (MC), file audits before contract (AC catches those before contract; you take over after). Your zone starts at the executed Purchase Agreement.
A real day — Tuesday, mid-spring market
You're supporting the team's 3 agents with 9 active pending deals at various stages.
8:00 AM CT — The Sweep
Open these systems:
- Transaction management system (dotloop / SkySlope) — every active deal, every contingency
- Slack — overnight messages
- Email — your TC inbox + the agent's if shared
- Calendar — today's deadlines
- The team's CRM — every deal stage
You're looking for: deadlines hitting in the next 7 days, lender updates, title issues, wire requests.
8:15 — Morning Brief
Morning. Pending deal status: - Anderson — closing Thursday. Final walkthrough scheduled tomorrow 4pm. Wire instructions VERIFIED by phone yesterday. ✅ - Patel — inspection contingency expires today 5pm. Buyers' agent has not submitted Inspection Response. Will chase by 10am. - Roberts — appraisal back yesterday. Came in $5K under contract. Buyers + agent strategizing. Will follow up at 11am for direction. - Williams — financing contingency expires Friday. Lender confirmed loan in underwriting. Watching closely. - Three other deals on track, no urgent items. - Today's priorities: Patel chase, Roberts strategy, Anderson final walk prep, two new file openings (Brown + Smith offers accepted yesterday).
8:30–10:00 — Block 1: Open the two new files
Two offers got accepted yesterday. Today you open the files.
For each new deal:
□ Pull the executed Purchase Agreement
□ Open a new file in dotloop / SkySlope / your TMS
□ Build the deadline calendar — every date from the contract:
• Earnest money due (typically 1-3 business days)
• Inspection contingency expires (typically 5-10 days)
• Financing contingency expires (typically 21-30 days)
• Appraisal contingency
• HOA review period (if applicable)
• Closing date
• Final walk-through (typically 1-3 days before close)
□ Send "deal opening" email to all parties:
• Buyer + buyer's agent
• Seller + seller's agent (i.e., your team's listing agent)
• Lender + loan officer
• Title officer
• Inspector (if scheduled)
• Cc: your team's agent
□ Build the file's "needs list":
• Earnest money receipt (waiting)
• Disclosures signed (sellers + buyers acknowledge)
• Lender's pre-approval letter on file
• Title pre-search (orders today)
□ Set Slack/calendar alerts for every contingency date
□ Update CRM
Time per new file: 45–60 min the first few times. 30 min once you have a system.
10:00–10:30 — Block 2: Patel inspection chase
Patel inspection contingency expires today 5pm. Buyer's agent hasn't submitted the Inspection Response.
What this means: if 5pm passes without a response, the contingency is automatically released, and the buyer can no longer demand repairs. That's good for the seller and your team. But the buyer's agent could be late by accident, and we don't want a lawsuit.
Your move:
- Email buyer's agent: "Heads up — inspection contingency expires today 5pm. We have not received an Inspection Response. Are buyers proceeding without repairs, or is a response coming?"
- Cc your agent so they know
- Set a 4pm reminder to follow up if no response
This is an example of a TC's proactive deadline management — you're not waiting for things to break; you're flagging them before they break.
10:30–11:30 — Block 3: Roberts appraisal strategy
Appraisal came in $5K under contract. Three options for the buyers (this is what your agent will discuss with them):
- Bring extra cash to cover the gap
- Renegotiate with sellers (your team is the listing side — sellers may say no)
- Walk away (if they have an appraisal contingency)
Your job:
- Pull the original Purchase Agreement to confirm the appraisal contingency status
- Pull the appraisal report — read it for any factual errors that would justify an ROV (Reconsideration of Value)
- Build a quick comp sheet showing 3 better comps from your CMA — for ROV ammunition
- Email the package to your agent for their conversation with the buyers' agent
Time: 60 min. The appraisal-gap conversation is one of the highest-stakes moments of the deal. Your prep determines what options your agent can offer.
11:30–12:00 — Block 4: Williams financing watch
Financing contingency expires Friday. Lender said yesterday loan is in underwriting.
Today's check-in:
- Email loan officer: "Williams loan — any update on underwriting? Contingency expires Friday."
- If LO says approved: get the approval letter, file it, email the buyer's agent
- If LO says delayed: flag it immediately to your agent + the buyer's agent
No-news days are also data. If the LO doesn't reply by tomorrow, that itself is a signal.
12:00–12:30 — LUNCH
12:30–2:30 — Block 5: Anderson closing prep
Anderson closes Thursday. Today's pre-closing tasks:
□ Confirm Closing Disclosure was delivered 3 business days before close ✅ (yesterday)
□ Buyers reviewed CD, signed acknowledgment ✅
□ Wire instructions verified by phone with title officer ✅ (yesterday)
□ Sellers' final closing statement reviewed and confirmed
□ Final walk-through scheduled (tomorrow 4pm)
□ Lockbox + sign retrieval scheduled for Friday
□ Closing meeting time confirmed with all parties (Thursday 10am at title company)
□ Sellers' net proceeds wire instructions captured
□ Sellers' moving timeline confirmed (out of property by Wednesday 5pm)
□ Buyers' utilities transfer scheduled (Wednesday)
□ HOA dues prorations confirmed
□ Property tax prorations confirmed
□ Closing gift coordinated with AC (handled — basket arriving Wednesday)
□ Post-close anniversary touches scheduled in CRM
□ Marketing notified for Just Sold post (handled — Sunday post)
Time: 90 min. Anderson is on track. You spent 90 min today so the actual closing on Thursday takes 0 surprises.
2:30–3:00 — Block 6: File audits for the remaining 6 deals
Quick scan through the 6 deals not in active crisis:
- Outstanding signatures? Chase.
- Vendor responses pending? Follow up.
- Upcoming deadlines? Confirm calendar.
- Anything that looks unusual? Flag.
Time: 5–8 min per file × 6 = 30–45 min.
3:00–3:30 — End of Day
Update the team's deal tracker spreadsheet. Notes per deal:
| Deal | Stage | Days to close | Outstanding | Next action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson | CTC | 2 | None | Final walkthrough tomorrow 4pm |
| Patel | Inspection ends today | 28 | Inspection Response by 5pm | Awaiting buyer's agent reply |
| Roberts | Appraisal gap | 22 | Strategy decision | Agent + buyers conversation |
| Williams | Underwriting | 18 | Approval letter | LO follow-up tomorrow |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
EOD Slack to your agent. Sign off.
Weekly rhythm
| Day | TC focus |
|---|---|
| Monday | Week setup. New file openings from weekend offers. Deadline calendar review. |
| Tuesday | Mid-week status checks. Lender + title check-ins. |
| Wednesday | File audits for everyone. Closing prep for Friday closings. |
| Thursday | Final walkthroughs. Day before Friday closings. |
| Friday | Closing day execution. Post-close clean-up. New anniversaries scheduled. |
| Saturday | Off (most TCs). Some cover urgent items. |
| Sunday | Off. |
The TC's master deadline list
These are the dates you live and die by. Every deal has them:
| Deadline | Typical timing | What happens if missed |
|---|---|---|
| Earnest money delivery | 1–3 days post-acceptance | Seller can cancel contract |
| Inspection contingency expires | 5–10 days post-acceptance | Buyer can no longer request repairs |
| Inspection Response (Amendment) | Before contingency expires | Buyer waives objections by default |
| Financing contingency expires | 21–30 days post-acceptance | Buyer must close even if loan denied |
| Appraisal contingency expires | Tied to appraisal report receipt | Buyer must close at contract price |
| Title objection deadline | 5–10 days after title commitment | Buyer waives title objections |
| HOA review period | 7–10 days after HOA docs receipt | Buyer waives HOA objections |
| Closing Disclosure delivered | 3 business days before close | Closing must be rescheduled (federal rule) |
| Final walkthrough | 1–3 days before close | Buyer's last chance to flag issues |
| Closing date | Per contract | Contract may be in default |
Knowing these timelines cold is non-negotiable. Print this list. Tape it to your monitor.
Tools you must master
- Transaction management system (dotloop / SkySlope / Brokermint) — your primary workspace
- DocuSign — chasing signatures
- The team's CRM
- A deadline calendar (Google Calendar, Notion, Asana — pick one and live in it)
- QuickBooks Online — basic AP, vendor invoices
- Email (heavy) — you're managing 12-character communication chains
- Slack — team comms
- Wire verification process (phone-based, never email-only)
What kills TC careers
- Missed contingency deadline. A buyer waives a right because you didn't track the deadline. The buyer is angry, the agent is angry, the brokerage is angry. Possibly a lawsuit.
- Closing slips. A deal that was supposed to close Friday closes Monday because you missed the CD timing. Sellers can't move. Buyers can't move. Refunds, repairs, embarrassment.
- Wire fraud. A buyer wires $50K to a scam account because you forwarded "updated wire instructions" without phone verification. Likely fired same day.
- No proactive flagging. A loan officer goes silent for a week and you don't notice. Now there's a 3-day rush before closing. Avoidable.
- Bad communication with all parties. The buyer's agent calls you three times because you don't return emails. Now they badmouth your team to other agents.
What makes a great TC
- They run a deadline calendar that's never wrong. Every date, every deal, in one place. Updated daily.
- They communicate proactively. "Quick update — the appraisal is Wednesday, we expect the report Thursday." They don't wait to be asked.
- They build vendor relationships. Title officers prioritize their files. Loan officers return their calls. Inspectors call them first.
- They master the contingency landscape. They know which clauses are in every deal type — conventional vs. FHA vs. VA vs. cash — without looking it up.
- They never let two deals collide. Two closings on Friday? They've already mapped how to staff both. They know when to ask the agent to attend vs. when to send AC.
Pay range
| Tier | Hourly |
|---|---|
| Junior TC (0–6 mo) | $9–11 |
| Mid TC (6–18 mo) | $11–14 |
| Senior TC (18–36 mo) | $14–17 |
| Lead TC / Closing Manager (3+ yr) | $17–22 or salaried |
Plus performance bonuses ($25–100 per closed deal). TC is the highest-base-pay coordinator role.
Career path forward
- 6 months: Owning 6–8 active pending deals without supervision. Closings happen on time, every time.
- 12 months: First raise. Cross-trained into AC tasks for backup.
- 18 months: Senior TC. You can train a new TC. You handle the most complex deals (commercial, multi-family, weird seller situations).
- 24–36 months: Closing Manager / Director of Operations.
Self-check before Session 3
- What does the TC own — and what doesn't the TC own?
- Name 6 of the master deadlines a TC tracks per deal.
- Walk through the wire fraud rule and why it matters.
- What's the appraisal-gap conversation, and what 3 options does the buyer have?
- Name 3 reasons TCs get fired.
- Name 3 habits of TCs who get promoted to Closing Manager.
Cineminn REVA Academy · Day in the Life — Transaction Coordinator · v1.0 · May 2026