TC Service SLA Checklist: Questions to Ask Before Hiring

Transaction coordinator SLA checklist questions are the part of hiring a TC service most brokerages skip, right up until a deadline gets missed and nobody can say who was supposed to catch it. A service-level agreement is the document that tells you what you’re entitled to expect and what happens when something goes wrong. That makes it more than paperwork.

Before signing with any transaction coordination service, in-house or outsourced, run through these questions. The answers, or the lack of clear ones, tell you a lot about how the service operates day to day.

Quick answer: A solid TC service SLA should specify response time for time-sensitive items (same-day, ideally within a few hours), backup coverage if the assigned coordinator is unavailable, who reviews and catches errors before they become deadline misses, what happens if a deadline is missed due to coordinator error, and what the refund or fee policy is if a deal falls through. If a service can’t answer these clearly, that tells you something too.

What’s the actual response time for urgent items?

Ask specifically, not generally. “We’re responsive” isn’t an SLA. “Same-business-day response for anything with a deadline inside 48 hours” is. Get this in writing, because an inspection objection deadline or a lender condition doesn’t wait for someone to check email on their own schedule. A short delay in one step, like a slow document turnaround or an unanswered condition, can cascade into a missed closing date faster than most people expect. That’s why groups like ALTA emphasize timely handoffs in their closing best-practice guidance. If a service won’t commit to a specific response window, treat that as a real gap, not a formality.

What happens if my assigned coordinator is out?

Every coordinator, in-house or outsourced, takes sick days and vacation. The question is whether your files sit untouched during that time or someone else picks them up so nothing stalls. A team-based model with built-in backup coverage handles this by design. A single-coordinator arrangement, whether that’s a solo in-house hire or a one-person outsourced contractor, usually doesn’t, and that risk belongs in your pricing comparison. Ask directly how backup coverage works and what the handoff process looks like.

Who’s reviewing the file, and how often?

Some services market themselves as tech-driven but are mostly software with minimal human oversight. Ask specifically: is a licensed or trained human reviewing this file, and on what cadence? An AI-plus-human model, like Simply Closed’s, should be able to explain where automation flags something and where a human coordinator confirms and acts on it. If the answer is vague about human involvement, push for specifics before signing. See how this division of labor works on our technology page.

What’s the policy if a deadline gets missed due to coordinator error?

Mistakes happen even with good processes. What matters is whether the service has a defined accountability process: an error review, a corrective action plan, and, where applicable, some form of remedy. A service unwilling to discuss this scenario at all hasn’t thought it through. That isn’t reassuring in a role built entirely around catching other people’s deadlines.

What’s the fee policy if a deal doesn’t close?

This varies by service, so get it in writing. Simply Closed’s policy is that in most cases there’s no coordination fee if the deal doesn’t close. The exception is listing coordination work already performed, which isn’t refunded, since that work happened whether or not the contract-to-close side ever started. Compare this against any service you’re evaluating, and be wary of a policy stated verbally that doesn’t appear in the signed agreement. Full terms are on our pricing page.

How do you verify these answers before signing?

Ask for the SLA in writing, not a verbal summary on a sales call. Ask for a reference brokerage of similar size and volume if the service will provide one. And ask what reporting or visibility you’ll have into file status day to day. An SLA is only useful if you can see in real time whether it’s being met, instead of taking the service’s word for it after the fact.

Frequently asked questions

Should every TC service have a written SLA?

Yes. A verbal assurance about response times or backup coverage isn’t enforceable and tends to slip once things get busy. A written SLA gives both sides a clear reference point.

What should happen if a service repeatedly misses its own SLA?

Ask this before signing, not after it’s already happened. A well-defined agreement includes a review trigger, such as a set number of missed windows in a quarter, that prompts a conversation about whether the arrangement is still working instead of letting repeated misses pile up quietly.

Does an in-house hire need an SLA too?

It’s less formal, but the same questions apply. Define expected response times, backup coverage for time off, and an error-review process even for an internal hire, since the risks are the same no matter who’s doing the work.

Run every provider you’re evaluating through the same transaction coordinator SLA checklist above before signing anything. Want to see Simply Closed’s SLA terms before you compare? Get started here and ask for them directly.