Transaction Coordinator Cost in Massachusetts (2026)

The transaction coordinator cost in Massachusetts starts at $500 per transaction side with us for contract-to-close work, paid at closing. Across the national market, most coordinators charge $300 to $800 per file, and most standard residential files fall between $350 and $550, according to our transaction coordinator cost guide. Every service is listed on our pricing page.

Quick answer: Our contract-to-close coordination on a Massachusetts file starts at $500 per side, and listing coordination starts at $350. Nationally, most coordinators charge $300 to $800 per file, usually $350 to $550 for a standard sale. You pay at closing through title or escrow, and a contract-to-close file that falls apart carries no coordination fee.

Why does a Massachusetts file take more tracking than most?

Because the deal lives in two documents. The accepted offer, usually the MAR Contract to Purchase (#501) or the GBREB offer in Greater Boston, is binding on its own. The purchase and sale agreement comes after it, normally drafted and negotiated by the attorneys, with a second deposit and often new dates.

We track both, plus the gap between them. If the P&S date slides, the offer may lapse, and the inspection and mortgage dates in the P&S usually replace the ones in the offer.

The offer also uses dates, not day counts. On the #501, the inspection and mortgage termination notices are due by 5:00 p.m. on the calendar day after the date written in the offer. Agents from day-count states miss this all the time.

Weekend rules come from statute, not the form. Under M.G.L. c.4, section 9, a contract deadline that falls on a Sunday or legal holiday can be met the next business day unless the contract says otherwise. Saturdays aren’t covered.

What does Massachusetts require from the seller?

Less than most states on disclosure. Massachusetts has no statutory seller disclosure form for most sellers, and a private seller has no general duty to volunteer defects. They can’t lie when asked, and brokers carry their own disclosure duties, which is why many listing agents still hand sellers a statement of property condition.

Lead paint is the exception we never skip. For a home built before 1978, the seller has to give the buyer the Property Transfer Lead Paint Notification before the P&S is signed, with both sides signing the certification page and copies of any lead reports attached. The federal rule also gives the buyer a 10-day window for a lead inspection unless it’s waived or changed in writing.

The rest of the extra work is local paperwork that has to be in hand by closing:

• A smoke and carbon monoxide certificate of compliance from the town fire department, with fees set by each town, so we book the inspection as soon as there’s a closing date.
• A Title 5 septic inspection for homes not on sewer, done within 2 years before the sale, or 3 years if the system was pumped every year and the records exist.
• For condos, the 6(d) statement of unpaid common charges, which the association has 10 business days to produce after a written request.

Then there are the attorneys. Since the Supreme Judicial Court’s 2011 decision in REBA v. National Real Estate Information Services, closings need real involvement from a lawyer, which ended witness-only signings. Your coordinator ends up trading emails with both parties’ attorneys and the closing attorney.

A pre-1978 Somerville condo can touch every item above. A newer house on town sewer touches maybe two. That spread explains why one Massachusetts file eats twice the hours of another.

What does a Massachusetts timeline look like with real dates?

Say an offer on the #501 is accepted on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, for a 1950s single-family on town sewer. We would calendar the dates written into that offer like this.

Item	Date in the offer	What we calendar
Offer accepted	Tuesday, November 3, 2026	Day zero. Confirm the deposit to bind.
Inspection contingency	Tuesday, November 10	Termination notice due 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 11. That is a Massachusetts legal holiday, so the statute allows Thursday, November 12. We still push for Tuesday.
P&S signed	Monday, November 16	Signed lead paint certification on file first. Collect the additional deposit at signing.
Mortgage commitment	Friday, December 4	Termination notice due 5:00 p.m. Saturday, December 5. Saturdays don’t roll, so Saturday it is.
Closing	Thursday, December 17	Smoke and CO certificate in hand. The fire inspection gets booked the week the P&S is signed.

Two traps are sitting in that table. The holiday on November 11 gives the buyer an extra day only because the statute says so, and plenty of attorneys won’t rely on it. The Saturday on December 5 gives nobody anything.

If the P&S changes the mortgage or closing date, the P&S controls and we recalendar the same day. The executed contract always controls, so confirm every date with the agent, broker or attorney on the file.

When does paying a coordinator make sense, and when doesn’t it?

Start with the in-house number. A salaried TC runs roughly $45,000 to $75,000 a year, about $70,000 once taxes and benefits are in. At $500 a side, that’s about 140 sides a year before outsourcing costs more than a hire.

Below that volume, or when your closings bunch up in spring and stall in January, per-file pricing usually wins. It also helps if you list in septic towns or work a lot of older condos, where the Title 5 report and the 6(d) statement turn into weeks of follow-up.

It doesn’t make sense for everyone. If you close six deals a year and your buyer’s attorney already has a paralegal chasing the smoke certificate and the P&S, you may not need us. The same goes for a team with a full-time TC who is busy all year.

Brokers who only want a second set of eyes can use our compliance-only review, which starts at $350. Dual agency files start at $900. The Massachusetts transaction coordinator page covers how we work with attorney offices here.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a transaction coordinator cost in Massachusetts?

Nationally, most coordinators charge $300 to $800 per file, and a standard residential file usually lands between $350 and $550. Our contract-to-close service starts at $500 per transaction side and listing coordination starts at $350. The fee is paid at closing through title or escrow, and if a contract-to-close file doesn’t close, there’s no coordination fee.

Does Massachusetts require a seller disclosure form?

Not for most sellers. There’s no statutory disclosure form, and a private seller has no general duty to volunteer defects, though they can’t misstate facts when a buyer asks. Lead paint is the big exception. For a home built before 1978, the seller must give the buyer the Property Transfer Lead Paint Notification before the purchase and sale agreement is signed.

When is the inspection termination notice due on the MAR offer form?

On the MAR Contract to Purchase, the notice is due by 5:00 p.m. on the calendar day after the inspection date written in the offer. If that day is a Sunday or a Massachusetts legal holiday, state law lets it be done the next business day unless the contract says otherwise. A Saturday doesn’t move, so we calendar the earlier date.

Does a coordinator replace the attorneys on a Massachusetts deal?

No. The attorneys draft and negotiate the purchase and sale agreement, give legal advice and run the closing. A coordinator tracks the dates in the offer and the P&S, chases the smoke certificate, Title 5 report and condo paperwork, and keeps the agents and both attorney offices working from the same calendar. We don’t give legal advice.

Have an accepted offer in front of you? Put its dates into the Massachusetts closing deadline calculator, or book a call with Lisa to talk through your next file.