{"id":131,"date":"2026-10-20T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyclosed.com\/blog\/?p=131"},"modified":"2026-10-29T15:09:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T21:09:23","slug":"tc-pricing-models-compared","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyclosed.com\/blog\/tc-pricing-models-compared\/","title":{"rendered":"Transaction Coordinator Pricing: Flat Fee vs Per-File"},"content":{"rendered":"

Transaction coordinator pricing models<\/strong> come in three basic shapes: a flat fee per file, a per-file rate that scales with complexity, and a percentage of the commission. Which one costs you least depends less on the sticker price than on your average sale price, your file volume, and how much of the process you want handed off.<\/p>\n

Quick answer:<\/strong> Flat-fee pricing is the most predictable and usually fits brokerages with a steady file count best, since the cost doesn’t move with sale price. Percentage-of-commission pricing pays the TC more on high-value deals and can get expensive fast on luxury transactions. Tiered per-file rates sit in between, adjusting for complexity without tracking commission dollars.<\/p>\n

What is flat-fee transaction coordination?<\/h2>\n

A flat fee means every file costs the same regardless of sale price, as long as it’s a standard residential transaction. A $180,000 condo and a $650,000 single-family home cost the same to coordinate. The appeal is budgeting. An owner can multiply expected closings by a fixed number and know the coordination line item before the month starts. The tradeoff is that flat fees are usually scoped to “typical” transactions, so a file with unusual complexity (a 1031 exchange, a short sale, multiple rounds of addenda) may carry an add-on. Ask any flat-fee provider what triggers an upcharge before you sign anything. See our guide on questions to ask before signing a TC agreement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How does percentage-of-commission pricing work?<\/h2>\n

Under this model, the TC fee is a small slice of the commission on each closed deal, often somewhere between a few tenths of a percent and around one percent, depending on the provider and market. It scales with deal size, which sounds fair until you run the math on a high-price listing. Coordinating a $1.2 million sale isn’t meaningfully harder than coordinating a $400,000 sale, but the fee is three times larger. Brokerages with a wide spread of price points, or a few luxury listings mixed into a mostly mid-market book, tend to overpay under this structure compared with a flat fee. RealTrends<\/a> tracks broader brokerage cost and productivity benchmarks if you want context beyond TC pricing.<\/p>\n

What is per-file or per-side pricing?<\/h2>\n

Per-file pricing charges a set rate per transaction side, sometimes with tiers based on complexity (a simple listing side versus a buyer side with financing contingencies and a home inspection response, for example). This model splits the difference. It’s more predictable than percentage-of-commission and more flexible than a single flat number, since a provider can price a harder file differently from a simple one. The catch is transparency. Get the tier definitions in writing, not decided file by file after the fact.<\/p>\n

Which pricing model is cheapest for a small brokerage?<\/h2>\n

For a brokerage doing under 15 to 20 closings a month at moderate price points, flat-fee pricing usually wins on predictability and total cost. Percentage-of-commission tends to make sense only if your average sale price is unusually low and your TC is willing to price accordingly. Otherwise the math rarely favors it once volume picks up. Run your own numbers: take last year’s closed volume and average commission, then price out each of the transaction coordinator pricing models against your real file mix, not a hypothetical one.<\/p>\n

Does a lower price always mean lower cost?<\/h2>\n

Not necessarily. A cheap per-file rate that excludes document review, or caps how often the TC communicates with parties, can push work back onto your agents. That is a cost too, even though it never shows up on an invoice. Compare pricing against a full breakdown of what’s included in a contract-to-close package<\/a> before assuming the lowest number wins.<\/p>\n

How does Simply Closed price its service?<\/h2>\n

We use transparent per-file pricing published on our pricing page<\/a>, with no hidden tiers based on commission size. In most cases there’s no coordination fee if the deal doesn’t close. If listing-side work was already performed on that file before it fell through, that portion isn’t waived. We explain the full logic in our post on what “no fee if it doesn’t close” means<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n

Is percentage-of-commission pricing ever the better deal?<\/h3>\n

It can be, for brokerages with consistently low average sale prices, where a percentage works out lower than a flat fee. Model both against your own numbers instead of assuming.<\/p>\n

Do TC pricing models include title and lender coordination?<\/h3>\n

It varies by provider. Some bundle communication with title and lender into the base price; others charge extra. Confirm scope in writing regardless of pricing model.<\/p>\n

Can I switch pricing models with the same provider later?<\/h3>\n

Most providers who offer more than one structure will let you switch at contract renewal, though changing mid-file is unusual. Ask about switching terms before you sign.<\/p>\n

If you’re ready to see real numbers against your own file volume, our pricing page<\/a> lays out our per-file rates, or you can get started<\/a> and we’ll walk through which structure fits your brokerage.<\/p>\n