Real Estate Transaction Checklist

You work through the checklist in the order the transaction progresses. Start with the opening phase: confirm the listing agreement is executed, the buyer's pre-qualification is verified, the purchase agreement and its attached forms are in place, counter-offers from both sides are recorded, agent information is captured on the MLS listing, and the initial earnest money deposit is received. If the transaction involves FHA or VA financing, capture the financing contingency addendum, and provide the wire fraud advisory notice. When those opening items are confirmed, move to the disclosure stage, then the inspection and repair stage, and close out by recording the signature and the finish time.

The opening phase establishes the contractual groundwork. The checklist asks you to confirm the listing agreement is executed, verify buyer pre-qualification, record the purchase agreement and attached forms, and capture any seller's or buyer's counter-offer. It also asks for the MLS listing with a complete agent information sheet, receipt of the initial earnest money deposit, the FHA/VA financing contingency addendum where applicable, and the wire fraud advisory notice. The contractual requirements schedule holds the deadlines, so each of these items is tied to a date rather than left open.

The disclosure and report stage lists the documents a transaction is expected to produce and asks you to confirm each has been properly completed, signed where applicable, and distributed to the relevant parties. The checklist covers the agency disclosure report, the natural hazard disclosure report and statement, the real estate transfer disclosure statement, the residential seismic hazards report signature page where applicable, the seller's property questionnaire, the affiliated business arrangement disclosure statement, the statewide buyer and seller advisory, and the water-conserving plumbing fixtures and carbon monoxide detector compliance item. For each, mark receipt and review and attach the supporting documentation as evidence.

Use the inspection stage to confirm every inspection report and repair request has been completed or formally resolved. The checklist covers contingency removal where applicable, the property inspection report, the buyer's request for repairs, the seller's response to that request, and the physical inspection waiver if the buyer is proceeding without one. It also covers the termite and wood-destroying pest inspection and, where treatment was carried out, the termite treatment completion record. Record the estimated repair costs, the property condition rating, and any additional inspection notes. Attach the supporting documentation for each verified item and note any outstanding conditions that still need attention before closing.

The checklist's contractual requirements schedule assigns each item a contractual deadline, so the schedule is the page you check first when planning work. Alongside the deadlines, the checklist gives you a place to record who is responsible and to attach the documents that prove compliance. Reviewing both together lets you see at a glance which milestones are approaching, which documents are still missing, and which conditions have to be resolved before closing.

The upfront items in this checklist support a fair and transparent process for everyone involved. Verifying buyer pre-qualification, recording earned money in the initial deposit, and providing the wire fraud advisory notice address the financial and security side of the transaction. The disclosure stage addresses the duty to inform, with agency, natural hazard, transfer, seismic, and seller questionnaire items distributed to the relevant parties. The inspection stage documents the property's condition and any negotiated repairs. Together they build the evidence trail a transaction needs if questions arise later.