The buyer-side transaction checklist: 30 steps from contract to keys
Everything that has to happen between an executed contract and the keys,
in the order it actually happens — with the typical day, the phase, and who owns the step:
you, the buyer, the lender, title. Read it here, no sign-up. Or take the whole system in
Notion below: the transaction tracker, this checklist, the seller-side checklist and two
client-facing "what happens next" pages. Free, sent to your inbox.
The whole system, free
Get it in Notion — tracker, both checklists, two client pages
One link, one click on "Duplicate", and the system is in your own
free Notion workspace: a transaction tracker with four views, the 30-step buyer checklist
below, the 28-step seller checklist, and the two "What Happens Next" pages you send a
client the day an offer is accepted. No payment, no card.
How to read the days: the baseline is a financed purchase
closing in about 30 days, with Day 0 as the day the contract is fully executed. Steps marked
[typical] are guides, not deadlines. Your contract and your state always win — this page is an
educational resource, not legal advice.
Phase 1 · Under contract
Days 0–3 · four steps
#
Step
Day
Who
1
Confirm the contract is fully executed by all parties; send a copy to the lender and to title/escrow
Day 0
Agent
2
Deliver the earnest money deposit per the contract terms (typically within 1–3 days)
Day 1–3 [typical]
Buyer
3
Open escrow / order the title search
Day 1
Title/Escrow
4
Confirm the buyer has submitted the full loan application and required documents to the lender
Day 1–2
Buyer
Phase 2 · Inspection
Days 1–12 · eight steps, two of them run alongside financing
#
Step
Day
Who
5
Schedule the home inspection
Day 1–2
Agent
6
Order any specialty inspections if applicable (pest, radon, sewer scope, roof)
Day 2–3
Buyer
7
Give the buyer an inspector's-report review checklist / questions to ask
Day 3
Agent
8
Confirm a homeowner's insurance quote has been requested (needed for loan approval)
Day 3–5
Buyer
9
Home inspection completed
Day 7–10 [typical]
Inspector
10
Review the inspection report with the buyer; identify repair requests or price-negotiation items
Day 8–10
Agent
11
Submit the inspection response / repair request (or contingency removal) by the contract deadline
Day 10 [typical]
Agent
12
Negotiate and finalize any repair credit or amendment; get it signed by both parties
Day 10–12
Agent
Phase 3 · Financing & appraisal
Days 10–25 · seven steps, mostly the lender's clock
#
Step
Day
Who
13
Confirm the appraisal has been ordered by the lender
Day 10–12
Lender
14
Appraisal completed and the value confirms (or address the low-appraisal scenario)
Day 14 [typical]
Lender
15
Appraisal contingency deadline — confirm removal or renegotiation in writing
Day 14–17 [typical]
Agent
18
Check in with the lender on underwriting status
Day 18–20
Agent
19
Confirm the buyer has responded to all outstanding loan conditions
Day 18–22
Buyer
20
Loan clears underwriting — "clear to close" issued by the lender
Day 21–25 [typical]
Lender
Steps 16 and 17 belong to the next phase on paper but
happen in this window — title and HOA documents arrive while the lender is still working.
Phase 4 · Clear to close
Days 15–28 · eight steps, the ones that go wrong when nobody owns them
#
Step
Day
Who
16
Receive and review the preliminary title report; flag any liens or title issues
Day 15–17
Title/Escrow
17
Confirm HOA documents are ordered and reviewed, if applicable
Day 15–18
Agent
21
Confirm the closing date, time and location with title/escrow and all parties
Day 22–24
Agent
22
Buyer receives the Closing Disclosure — starts the mandatory 3-business-day review period before closing
Day 24–27 [varies — TRID rule]
Lender
23
Compare the Closing Disclosure line by line against the original Loan Estimate; flag discrepancies
Same day received
Agent
24
Confirm wire transfer instructions directly by phone with title/escrow — wire fraud prevention, never trust email alone
Day 25–27
Buyer
25
Buyer arranges a cashier's check or wire for closing funds
Day 26–28
Buyer
Phase 5 · Final walkthrough
Days 27–29 · three steps
#
Step
Day
Who
26
Schedule the final walkthrough (typically 24–48 hours before closing)
Day 27–28
Agent
27
Final walkthrough completed — confirm repairs done, property in the agreed condition
Day 28–29
Buyer
28
Confirm the utilities transfer is scheduled to start on the possession date
Day 28–29
Buyer
Phase 6 · Closing day
Days 30–31 · two steps
#
Step
Day
Who
29
Closing: sign documents at title/escrow (or via mobile notary / remote online notarization)
Day 30 [typical]
Buyer
30
Funds disburse, the deed records, keys released to the buyer
Day 30–31
Title/Escrow
Three steps nobody skips twice
Step 24, wire instructions by phone. Wire fraud in closings works by email: a
convincing message with "updated" instructions. The number you call is the one on the title
company's own site, not the one in the email.
Step 23, Closing Disclosure against the Loan Estimate. Same day it arrives. The
three-business-day clock is running whether you've read it or not.
Step 26, walkthrough timing. 24–48 hours before closing, after repairs, before
signing. A walkthrough the week before finds nothing; one after signing fixes nothing.
Same system, in Notion
Take the tracker, both checklists and the client pages — free
Reading a checklist is one thing; working it per deal is another.
The Notion version is a tracker where each transaction carries its own copy of this list, a
closing calendar, and this week's deadlines — plus the seller-side checklist (28 steps) and the
two plain-English pages that stop the "what happens next?" calls. We email the link right away.
Where this comes from
This is Module 2 of the Solo Agent OS
The transaction side is the part solo agents ask about first, so it's
the part we give away whole. The rest of the system — a leads pipeline that tells you who to
contact today, four follow-up sequences with 39 written touches, 13 listing-marketing prompts
with a Fair Housing scrub, 18 hard-conversation scripts and the weekly SOPs — is one Notion
workspace for $99, one time, with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Nothing on this page requires buying anything. The checklist is yours either way.