How to Choose a Transaction Coordinator in MN and WI

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How do you choose a transaction coordinator? Look past the sales pitch and check six things: who drafts documents, when they work, how fast they respond, whether files get done on time without you checking, how fees are published, and whether they cover your state and fit your brokerage. Then ask every TC the same questions.

This guide is for established agents, team leaders, and brokerages in Minnesota and Wisconsin. It covers what to compare, the questions to ask, and when a TC isn't the right hire at all.

A transaction coordinator, or TC, manages the administrative side of a sale once the purchase agreement is fully executed: documents, deadlines, communication with the other parties, client updates, and brokerage compliance through closing. If you want the full picture first, read what a transaction coordinator does.

Most TCs describe that work the same way. The differences show up in the details, so compare them on the points below.

Some TCs prepare listing, buyer, and offer paperwork. Some only work from a fully executed purchase agreement forward. Neither is wrong, but you need to know which one you're getting, and whether it changes by state.

Ask who prepares the documents, how you send the details, and how you review them before anything goes to your client. Drafting support should never take the terms, the advice, or the negotiation away from you.

At Home Free TC, document drafting is available in Minnesota only. We do not draft documents for Wisconsin. On Wisconsin files, we start once you have a fully executed purchase agreement.

Deals don't stop at 5:00pm on a Friday. Ask what hours the TC works in your state, and whether evenings and weekends are covered.

Then ask how response time is measured. An average response time describes how fast replies usually come. A standard is a commitment that applies to every active file. Both can be useful, but they aren't the same thing, so ask which one you're being quoted.

Home Free TC has a standard 2-hour response time on active files for every client in both states. Our hours are:

• Minnesota: Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 6pm Central
• Wisconsin: Monday to Friday, 8am to 3:30pm Central

Evening and weekend coverage is a Minnesota service. It isn't offered on Wisconsin files.

This is the question that matters most, and the hardest to see from a website.

A TC is only saving you time if you can stop watching the file. If you're still double-checking deadlines, chasing documents, or following up on your TC's follow-up, you've added a step, not removed one.

Ask how the TC tracks dates, how they tell you about something that needs your decision, and what happens if a document comes back incomplete. Ask agents who use them whether they still feel the need to check in.

That's why agents hire us. Things get done on time and correctly, with no micromanaging or babysitting.

You should be able to see the fees before your first call, and know when each one is charged. Ask whether the TC fee depends on the file closing, whether there's a setup fee, and what add-on services cost.

Here's how ours work:

• TC fee: $500 per closed transaction for new business, paid at closing. You only pay the TC fee if you close.
• Setup fee: a one-time $500 fee for new clients. It's separate from the TC fee and isn't tied to a closing.
• MLS Listing Management: $199 per listing, for Northstar MLS listings in Minnesota and Wisconsin only.
• Listing Management Deluxe: $350 per listing, for Minnesota listings only.

A TC saves 14 to 15 hours per transaction. Whether that's worth the fee depends on your business. I walk through the math in Is a Transaction Coordinator Worth the Cost? The full list of what's included is on our services page.

Ask where the TC works and whether every service is offered everywhere they work. A TC can cover a whole state and still offer different services or hours in different places.

Ask, too, how they work inside your brokerage's compliance system, and how files are submitted so they meet your brokerage's requirements.

We provide TC support statewide in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The services differ by state, so each state has its own page: Minnesota transaction coordination and Wisconsin transaction coordination.

Ask how long the TC has been coordinating transactions and how many they've handled. Read their reviews, and ask to talk with an agent or team who uses them now.

Home Free TC was founded in November 2015, formerly Minnesota Transaction Coordinators. We've coordinated more than 15,000 transactions.

Use the same list with every TC you talk to:

• Do you draft documents, in which states, and how do I review them before they go to my client?
• What are your hours in my state, and are evenings and weekends covered?
• Is your response time an average or a standard, and does it apply to every active file?
• How do you track deadlines, and how will I know when something needs my decision?
• How will I know a file is on track without checking it myself?
• Who covers my files when my coordinator is out?
• Are your fees published, and which ones depend on the file closing?
• Is there a setup fee, and what does it cover?
• Do you cover my whole state, and do your services differ by state?
• How do you work with my brokerage's compliance system, and can I talk with an agent who uses you?

Not every agent needs a TC. Sometimes a different hire solves the problem better.

• An assistant or VA may fit better if most of the work you want gone happens before the contract: marketing, your database, scheduling, or errands. See TC vs. assistant.
• A listing coordinator may fit better if getting listings to market is your bottleneck, not getting deals to close.
• An in-house employee may fit better if you have steady volume to keep someone busy full time and you want to manage hiring, training, payroll, and backup yourself.

Plenty of agents use a TC alongside an assistant. If you lead a team, read how transaction coordination works for real estate teams.

A good TC doesn't replace your judgment. Whoever you hire, the negotiations, the advice, and every decision that requires a license should stay with you.

We don't negotiate for your clients, give legal advice, or perform licensed real estate activities. If something in a file needs a decision, we bring it to you.

Does Home Free TC draft documents in Wisconsin?

No. We do not draft documents for Wisconsin. Document drafting is available in Minnesota only.

What is your response time?

We have a standard 2-hour response time on active files for every client, in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Do you cover evenings and weekends?

In Minnesota, yes. Minnesota hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 6pm Central. Wisconsin hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 3:30pm Central.

What if my transaction doesn't close?

The $500 TC fee is paid at closing, so you only pay it if you close. The one-time $500 setup fee for new clients is separate and isn't tied to a closing.

Do I need a certain number of closings to work with you?

No. We built our service for established agents, teams, and brokerages, but there's no closing requirement. The better question is whether contract-to-close work is taking time you should spend somewhere else.

How do I get started?

Book a 30-minute discovery call. We'll look at how you run files today and whether a TC makes sense for you.

If you're comparing TCs, or still deciding whether you need one, a 30-minute call is a good place to start. Bring your questions from the list above.

Book a 30-minute discovery call

Written by Alex Marsolais, founder of Home Free TC

See what agents say about working with us on our reviews page, or read the Home Free TC facts page.