Transaction coordinator for California real estate agents
California resales run on the California Association of REALTORS® purchase agreement and close in escrow, with a long list of statutory seller disclosures. Several of those disclosures carry their own buyer termination windows, so a California TC tracks delivery dates and delivery methods as closely as contingency deadlines.
- First deal free
- $400 per closed deal
- Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and statewide
How California deals get to closing
Most resale offers are written on the California Residential Purchase Agreement (RPA) published by the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.), alongside companion C.A.R. forms such as the agency disclosure (AD), the buyer representation agreement (BRBC), the Seller Property Questionnaire (SPQ), the Agent Visual Inspection Disclosure (AVID), the Statewide Buyer and Seller Advisory (SBSA), contingency removal forms and the Notice to Buyer to Perform (NBP). C.A.R. revises the RPA periodically, so read the time periods in each file's version rather than assuming last year's numbers.
California transactions close in escrow. Independent escrow companies are licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI), title companies that handle escrow are overseen by the Department of Insurance, and a real estate broker may act as escrow holder only in transactions where the broker is acting as an agent. Escrow instructions and the escrow holder's timeline drive the final weeks of the file, so get the accepted agreement and all addenda to escrow promptly.
Key California contract-to-close deadlines
The dates a California coordinator calendars on day one. Your contract controls; these are the defaults and customs to check it against.
Buyer representation agreement
Since January 1, 2025, a buyer's agent needs a signed written buyer representation agreement no later than when the buyer signs an offer, with a maximum term of three months for individual buyers (90 calendar days under DRE regulations effective January 1, 2026). DRE rules also presume it's practicable to get it signed before showing a property in person or virtually.
TDS and NHD termination window
If the Transfer Disclosure Statement or Natural Hazard Disclosure is delivered after the buyer signs the offer, the buyer may terminate by written notice within 3 days after delivery in person, or within 5 days after delivery by mail or as an electronic record.
Contingency removal
The RPA's investigation, appraisal and loan contingencies run on the time periods in the contract, and buyers remove contingencies in writing on C.A.R.'s contingency removal form (CR-B). A seller who wants performance uses C.A.R.'s Notice to Buyer to Perform, so track contingency dates and any notices served.
HOA documents
In a common interest development, the seller provides the Civil Code §4525 package as soon as practicable before transfer of title, including governing documents, budget and assessment information, unresolved violation notices, rental restrictions, the latest §5551 inspection report and, if the buyer asks, recent board minutes.
Defensible space in fire zones
In high or very high fire hazard severity zones, the seller provides any required defensible space compliance documentation or the parties sign a written agreement about it; in some areas the buyer must obtain compliance documentation within one year after close of escrow.
California disclosures your coordinator tracks
TDS, SPQ and AVID
The statutory Transfer Disclosure Statement (Civil Code §1102), C.A.R.'s Seller Property Questionnaire, and an Agent Visual Inspection Disclosure documenting the reasonably competent and diligent visual inspection Civil Code §2079 requires brokers to make on one- to four-unit homes.
Natural Hazard Disclosure
Civil Code §1103 requires the statutory Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement, with the same 3- or 5-day termination window when it's delivered after the offer is signed.
Fire hardening
Homes in high or very high fire hazard severity zones built before 2010 need the fire-hardening notice and a list of known vulnerable features, and since July 1, 2025, the seller also provides a list of low-cost retrofits and notes which ones were completed.
Earthquake and safety statements
Pre-1960 light-frame homes with one to four units require the Homeowner's Guide to Earthquake Safety and an earthquake hazards disclosure, and sellers certify smoke alarm compliance and water heater bracing, both of which appear on the TDS.
Newer seller disclosures
A seller reselling within 18 months must disclose work done on the property, including contractors and permits, for offers accepted on or after July 1, 2024. Since January 1, 2026, a seller with actual knowledge must also disclose any history of occupants smoking tobacco or nicotine products on the property, or residue from it.
California transaction coordinator checklist
State-specific items to add to your standard contract-to-close checklist.
- Signed RPA, counter offers and addenda
- Agency disclosure (AD) acknowledged by each party
- Buyer representation agreement signed by the offer
- Escrow opened and initial deposit receipted
- TDS, SPQ and AVIDs from both agents
- Natural Hazard Disclosure and its delivery date
- Fire-hardening and defensible space documents if in a zone
- Earthquake guide for pre-1960 homes
- HOA documents under Civil Code §4525
- Contingency removals (CR-B) or notices to perform
Do transaction coordinators need a license in California?
The DRE's Guidelines for Unlicensed Assistants (advisory, last revised in 2018) say that, with the broker's knowledge and consent, unlicensed assistants may schedule appointments, order reports and services such as inspections, title and appraisals, let inspectors or repair people in with the principal's consent, prepare documents a licensee reviews before delivery, obtain signatures without discussing what the documents mean, give status updates and review files for completeness. They may not negotiate, show property or discuss terms, and the DRE warns that courts read negotiation broadly enough to include activity that assists in the negotiations or closing of a transaction. Brokers must supervise all activity in a licensed transaction, and Business and Professions Code §10137 bars brokers from paying unlicensed people for acts that require a license.
What a California coordinator watches for
- Build each timeline from the acceptance date and the time periods in that file's RPA; C.A.R. revises the form, so don't work from memory.
- Record how and when the TDS and NHD were delivered: in-person delivery starts a 3-day termination window, while mail or electronic delivery starts a 5-day window.
- Confirm the buyer representation agreement was signed no later than the offer (and ideally before showings) and that its term doesn't exceed three months for an individual buyer.
- Check the fire hazard severity zone at the start so fire-hardening and defensible space paperwork doesn't hold up close of escrow.
- Order the HOA's §4525 documents as soon as escrow opens and track when the buyer receives them.
How Dealyo works for California agents
Send the deal and a dedicated coordinator runs it to closing on your California forms and deadlines. Your first deal is free, then it's $400 per deal, charged only when it closes.
Send your deal
Email the executed contract to tc@dealyo.ai or connect your inbox.
We organize it instantly
Documents, dates and key details are sorted within seconds of your deal landing.
Your coordinator takes over
A dedicated coordinator reviews the file, keeps it moving and handles every follow-up.
You close with confidence
Every date, document and signature is tracked through closing day.
California transaction coordinator FAQ
Does a transaction coordinator need a license in California?
No license is needed for administrative support. The DRE's guidelines let unlicensed assistants, with the broker's knowledge and consent, schedule inspections, order reports, prepare documents for licensee review, collect signatures and give status updates. They can't negotiate, show property or explain what documents mean, and the broker must supervise everything they do on a transaction.
How long does a California buyer have to cancel after a late TDS?
If the Transfer Disclosure Statement or the Natural Hazard Disclosure is delivered after the buyer signs the offer, the buyer can terminate by written notice within 3 days after delivery in person, or within 5 days after delivery by mail or as an electronic record. Track the delivery method, because it sets the window.
Is a buyer representation agreement required before an offer in California?
Yes. Since January 1, 2025, a buyer's agent must have a signed written agreement no later than when the buyer signs an offer, and for individual buyers it can't run longer than three months. DRE regulations effective in 2026 also presume an agent can get it signed before showing a property in person or virtually.
Can Dealyo coordinate deals in Los Angeles and the Bay Area?
Yes. Dealyo works with agents throughout California, including Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento. Each deal gets a dedicated human coordinator while AI organizes documents, dates and deadlines. To start, email the accepted purchase agreement to tc@dealyo.ai or connect your inbox.
How much does a transaction coordinator cost in California?
Independent coordinators commonly charge a flat fee per file, typically $300–$500 per deal nationally according to a 2026 HousingWire column, and local rates vary. Dealyo's first deal is free; after that it's $400 per California deal, or less with a prepaid pack, and you only pay for deals that close.
Sources
- California DRE: Guidelines for Unlicensed Assistants (PDF)
- California DRE: Unlicensed Assistants
- California DRE: Real Estate Law, Business and Professions Code (2026)
- California DRE: Excerpts from other codes, including Civil Code disclosure statutes (2026)
- California DRE: Regulations of the Real Estate Commissioner
- California DRE: Advisory on changes to buyer representation (AB 2992)
- California DRE: 2026 list of new and amended statutes
- California DFPI: About the Escrow Law
- California DFPI: Consumer information about escrow
- C.A.R.: List of Standard Forms
Transaction coordinators in other states
Hand off your next California deal.
Email the executed contract to tc@dealyo.ai and a dedicated coordinator takes it from there. Your first deal is free, and you only pay for deals that close.