The Florida Pre-Close Compliance Checklist.
15 items every Florida agent should verify before clearing closing. Built from active files. Use it on your next one.
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- Effective Date is locked, dated, and distributed to all parties in writing.The date the last party to sign actually delivered the contract. Not the date someone signed.
- Both buyer and seller signatures confirmed, with delivery timestamps on file.Pull the dotloop or DocuSign audit log. The "delivered" stamp is the controlling event.
- Inspection Period closure documented and acknowledged in writing.If AS-IS, buyer's election to proceed. If Standard, repair negotiation outcome.
- Loan Approval Period status verified with the lender in writing."Approved" verbally is not approved. Get the conditional approval letter or CTC.
- Any extensions, addenda, or counter-offers fully signed and delivered.Unsigned addenda do not modify the contract. Get every page initialed and circulated.
- Title commitment received and reviewed for exceptions or clouds.Read schedule B-II. Anything unfamiliar gets a call to title before closing day.
- HOA / condo estoppel ordered with enough runway for the 10-business-day rule.Florida statute gives the association 10 business days. Order early or get burned.
- Survey received, reviewed for encroachments, easements, and setback issues.Older Lehigh, Cape Coral, and Fort Myers neighborhoods are full of fence creep.
- Clear-to-Close issued by lender in writing, with all conditions cleared.Verbal CTC is not CTC. Get the document.
- Cash-to-close confirmed with buyer at least 48 hours before closing.Don't let cash-to-close be the closing-day surprise. Have buyer review the CD early.
- Wire instructions verified by buyer with the title company via call-back to a known number.Wire fraud in Florida real estate is rampant. Buyers verify by phone, not email.
- Homeowner's insurance binder is in hand at the title company.Post-2022 Florida market: no binder, no funding. Confirm by Day 5 of the file.
- All repairs, credits, and concessions documented in writing and reconciled with the CD.What's on the contract should match what's on the closing disclosure. Cross-check.
- Final walkthrough scheduled and completed within 24 hours of closing.Walk it. Photograph it. Memorialize any issues in writing before signing.
- All parties confirmed for closing time, location, and method (in-person or remote).Confirm 24 hours out. Reconfirm the morning of. Power of attorney pre-approved if needed.
How to use this checklist
Run it as the file approaches closing — ideally 72 hours out. Missing items get escalated by phone, not email. A clean run through all 15 is the difference between a smooth Florida closing and a deal that slips by three days.
Want a TC who runs this on every file automatically?
That's the standard at Aari Transactions. Broker-owned, statewide Florida coverage, same-business-day intake. Submit your next file and let us catch the items before they catch you.
Submit a file →This checklist is general educational information for Florida real estate professionals and does not constitute legal advice. Specific transactions may involve additional or different verification steps. Always consult a licensed Florida real estate attorney for advice on any active transaction. © Aari Transactions LLC. Authored by Marlenyi Paredes, Florida Real Estate Broker, License BK3530153.