So, you have been using an online or offline transaction management program for several months or years. What do you need to do differently to make the closing process smoother? Should you re-evaluate your program of choice, create a new process, or tweak your current process?

Re-evaluating your program of choice – How well has the program worked for you over the past year? How receptive were the users (buyers, sellers, agents, lenders, title, etc)? Is the program user friendly? What about customer service? How responsive is the vendor to your questions? What about downtime, how many downtimes did you experience? Is the program limited in features or does it have too many unused features? Can you customize the program to include only the fields your need? Maybe it is time to step outside of the box and have your own customized version of an online transaction management program that will match your needs 100% without the added expense of online subscriptions. Yes, it can be done and it is not as pricey as you think! We have all used multiple programs that have a few features that we like and a few that we would like to change. Why not create a program based on all your likes and what works best for you?

Create a New Process – Hopefully, you have had ample time to put in to action your process and have fully utilized each step created. How do you rate your overall list-to-close or closing transaction process? What was the overall reaction of your buyers and sellers, was the process seamless? Did you find many repetitive and/or unnecessary steps to closing? Even worse, you purchased the program, uploaded your process, and have not used the program.

Tweaking your Current Process – Changes to your process will occur frequently because buyer and seller habits change and the industry changes constantly. If you are still using an old process, you should consider tweaking to bring it up-to-date. It has does not have to be broken in order for you to fix it, you should always seek ways to make it better! Always note changes and edits while processing a transaction. Those changes should also be made to the master checklist. At the end of each transaction, have a 15-minute debriefing with the transaction coordinator or assistant. This will allow both of you the chance to recap the good and bad of each transaction. Identify what tasks, documents, or steps that must be corrected, adjusted, removed, or added?

Is it time to re-access your program, process, or tweak what you have? If you are inviting others into each transaction, consider taking a survey during and/or after each transaction to find out how the users feel about your program of choice. You will be surprise, not all programs are viewed in the same manner.