1. Objective
This SOP defines how a Virtual Assistant (VA) manages the post-closing period — from the day of closing through long-term client enrollment — so a closed transaction becomes the beginning of a long-term referral relationship, not an ending.
The most common mistake after a transaction closes is silence. The agent is already working on the next listing, the next offer, the next closing. The buyer or seller who just handed the agent their largest financial decision of the decade gets a congratulations text and then nothing. That silence is a referral lost.
The VA's job is to make sure the client never experiences that silence — that the thank-you, the document delivery, the review request, and the long-term nurture enrollment all happen on schedule without the agent having to remember to do any of it.
The principle: The transaction ends at closing. The relationship does not.
Where this SOP starts: Deed recorded — transaction confirmed closed.
Where this SOP ends: Client is fully enrolled in long-term nurture, all documents delivered, and the transaction file is archived.Success looks like: 30 days after closing, the client has received: a congratulations message, their complete closing documents, a review request, and at least one thoughtful check-in — and the agent didn't have to initiate any of it.
2. Your Role & Boundaries
2a. What you handle independently
- Sending the approved congratulations message (or staging it for agent to send — per agent preference)
- Confirming key delivery logistics with the buyer
- Assembling and delivering the complete closing document package to the client
- Sending the review request via the agent's approved template and platforms
- Adding the client to the post-closing follow-up sequence in the CRM with all required tags and key dates
- Enrolling the client in long-term nurture (33-Touch or equivalent) per agent instruction
- Archiving the complete transaction file
2b. What requires agent approval before acting
- The congratulations message — agent approves the template or sends personally (confirm per agent preference)
- The review request message — agent approves before it is sent
- Any non-standard follow-up communication — the agent manages the direct relationship
- CRM sequence selection — confirm which long-term nurture sequence the agent uses
- Anything regarding a difficult or unhappy client — the agent handles directly
2c. What you never do
- You never negotiate on the agent's behalf under any circumstances.
- You never provide pricing, legal, or strategic opinions to any party.
- You never sign or initial any document on behalf of the agent, client, or any party.
- You never communicate directly with the other party's client.
- You never send the congratulations message without the agent's approval — the agent may want to deliver it personally.
- You never solicit a review in a way that implies what the client should say — review requests must be neutral invitations.
- You never contact the client on behalf of the agent in a way that implies the agent is unavailable or uninterested in the relationship.
When in doubt: Stage it for agent approval. Post-closing client communication is a relationship moment, not a logistics task.
3. Schedule & Trigger
Trigger: Deed recorded — confirmed by Closing Day Protocol.
Do not begin post-closing tasks until deed recording is confirmed. The transaction is not closed until the deed is recorded.
Sequence context: This SOP begins immediately after Closing Day Protocol. Post-closing marketing (Just Sold social, postcard, email) runs in parallel per Just Sold Campaign (Social + Postcard + Email). This SOP focuses on the client relationship side; MKT-04 handles the market presence side.
4. Day-of-Close Tasks
Congratulations Message
Prepare the congratulations message and route to the agent for approval before sending — or confirm that the agent is sending it personally. Some agents prefer to deliver this moment themselves; some prefer the VA to handle it.
Default template (adapt to agent's brand voice):
For a buyer:
Hi [Buyer First Name] — the deed has been recorded. [Address] is officially yours.
Congratulations on your new home!
[Agent Name] and the team are so excited for you. Reach out any time — we're here for whatever comes next.
[Agent Name / VA Name on behalf of Agent Name]
For a seller:
Hi [Seller First Name] — the deed has been recorded and the sale is officially closed.
Congratulations — it was a pleasure working with you on this one.
[Agent Name]
Note: Do not send until deed recording is confirmed. Do not use "almost there" or "it's basically done" language before recording.
Key Delivery Logistics
Confirm with the agent that key delivery is handled. See Closing Day Protocol — the VA confirms logistics; the agent or listing agent manages the actual handoff.
5. Within 3 Business Days: Closing Document Delivery
Wire fraud warning: Wire fraud is the fastest-growing real estate crime in the U.S. Criminals intercept email communications and send fraudulent wire instructions that appear to come from the title company or closing attorney. Before the buyer wires any funds: the buyer must verify the wire instructions by calling the title company directly, using a phone number found independently — not from any email, even one that appears legitimate. The VA's role is to make sure the agent is aware that this warning has been communicated to the buyer before closing day.
The client should receive a complete copy of their closing documents within 3 business days of closing.
Documents to assemble:
For a buyer:
- Fully executed purchase agreement (all addenda)
- Final ALTA settlement statement
- Loan documents summary (lender typically provides — confirm the client has received these)
- Any HOA documentation
- Home warranty documentation (if purchased)
- All inspection reports (buyer retains these)
For a seller:
- Fully executed purchase agreement (all addenda)
- Final ALTA settlement statement
- Any disclosure documents executed during the transaction
Delivery method: Email with documents attached, or a Google Drive shared folder link — confirm agent preference during onboarding. The client should be able to access all their documents in one place without calling the agent to ask.
Delivery message:
Hi [Client First Name] —
Attached is your complete closing package for [Address], closed [Date].
[List the documents enclosed]
Please save these for your records — you'll need the settlement statement for tax purposes. If you ever need any document re-sent, just reach out.
Congratulations again, and thank you for trusting [Agent Name] with this transaction.
[VA Name] on behalf of [Agent Name]
6. Within 7 Days: Review Request
Send the review request within 7 days of closing — while the experience is still fresh and the client's enthusiasm is at its peak.
Platforms (confirm with agent which to prioritize):
- Google Business Profile
- Zillow Agent Profile
- Facebook Page
Review request template:
Hi [Client First Name] —
We hope you're settling in and loving [the new home / the successful sale]!
If you have a moment, [Agent Name] would truly appreciate a quick review. It makes a huge difference for [his/her] business and helps future clients find [him/her].
[Google Review link]
[Zillow Review link]
Even a sentence or two is incredibly helpful. Thank you so much — it was a pleasure working with you!
[Agent Name / VA Name on behalf of Agent Name]
Important: Review requests must be a neutral invitation — they must not instruct the client on what to say, suggest a rating, or indicate that a specific type of review is expected. Simply invite. Keep it warm and brief.
Send via the client's preferred contact channel (email default; text for clients who communicated primarily by text — confirm with agent).
7. CRM Update & Sequence Enrollment
After closing is confirmed:
CRM stage update:
- Buyer: Active Buyer → Closed / Past Client
- Seller: Active Listing → Closed / Past Client
Required fields to update:
| Field | Input |
|---|---|
| Close date | Confirmed closing date |
| Property address | Closed transaction address |
| Sale price | Final sale price from settlement statement |
| Transaction type | Buyer or Seller |
| Source | Original lead source (if tracked) |
Key dates to add to CRM:
- Closing anniversary (for annual check-in)
- Likely refinance window (typically 12–24 months post-close — confirm with agent how to track)
- Homestead application deadline (varies by state — confirm with agent if applicable)
Sequence enrollment:
- Enroll in post-closing follow-up sequence (first 30 days) per agent's CRM setup
- After 30 days: enroll in long-term past client nurture — see Long-Term Lead Nurture
- Confirm with agent which specific sequence to use — different agents name these differently
Tag the client as: Past Client | [Year Closed] | [Buyer / Seller] | [Price Range if tracked]
8. Just Sold Marketing
The Just Sold marketing campaign (social post, postcard, email announcement) runs in parallel with this SOP. See Just Sold Campaign (Social + Postcard + Email) for full execution detail.
The VA coordinates both workflows simultaneously — the client relationship follow-up (this SOP) and the market presence campaign (MKT-04) are separate tracks with no dependency on each other.
9. Transaction File Archiving
Before the transaction file is archived, conduct a final document audit:
Required documents — confirm all present:
For buyers:
- ☐ Executed purchase agreement and all addenda
- ☐ Buyer representation agreement (if applicable)
- ☐ Pre-approval letter
- ☐ Inspection report(s)
- ☐ Repair agreement (if applicable)
- ☐ Appraisal report
- ☐ Contingency removal forms
- ☐ Final ALTA settlement statement
- ☐ Executed deed copy (title company provides)
- ☐ All correspondence and key communications
For sellers:
- ☐ Listing agreement
- ☐ Executed purchase agreement and all addenda
- ☐ Disclosure documents
- ☐ Repair agreement (if applicable)
- ☐ Final ALTA settlement statement
- ☐ Executed deed copy
- ☐ All correspondence
Archive label: [Address] — CLOSED — [Close Date]
Update the transaction status to Closed in the TMS (Transaction Management System). The file is complete.
10. Checklist
Day of Close
- ☐ Deed recording confirmed (from Closing Day Protocol)
- ☐ Congratulations message staged / sent (agent approval confirmed)
- ☐ Key delivery logistics confirmed
Within 3 Business Days
- ☐ Closing document package assembled
- ☐ Delivered to client via email or shared folder
- ☐ Delivery confirmed
Within 7 Days
- ☐ Review request sent via agent-approved platforms
- ☐ Client preferred channel used
CRM
- ☐ Client pipeline stage updated to Closed / Past Client
- ☐ Close date, property address, sale price logged
- ☐ Key dates added (closing anniversary, refinance window)
- ☐ Post-closing follow-up sequence enrolled
- ☐ Long-term nurture sequence enrolled per agent instruction (Long-Term Lead Nurture (33-Touch Plan))
- ☐ Client properly tagged
Transaction File
- ☐ All required documents confirmed present
- ☐ File archived and labeled: CLOSED — [Date]
- ☐ TMS status updated to Closed
11. Escalation Protocol
Escalate to the agent immediately in any of these situations:
- Closing documents are not received within 48 hours of the confirmed close date — the post-close workflow cannot begin
- The closing disclosure or final settlement statement contains figures that differ from the buyer's or seller's expectations — flag to agent before filing or distributing
- The buyer or seller contacts the VA with questions about the closing statement, proceeds, or document contents — route to agent; the VA does not interpret financial documents
- A review request to the client has not been responded to after 7 days and the agent wants to follow up — confirm follow-up approach with agent before taking action
- The "Just Sold" marketing needs to be suppressed (seller requested privacy or deal terms are confidential) — confirm with agent before publishing
Hi [Agent Name] — post-close issue on [Address] needs your attention.
Issue: [Docs not received / statement discrepancy / client contact / review not returned / marketing question]
Transaction close date: [Date]
Status: [What has been completed in the post-close workflow / what is pending]
Needed: [Locate docs / review statement / advise client / confirm marketing instruction]
[VA Name]
If the agent is unreachable: Do not send the closing documents, settlement statement, or any financial record to the client without agent approval. Hold the "Just Sold" marketing until the agent confirms it is appropriate to publish. Log all incomplete post-close tasks with timestamps for the agent to resume.
12. Tools & Access
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| CRM | [For stage update, key dates, sequence enrollment — confirm access during onboarding] |
| Google Drive — transaction file | [For document delivery and archiving] |
| Google Review link | [Agent's direct review link — confirm during onboarding] |
| Zillow Agent Profile | [For review request — confirm agent's profile link] |
| TMS | [For final closed status update] |
| Client's preferred channel | [Email or text — from buyer/seller profile in CRM] |