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Escrow is one of the first things I start tracking when a new Florida transaction comes in.
On paper, it sounds simple: the buyer sends the deposit and the escrow holder confirms receipt. In practice, there are several places where that process can stall.
The title company may have already emailed the buyer, but the message went to spam. The buyer may need to call before wiring instructions can be released. A second deposit may be coming later. Or the buyer may have sent the funds, but nobody has followed up for the actual receipt.
These are usually easy things to fix when they're caught early. They're much less easy when everyone realizes there's a problem after the expected deposit date has passed.
At the beginning of the transaction, I make sure the escrow details are clearly identified and added to my tracking system.
That usually includes:
If there is more than one deposit, I track each one separately. I don't want the second deposit hiding somewhere in a sea of other transaction deadlines.
This is one of those things that sounds obvious until it happens.
The title company may say: "We already sent the wiring instructions." But that does not always mean the buyer saw them.
I've seen title-company emails land in spam or junk folders. Some title companies also require the buyer to call and verify information before they will release wiring instructions.
So the buyer may be waiting for an email while the title company is waiting for a phone call. Neither side necessarily realizes the ball is sitting in the buyer's court.
That's why I like to check before the deposit becomes urgent:
A quick follow-up can prevent a completely avoidable delay.
Wire fraud is a serious concern in real estate transactions.
Buyers should receive wiring instructions directly through the title company's approved process and verify them using trusted contact information before sending funds.
If wiring information suddenly changes, comes from an unfamiliar email address, or looks different from what the buyer was expecting, it should be verified directly with the title or closing company.
I do not like wiring instructions being copied from old emails or casually forwarded around a transaction.
The goal is simple: get the deposit where it needs to go, and make sure it gets there safely.
A buyer may say: "I sent the wire."
That's helpful, but I still want the next piece: confirmation from the escrow holder that the funds were actually received.
The same applies to checks. A copy of a check or a buyer's wire confirmation tells me the buyer took action. I still follow up with the escrow holder so we know the funds arrived.
That closes the loop.
Once the funds are received, I always follow up for the escrow receipt or written confirmation from the escrow holder.
I want that receipt in the transaction file, and I make sure the appropriate parties have a copy according to the brokerage's process.
That gives everyone a clear record that the deposit was received instead of relying on "The buyer said they wired it" or "I think title has it."
Once I have the receipt, that particular loose end is closed.
Some transactions have more than one deposit.
The first one gets everyone's attention because it comes right after the file opens. The second one is easier to overlook because by then inspections, financing, title, association applications, and everything else may already be moving.
If the file includes an additional deposit, I track it separately.
I want to know:
I treat it as its own transaction item rather than assuming the first deposit took care of escrow.
I would much rather remind a buyer early than discover later that they never received the title company's email.
Before the deposit is expected, I like to make sure the buyer is not stuck waiting on something.
For example:
Often, one short check-in is all it takes.
The escrow holder may be a:
The process can look a little different depending on who is holding the funds.
From a transaction-coordination standpoint, I want three things clear: Who has the money? Has receipt been confirmed? Is the documentation in the file?
Keeping those answers easy to find makes the entire transaction cleaner.
Escrow can involve several people at once:
It is easy for everyone to assume someone else followed up.
I try to keep the communication simple and documented. Once the deposit is received, the receipt goes into the file and the appropriate people are updated.
That prevents repeated emails asking: "Did escrow ever come in?"
If I'm expecting confirmation and haven't received it, I follow up.
Sometimes the buyer is waiting on the title company. Sometimes the title company is waiting on the buyer. Sometimes an email simply got missed. And sometimes everyone thought somebody else was handling it.
Catching those gaps early is a big part of keeping the transaction moving.
For each deposit, I keep a clear record in three areas: who is holding the funds and on what deadline, confirmation that the money was actually sent and received, and the paper trail, meaning the receipt saved to the file and distributed according to brokerage procedure.
If there is another deposit later in the transaction, I repeat the process.
Escrow is a good example of why transaction coordination is often about closing small communication gaps before they turn into bigger ones.
Sometimes the title company already sent the instructions, but they went to spam. Sometimes the buyer needs to make a verification call and doesn't realize it. Sometimes the wire was sent, but nobody followed up for confirmation. Sometimes the first deposit is handled perfectly and the second one gets forgotten.
I don't stop at "The buyer sent it." I follow the process through until the escrow holder confirms receipt, the receipt is in the file, and the appropriate parties have been updated.
That way I know it was handled instead of assuming it was.
Angela Kratzert is the founder of MasterKey TC and a Florida-licensed real estate professional.
Since 2021, Angela has coordinated more than 750 Florida real estate closings, including transactions for one of Southwest Florida's top-producing luxury real estate teams.
Through MasterKey TC, she provides dedicated contract-to-close transaction coordination for Florida real estate agents, managing transaction deadlines, documentation, association requirements, title and lender follow-up, client communication, and the administrative details that happen between executed contract and closing.
Learn more about MasterKey TC's Florida transaction coordination services.
MasterKey TC handles the administrative side of the transaction from contract to close, including escrow follow-up, receipt tracking, title coordination, and critical-date management.
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This article is for general informational purposes only. Transaction requirements and brokerage procedures can vary by file.
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