Transaction coordinator · St. Louis
Transaction coordinator in St. Louis: occupancy inspections, MARIS and costs
For St. Louis-area agents: the City and County occupancy inspections, what the City needs at recording, how an Illinois file differs, 2025 St. Louis REALTORS and MARIS figures, and coordination costs.
DeedSpring makes transaction-coordination software and publishes this guide. It has no office in St. Louis. Agents use it online, wherever they work.
St. Louis at a glance
- City of St. Louis
- Certificate of Inspection before occupancy, $120
- Unincorporated County
- Occupancy permit at every change of occupant
- City recording
- Certificate of Value filed with the deed
- MLS
- MARIS, covering Missouri and Illinois
- 2025 City and County sales
- 18,992 at a $295,000 median
- Illinois side
- PTAX-203 declaration and county transfer tax
Why does a St. Louis file need its own checklist?
Because the house may need a government inspection before anyone can move in, and the rule changes at the city limit. Missouri law stops local governments from requiring a home inspection before a sale, but it exempts occupancy permits. The City of St. Louis and unincorporated St. Louis County both use that exemption, each in its own way. Add a market that crosses the Mississippi into Illinois, and a St. Louis coordinator can face three sets of local steps in the same week. The statewide rules on earnest money, unlicensed staff and closings are on our Missouri page.
What does the City of St. Louis require at sale?
Every property in the City sits in a Housing Conservation District, so the Certificate of Inspection rule applies citywide. A certificate is required before a vacant unit is occupied, and before the sale of an occupied building that has not had one issued in the last 12 months. For residential sales, the new owner cannot occupy the unit until the certificate is in hand.
The timing is what a coordinator has to manage. The earliest inspection date is three business days after the application and the latest is 15 days after it. The application costs $120. A certificate issued with violations gives the owner 30 days to repair, and a certificate is good for 12 months. Apply as soon as the inspection contingency clears, or sooner if the seller agrees, so the inspection lands well before closing.
Recording in the City adds one more document. The Recorder of Deeds requires a Certificate of Value under Chapter 5.70 of the City code, filed with the deed. The Assessor's form says the buyer or the buyer's representative prepares it. Put it on the buyer-side task list early, so it is not left to the title company on the morning of closing.
What does St. Louis County require?
The County runs a separate program for its unincorporated areas. Its occupancy permit requires a minimum safety and health inspection at every change of occupant. The ordinance took effect for sale homes in July 2007, after rentals in October 2005.
Occupancy steps in the City and unincorporated County
| Step | City of St. Louis | Unincorporated St. Louis County |
|---|---|---|
| What is issued | Certificate of Inspection | Occupancy permit |
| Scheduling | Inspection 3 business days to 15 days after applying | County contacts the applicant within 48 hours to set a date |
| Repairs | 30 days if issued with violations | Deficiencies fixed within 90 days or the application lapses |
| Occupant details | Not stated on the City page | Names of all occupants required before the permit issues |
| Moving in | Not until the certificate is obtained | Not until the permit is issued |
The County says homes are normally inspected when vacant, and its fee is non-refundable. The occupant-names rule is easy to miss, so ask for the names of everyone moving in when the contract is signed. The County also points out that residents of its municipalities must contact their own municipal officials for occupancy requirements, if any. A County address is not enough. Confirm whether it is incorporated before choosing a process.
How does the Illinois side change the file?
MARIS, the regional MLS, lists Missouri and Illinois as its service area. Its footprint includes the Southwestern Illinois Board of REALTORS counties, among them Madison, St. Clair, Monroe, Jersey and Macoupin, alongside St. Louis City and County, St. Charles, Jefferson and Ste. Genevieve on the Missouri side.
An Illinois sale brings Illinois paperwork. The state's Department of Revenue says Form PTAX-203, the transfer declaration, is completed by the buyer and seller and filed in the county where the property sits, and individuals, title companies and settlement agents can submit declarations through MyDec. Counties may add a transfer tax of 25 cents per $500 of value, and home rule municipalities may impose their own on top. Missouri has no transfer tax at all, so a coordinator crossing the river should ask the title company for the tax lines before the closing figures go to the buyer and seller.
Missouri's contract forms and licensing rules do not carry across the river. A coordinator who takes Metro East files should treat them as Illinois transactions from the start.
How is the St. Louis market moving?
St. Louis REALTORS' December 2025 housing report, which covers the City and County with MARIS data, counted 18,992 closed residential sales for 2025, down 0.3%. The median price rose 6.9% to $295,000, and days on market until sale went from 30 to 33.
Across the full MARIS area, the MLS's 2025 year in review reported 47,764 closings of all property types, a residential median of $260,000 and an average of 44 days on market. The City and County median is higher than the median for the wider MARIS area.
What does a St. Louis transaction coordinator cost?
One TC company serving Missouri, Arkansas and Tennessee publishes $450 for contract to close and no fee if the deal falls through. Across 20 public cards we read in October 2026, a single side ran $300 to $550. When you compare quotes, ask whether occupancy inspection scheduling is included. The closing timeline simulator shows where an inspection window fits.
Freelance TC, TC company or DeedSpring: which fits a St. Louis agent?
The table sets the usual options side by side. A good freelance TC is worth every dollar on a messy file. What most agents are really paying for, though, is someone who never misses a date and always chases the lender. Software does that on every file at once.
Ways to get transaction coordination in St. Louis
| DeedSpring | Freelance TC | Outsourced TC company | In-house TC | Virtual assistant | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What you pay | $19–$25 per closing, or $15 a month for one | About $300–$550 per side | About $350–$500 per side, some with monthly minimums | A salary, paid whether or not files close | By the hour |
| Who does the work | Software that reads the contract and drafts the chases for you to approve | One person, often a licensed agent | A coordinator from the firm's team | Your own employee | An assistant you direct task by task |
| Contract deadlines | Set from the executed contract, with every open file checked hourly | Kept in their own calendar | Kept in the firm's system | Kept in yours | Yours to set and watch |
| When volume jumps | Add closings, with no one to hire | Capped by one person's file load | The firm adds staff | You hire again | More hours |
To see what the gap means across a year of files, put your numbers into the TC fee per file calculator.
Questions agents ask about transaction coordinators in St. Louis
Does the City of St. Louis require an inspection when a house sells?
Yes. All of the City is in a Housing Conservation District, and a Certificate of Inspection is required before a sold unit can be occupied, unless one was issued in the last 12 months. The application is $120 and violations must be repaired within 30 days.
Does St. Louis County require an occupancy permit for a sale?
In unincorporated St. Louis County, yes. An inspection is required at every change of occupant, the names of all occupants are needed before the permit issues, and deficiencies must be fixed within 90 days. Homes in municipalities follow their own city's rules.
Who prepares the St. Louis City Certificate of Value?
The buyer or the buyer's representative. The form must be filed with the deed at recording, under Chapter 5.70 of the City code.
Does MARIS cover Illinois?
Yes. MARIS lists Missouri and Illinois as its service area, and its footprint includes Southwestern Illinois Board counties such as Madison and St. Clair.
What does an Illinois-side sale need that a Missouri sale does not?
A PTAX-203 transfer declaration completed by buyer and seller and filed in the county, plus any county transfer tax of 25 cents per $500 and any home rule municipal transfer tax. Missouri has no transfer tax.
How much does a transaction coordinator cost in St. Louis?
One published Missouri card charges $450 contract to close, with no fee if the deal fails. Across 20 public cards, one side cost $300 to $550. DeedSpring is $15 a month for one closing, or $19 to $25 a closing on Standard.
Compare plans on the DeedSpring pricing page.