Something I learned the hard way in the note business, and a reminder I give myself every year around this time.

Before the holidays hit, reach out to everyone you rely on to close deals: your attorneys, your servicer, title, realtors, field reps, whoever is in your chain. Ask them one simple question: what days are you taking off between now and the end of the year?

And tell them when you’ll be out too.

Why it matters: year-end is when everyone is trying to get things closed out. That’s exactly when you’ll need a document signed, an assignment recorded, or an attorney to fire off a letter. If the one person who can do it is on a cruise until January 3rd, your “close it this year” deal just became a next-year deal. That can mean tax headaches, missed payoff windows, or a borrower conversation that goes cold.

What I do:

• Send a quick email to every vendor and partner I’m actively working with

• Ask for their out-of-office dates through the new year

• Share my own dates so they’re not surprised either

• Put everything on one calendar and front-load anything time-sensitive

It takes 20 minutes and it saves you from that last-second panic of realizing nobody is around to get it done.

It’s not complicated. It’s just setting expectations early instead of getting caught off guard when you need something.

Anyone else have a year-end checklist they run through? Curious what others do to avoid the December scramble.