Order the survey against the right standard
Not every transaction needs the same survey product. A lender may require a boundary survey, a title company may accept an existing survey with an affidavit, and a rural parcel may need more than a location drawing. Confirm the requirement before ordering so the file does not pay twice.
Record the surveyor, the order date, the standard requested, and the expected delivery. Ask whether the surveyor needs the legal description, the plat reference, or access instructions, because a missing input can push delivery past the closing date.
Compare the legal description line by line
Put the commitment's legal description beside the survey and the deed. Check the lot and block, the plat book and page, the subdivision name, and any metes and bounds calls. A difference in punctuation is not automatically an error, but a difference in a distance or a recorded reference is.
Flag every discrepancy with the exact language from each source. The assistant should not choose the correct description. That determination belongs to the title officer or surveyor, and in some cases requires a corrected deed.
Read the survey for improvements and access
Note the location of structures, fences, drives, easements, and utilities relative to the boundary. A shed, fence, or pool that crosses a line is a potential encroachment and should be described by location rather than labeled a problem.
Access matters too. A parcel that touches a public road is different from one reached by a private easement. Record what the survey shows and route any gap to the title officer for an insurability decision.
Check flood and zoning references
If the survey includes a flood zone determination, compare it with the lender's flood certificate and the insurance requirement. A difference in zone or elevation can change the insurance premium and the closing costs.
Zoning and land use notes on a plat are informational unless the transaction depends on a specific use. Capture the reference and let the closing manager decide whether a further search or a zoning letter is needed.
Handle revisions without losing the record
When a surveyor issues a revised drawing, keep the prior version and note what changed. Record the date the revision was received and whether the title commitment or lender package was updated to match.
A revised survey that arrives after the commitment may create a new exception. The file should show that the update was reviewed, not merely filed.
Set the pre-closing checkpoint
Two days before closing, confirm that the survey on file is the version the title officer reviewed, that any required affidavit is signed, and that open boundary questions have an owner. A survey still in transit is an open requirement, not a pending detail.
The measure to watch is not how fast surveys arrive. It is how often a survey difference is discovered after the package was marked ready.
Questions
Can the assistant decide whether an encroachment is a title defect?
No. The assistant documents the location and the source. The title officer and underwriter decide whether the encroachment affects insurability or needs a curative step.
Is an old survey acceptable?
Sometimes, if the title company and lender accept it with the required affidavit and no changes have occurred. Confirm the acceptance standard before relying on it.
What belongs in the survey review note?
The survey date, the standard, the legal description compared, any difference found, and the owner of the next action. Keep it short enough that the closing manager will actually read it.