Template

A binder index, tab by tab.

The closing binder is the deal's permanent record. Download an index template with the standard commercial loan document set, tabs, and executed and recorded columns, and assemble a complete, ordered binder.

A closing binder index template with tabs, executed and recorded columns, and the standard commercial loan document set. Use it to assemble a complete, ordered binder.

Downloads a CSV you can open in Excel or Google Sheets. Built in your browser; nothing is uploaded.

What belongs in the binder

A commercial loan binder holds the executed document set in a consistent order: note, loan agreement, mortgage, guaranty, assignments, UCC, title policy, survey, closing statement, entity documents, opinion, and insurance.

The executed and recorded columns matter for the documents that record, so the binder shows not just what was signed but what made it to the county.

A byproduct, not a project

Assembling a binder by hand after closing means chasing final versions and re-indexing everything, usually the week someone would rather be starting the next deal.

A binder that assembles itself from the executed documents on the deal beats one reconstructed afterward, in completeness and in the time it takes to produce.

The standard commercial loan binder set

Most commercial mortgage closings assemble the same core documents. The index below is the backbone; a given deal adds to it.

The standard commercial loan closing binder documents
TabDocumentPurpose
1Promissory noteEvidences the debt
2Loan agreementGoverns the loan terms
3Mortgage / deed of trustSecures the loan against the property
4GuarantyAdds recourse to a guarantor
5Assignment of leases and rentsAssigns rental income to the lender
6UCC-1 financing statementPerfects the security interest
7Title policyInsures the lien priority
8SurveyConfirms boundaries and encroachments
9Closing / settlement statementRecords the flow of funds
10Organizational documentsConfirms borrower authority

Questions lenders ask

What goes in a closing binder?
The executed commercial loan document set in a consistent order, from the note and loan agreement through title, survey, entity documents, and insurance. The template above lists the standard tabs.
How should a closing binder be organized?
By tab, in a consistent order, with columns tracking whether each document is executed and recorded. Consistency across binders is what makes any one of them easy to audit later.
When is the closing binder assembled?
The binder is assembled after closing, from the executed and recorded documents. Building the index before closing, and filling the executed and recorded columns as documents come back, turns assembly into a byproduct rather than a scramble weeks later.
Who prepares the closing binder?
Usually the lender's closing team or counsel prepares it, pulling together the executed loan documents, title policy, survey, and settlement statement. A shared index keeps every party clear on what is still outstanding.
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