Registering a New Applicant

Registering a New Applicant

Use this workflow when somebody contacts the agency looking to buy or rent.

Before you start

Try to establish:

• full name;
• mobile/telephone;
• email;
• whether they are buying or renting;
• budget;
• preferred areas;
• minimum bedrooms;
• property type/style preferences;
• how soon they want to move;
• whether they have a property to sell;
• their current chain/mortgage position where relevant.

You do not need every answer before creating the contact, but the more you record during the first conversation, the more useful matching becomes.

Step 1: search for the person

Search Standout using name, email, phone or postcode.

If the person already exists, open and update that contact. Do not create a duplicate because the person has changed role.

Step 2: create/update the Contact

Set the appropriate type, normally Applicant / Tenant for somebody looking for property.

Enter reliable telephone/email information and save the contact.

Step 3: record their requirements

Go straight to Requirements. Do not rely on a note such as looking for a three-bed around Bolton. Structured requirements are what Standout uses for matching.

Step 4: qualify their position

For a buyer, establish whether they are:

• cash or mortgage funded;
• first-time buyer / chain free;
• selling a property;
• already on the market;
• SSTC / sale agreed;
• in need of a valuation.

If they have a property to sell and are not already listed with your agency, this can become a high-priority Opportunity Finder lead.

Step 5: run matching

Once requirements are saved, review current matching properties. Discuss suitable options and book viewings where appropriate.

Step 6: invite them to Customer Portal

If your branch is using the customer portal, send the customer a Customer Portal link. They can maintain their requirements themselves and see live property matches.

What happens next

The applicant should now have:

• one clean contact record;
• current requirements;
• a documented buying/renting position;
• matching properties to review;
• any promised follow-up captured as a task or viewing.

Common mistakes

• Creating a second contact because somebody was previously a vendor/landlord.
• Recording requirements only in free-text notes.
• Forgetting to ask whether a buyer has a property to sell.
• Leaving an applicant marked as actively looking when they have stopped searching.
• Promising to call back without creating a task.