The survey is booked, the house is not
The buyer has booked a Level 2 survey. Now someone in your office needs to arrange access. They phone the selling estate agent, who is out on a viewing. They leave a message. The agent calls back the next day to say they will ask the seller. The seller works shifts. Two days later, a slot is agreed, the surveyor's diary has changed, and the office starts again.
On the day, the surveyor arrives to find the loft hatch is painted shut and the seller did not know anyone was coming to look at the roof space. The agent had the notes, but they never reached the seller.
Why access takes so many calls
- Every access request goes through an intermediary, usually the selling agent.
- The office offers one slot at a time, so each refusal is another round of calls.
- Surveyors' diaries change while the arrangement is being made.
- Special instructions, such as keys held at the branch or a dog in the house, are passed on by word of mouth.
- Nobody reminds the seller or agent the day before.
Estate agents are busy and not unhelpful. They simply get your request as one more phone call in a crowded day.
What the calls cost
Office staff spend a large part of their day on the phone. Inspections start later than the buyer hoped, which matters when there is a deadline for exchange. Wasted journeys happen when access falls through or areas are not ready, and the surveyor has to come back. Buyers blame your practice for delays that are nobody's fault.
| Problem | Cause | What the workflow does |
|---|---|---|
| Access takes days to agree | One slot offered at a time | Several slots offered at once |
| Diary clashes | Arrangement takes too long | Slots held while the request is open |
| Seller not ready | Notes lost between agent and seller | Preparation notes sent to both |
| No-shows and locked doors | No reminder | Reminders the day before |
| Wasted journeys | Unconfirmed access | Unconfirmed visits flagged the day before |
The access workflow we build
- When a survey is booked, the workflow sends the selling agent an access request by email or text, with the buyer's name, the property, the survey type and several slots from the surveyor's diary.
- The agent, or the seller if the agent forwards it, confirms a slot online, and the surveyor's diary updates.
- Held slots are released automatically if they are not chosen within a set time.
- The confirmation includes a short preparation note, written by your practice, such as clearing access to the loft hatch and meter cupboards, so it reaches the person who can act on it.
- Keys, alarm codes, pets and parking notes are recorded against the booking for the surveyor.
- Everyone gets a reminder the day before, and the office is alerted to any visit not yet confirmed.
- If access fails on the day, the surveyor records why from their phone, and a revisit request starts automatically.
We keep the office in control. Anyone can step in and phone the agent at any point, and the workflow simply records the outcome.
Access without the phone tag
The office sends one request and gets one confirmation, usually without a call. The surveyor arrives with the notes they need, to a property that has been prepared. Buyers get their inspection date faster. When things do go wrong, the reason is recorded, which helps when you talk to the agent or the buyer.
Is access eating your office's day?
- Arranging access takes several calls per survey.
- Surveyors arrive to find areas locked or not ready.
- Special instructions get lost between agent and seller.
- Visits have been missed because nobody was reminded.
- Buyers complain about the wait before inspection.