Another memorandum in the new instructions inbox
The new instructions inbox has twelve memorandums of sale from estate agents this morning. Each is a PDF in the agent's own layout: buyer and seller names, the property address, the agreed price, the buyer's position, the other side's conveyancer, fixtures included, and sometimes a note about the chain. A new business assistant opens each one and types those details into the case management system to create the matter.
They are careful, but it is repetitive work, and names and postcodes are exactly the kind of detail that gets mistyped.
Why memorandums still get retyped
Every agency uses its own template, and many branches of the same agency use slightly different versions. There is no standard format and no feed into your system. Sales progression platforms help where both sides use them, but a large share of memorandums still arrive as PDFs attached to emails.
Some details are missing or unclear on the memorandum itself (the other side's conveyancer 'TBC', the buyer's mortgage status 'arranging'), which means someone also has to follow up.
| Detail on the memorandum | Where it goes in your system |
|---|---|
| Buyer and seller names and contacts | Client and other side records |
| Property address and tenure | Property details |
| Agreed price and fixtures | Transaction details |
| Other side's conveyancer | Other side firm record |
| Chain and buyer's position | File notes |
What the retyping costs
New files take longer to open, which delays client care letters, ID checks and the first contact with the other side. Typing errors in names and addresses cause problems later, sometimes not until documents are drafted or the ID check fails to match. Staff time is spent on transcription instead of welcoming clients.
When volumes spike, as they do in busy months, the backlog of unopened files grows.
Duplicate records are a quieter problem. The same estate agency branch or other side firm gets created again with a slightly different name, and the next person to open a file picks the wrong one. Over time the contact list fills with near-copies, and reports by introducer or other side stop adding up.
How we build memorandum extraction
- Pick up: memorandums arriving in the new instructions inbox, or from a sales progression platform where you use one, are picked up as they arrive.
- Read the details: a document model reads the parties, contacts, property address, tenure, price, fixtures, other side's conveyancer, agent and chain notes, whatever the layout, into a fixed structure.
- Check against records: names, addresses and firms are checked against your existing contacts and firm records, and the property address against a postcode lookup. Existing clients and known firms are linked rather than duplicated.
- Flag gaps: missing or unclear details (conveyancer TBC, no buyer email) are listed so the assistant can follow up.
- Draft matter: a draft matter is created in your case management system with the extracted details, for the assistant to check and confirm.
- Next steps: once confirmed, your normal instruction steps start (client care pack, ID request, quote acceptance), with no retyping.
What new business looks like afterwards
The assistant checks and confirms draft matters instead of typing them. Most memorandums need only a glance. Missing details are listed rather than discovered later. Files open sooner, and so the client hears from the firm sooner.
In busy months, volume stops translating directly into a backlog.
Does this happen in your office?
- Memorandums of sale arrive as PDFs in many layouts.
- Staff retype details to open each file.
- Name and address typos surface later in the file.
- Duplicate client or firm records are created.
- New files queue up in busy periods.