A passport photo on WhatsApp
The client is keen to get going. The broker asks for ID and proof of address for both applicants. One sends a passport photo on WhatsApp, the other a PDF of a bank statement from three months ago. The broker saves them, runs an electronic ID check in a separate system, types in the details, and saves the result as a PDF on the case.
When the lender asks for certified copies, or the network checks the file, the broker looks for the ID, finds one applicant's, and realises the other's proof of address is too old. Another request goes out.
Why ID checks are still manual
The checks themselves are well understood. The handling is not. Documents come through whatever channel the client prefers. Electronic checks run in a separate tool. Results are saved by hand. Each applicant, and each lender's requirement, adds another step.
- ID and address documents arriving by email, WhatsApp and in person.
- Proof of address too old by the time the case is submitted.
- Electronic ID checks run separately and saved by hand.
- Joint applicants tracked separately.
- Different lenders asking for different forms of ID evidence.
Sensitive documents also end up in places they should not: brokers' personal phones, WhatsApp chats and inboxes. That is a risk the brokerage carries for as long as they stay there.
Timing catches brokers out. A proof of address that was fine at the fact find can be too old by the time a slow purchase reaches submission, and nobody notices until the lender or the network points it out.
What manual checks cost
| Problem | Effect |
|---|---|
| Document out of date at submission | New request, case waits |
| Result saved in the wrong place | Time finding it when asked |
| Details retyped into the ID tool | Typos cause failed checks |
| Documents on personal devices | Data risk for the brokerage |
None of this is dramatic on a single case. Across a busy brokerage it adds up to a steady drain of broker and administrator time, plus a pile of sensitive documents stored in places nobody would choose if they were designing the process from scratch.
The check flow we build
- We set up your brokerage's rules for identity and address evidence, as your compliance lead or network sets them.
- Each applicant gets a secure link to photograph their ID and upload proof of address, with plain guidance on what is accepted and how recent it must be.
- Uploads are checked for obvious problems: blur, cut-off edges, expired documents or a proof of address outside the date range.
- Your chosen electronic ID and address verification provider is called from the same flow, where it offers an API, with details taken from the document rather than retyped.
- Results and documents are saved to the applicant in your CRM, with dates.
- Each applicant's status shows as verified, awaiting client or needs review, and documents nearing their date limit are flagged before submission.
The flow collects and presents evidence. Deciding whether a client passes your checks stays with the person your brokerage names for it.
What changes
Clients complete ID in one sitting on their phone. Brokers see verified status on the case without chasing. Documents stay out of WhatsApp and personal inboxes. And the file holds everything the lender or network might ask for, in one place, with dates.
Returning clients can reuse the flow when a remortgage comes around, so updating their documents does not start from scratch.
Does this sound like your brokerage?
- Clients send ID by WhatsApp or email.
- Electronic checks are run in a separate tool.
- Proof of address is out of date by submission.
- Joint applicants' checks are tracked separately.
- ID documents sit on brokers' phones.