Days of chasing missing info are over - smart mandatory fields are here!

Admin is an inescapable part of the job for property managers and real estate agents, and dealing with incomplete forms and chasing clients for the missing information has long been a persistent headache.

Forms Live has now enhanced Info Request with a new Mandatory Fields functionality to tackle this problem, rolling it out for property managers and agents in Victoria and South Australia.

Agency clients who do not have the necessary information to complete a form can now save it online and finalise it later.

Property managers and sales agents now see the progress that’s being made with each form, too.

Previously, Info Request forms could be sent back multiple times, often still lacking the information required, and that meant continual follow-up by property managers and sales agents. Now, nobody has to stress about unanswered emails or phone calls, lost time and energy on incomplete forms, or pull their hair out with frustration. Forms Live has delivered Panadol to ease the persistent headache.

Challenge of incomplete forms increasing in Victoria

Dynamic Methods CEO David Howell told a Forms Live webinar the core concept of Info Request was well-established inside Forms Live and allowed property managers and agents to send out forms quickly and easily.

Feedback from the Victorian market suggested incomplete forms were becoming an increasing challenge because of State Government demands for more detailed information.

This had triggered a cycle of phone calls, emails and follow-ups from frustrated property managers and agents because their clients had returned forms without the necessary information.

Mr Howell told webinar host Kylie Davis the Forms Live team had transformed the experience for property managers and sales agents with its new release.

The new Forms Live Mandatory Fields in the Info Request upgrade delivers:

Progressive completion: Forms Live allows recipients to save their progress and return to the form later. This is crucial when they might not have all the information on hand immediately. Recipients can start filling it in on their phone, save it, and complete it on their laptop later, or after sourcing the necessary details.

No Submission without completion: While progress can be saved, the form cannot be fully submitted until all mandatory fields are completed. This ensures you receive a complete information package every time.

Real-time visibility: Property managers can see the progress and where the recipient is struggling with the form. No more guessing games or unnecessary follow-up calls. The ability to see what has been filled in and where the gaps are means you can offer investors or renters targeted assistance.

Mr Howell gave the example of a scenario common in Victoria, where a number of mandatory disclosures are required from the rental provider, or landlord.

The State Government recently updated the type of information that is required, a move that has been controversial with the industry and property investors because of the onerous nature of the information required. The resulting form is complex and requires information that might not be immediately at hand.

Juggling multiple forms

With the new Mandatory Fields feature, the rental provider can receive the form electronically via Info Request and start filling it out. If they need to look up information, they can save their progress and return to the form later. They can complete it in another location and on a different device.

Crucially, they cannot click "Complete" until every field marked as mandatory is filled.

Mr Howell said Victorian property managers and sales agents were seeing immediate benefits, including –

Faster completion times: Forms are being returned more quickly and with all the required details.

Reduced follow-up: Property managers now spend less time chasing missing information.

Increased operational efficiency: With complete information from the outset, processes are moving much smoother.

Compliance is No.1 priority

Mr Howell said property managers often juggled multiple forms simultaneously, and it was a huge challenge to remember which ones had not been returned and those still missing information.

With the Info Request feature, they could see the progress a client had made and identify sections where they were stuck. Instead of a generic follow-up call asking if the form was finished, a property manager could have a more targeted conversation about any problem fields.

While Victoria is currently seeing significant benefits with mandatory disclosure checklists, South Australia is also leveraging this feature in areas such as:

Management Agreements: Ensuring crucial details like BSB and account numbers are always provided.

Contract of Sale: Ensuring essential financial and conditional information is included.

Mr Howell said compliance was the number one priority, ensuring both the form and the data within it met all legal requirements. The forms would continue to provide a clear evidentiary trail, crucial for tribunals and protecting agencies.

Furthermore, Forms Live offers enhanced security features like optional SMS authentication, making the process significantly more secure than traditional email exchanges of sensitive documents.

There are additional benefits from the new mandatory fields being applied to the Contracts of Sale. Adding the option to the contract of sale makes it easier for buyers to submit clear offers.

Mr Howell said that as a result, only serious buyers were filling in these forms, which stopped sales agents wasting time chasing tyre-kickers.

CRM integrations support new forms

The enhancement of mandatory fields includes the ability of the Forms Live technology to leverage its industry-leading position for integrations. No other forms provider matches Forms Live for the number of third-party software integrations available.

Mandatory Fields supports integrations with CRMs, ensuring each form seamlessly flows back into the agency's records. This evidentiary audit trail was crucial for compliance and necessary in case of disputes, said Mr Howell.

He added that the Forms Live process was significantly more secure and streamlined than the old methods of emailing PDFs , receiving scanned copies or even photos of documents.

While not currently available on every form in the Forms Live library, Mr Howell said the functionality could be enabled where it would provide the most benefit. His team is actively seeking feedback from users on other forms they’d like enhanced.

See how Mandatory Fields can streamline your workflow, log in to Forms Live today or contact our support team.