KYC is a gate and a liability. Run it with clear owners and strict access.
Collect once, store safely
Upload documents to the booking and keep them behind access control. Propto protects KYC documents so only permitted roles can open them.
Verify with a named approver
Assign verification to a role. Booking verification and release actions leave an audit trail.
Unblock quickly
Missing KYC delays payments and agreements. Review pending KYC weekly so it does not hold up the booking.
Why KYC needs a workflow
Property bookings require identity and address documents, and sometimes additional documents for loans or partners. When KYC is handled through emails and messages, documents get lost, approvals are unclear and sensitive files end up on personal phones. A defined workflow protects buyers and speeds up bookings.
The workflow covers collection, secure storage, verification by a named person and quick resolution of missing items.
Collect once, clearly
Tell the buyer exactly which documents are needed and in what format, before they start sending files. A clear list prevents repeated requests that frustrate buyers and delay the booking.
Collect documents through a controlled channel, attached directly to the booking or customer record, rather than through scattered chats.
Storing documents safely
Store KYC documents in a protected location linked to the booking, with access limited to roles that need them, such as accounts and legal. Mark them as sensitive so they are not shown in general views.
Avoid downloading documents to personal devices. If documents must be shared with a bank or authority, use secure methods and record who shared what.
Verifying with a named approver
Assign a named person or role to verify documents: check that names match, documents are valid and copies are legible. Record the approval with the approver’s name and date.
Clear responsibility prevents documents from sitting unchecked because everyone assumed someone else would review them.
Handling missing or incorrect documents
When something is missing or incorrect, tell the buyer exactly what is needed and why, in one message. Set a follow-up date and track the item until it is resolved.
Pending KYC should be visible on the booking so that sales, accounts and legal all know the status.
KYC for channel partners
Channel partners also need KYC before commissions are paid. Track partner KYC status on the partner record and link payouts to completed KYC, so that money never moves without the required checks.
Communicate the requirement early to partners, so it does not become a surprise when their first commission is due.
Access, audit and retention
Limit who can view, download or delete documents, and keep an audit trail of access and changes. Agree how long documents are retained and how they are deleted when no longer needed, in line with applicable law.
Review access rights periodically, especially when staff change roles or leave.
Speeding up the process
Most delays come from unclear requests and slow verification. A checklist for buyers, a named verifier and a target turnaround time remove most of them.
Report on pending KYC by age, so items waiting too long are noticed and resolved quickly.
A worked example
After a token payment, the executive sends the buyer a short checklist of required documents. The buyer uploads them the same evening. The next morning, the accounts approver notices that the address proof is unclear, asks for a clearer copy in one message and approves the booking once it arrives.
The documents remain attached to the booking with restricted access, and the approval is recorded with name and date.
Common mistakes
Common mistakes include collecting documents over personal WhatsApp, asking for documents repeatedly, leaving verification to whoever is available and allowing broad access to sensitive files. Each creates risk or delay.
Another mistake is paying partner commissions before partner KYC is complete.
Questions teams often ask
Who should verify KYC? A trained person in accounts or legal, with a backup for leave periods.
Can buyers upload documents themselves? Where a secure upload option exists, yes. It reduces errors and keeps documents in one place.
In short
Give buyers a clear checklist, collect documents through a controlled channel, store them securely with restricted access, verify with a named approver, resolve gaps in one clear message and link partner payouts to completed KYC.
A KYC checklist
Before booking: a written list of required documents shared with the buyer, a controlled upload channel and a named verifier with a backup.
After upload: documents attached to the booking, marked sensitive, checked for name match, validity and legibility, and approved with name and date. Gaps requested in one clear message with a follow-up date.
Ongoing: partner KYC linked to payouts, access reviewed periodically, an audit trail kept and documents retained or deleted according to policy. Pending items reported by age every week, so nothing waits unnoticed.
In practice
Start by writing the document checklist and naming the verifier this week. Those two steps alone remove most of the delays and repeated requests that frustrate buyers, and they make every later improvement, such as secure uploads or ageing reports, much easier to introduce.
Measure turnaround time monthly.
Who can see KYC documents?
Only roles you permit; documents are protected within the booking record.