The hidden cost of duplicate records in a property business

A company appears under its registered name in one record and its trading name in another. A contact has changed email addresses. A building is known by two names. Each record looks plausible, yet together they can create a confused picture of the same relationship or property.

For Joe Sokolic, founder and CEO of Sokolic Property Group, resolving this confusion is an important part of preparing a business for AI.

“A system cannot build a dependable picture of a relationship if the history is scattered across records that nobody recognises as connected,” he says.

The consequences are practical. Two brokers may contact the same prospect without seeing each other’s notes. A client may receive material they have already declined. A property may appear to offer more available space because the same unit is recorded twice.

AI can assist by identifying possible duplicates or suggesting links between records. Similar names, matching addresses and shared contact details may provide clues. They do not automatically prove that two records should be merged.

A group of companies may share an address while operating as separate entities. Two people can have similar names. A company may occupy several premises for different purposes. Merging records without preserving those distinctions can create a new problem while appearing to solve an old one.

Sokolic proposes a review process that shows the evidence behind a suggested match. A responsible person should be able to compare the records, preserve meaningful differences and understand what will happen to their associated history.

“The aim is a clearer record of reality,” he says. “Sometimes that means merging duplicates. Sometimes it means linking separate records and explaining the relationship between them.”

Contact preferences deserve particular attention during that process. An old email address should not reintroduce someone into a communication list after a newer record has captured their request to stop receiving messages. Important instructions must remain visible when records are consolidated.

There is also a prevention question. If staff create new records because finding an existing one is difficult, periodic clean-ups will only address the symptoms. Search, naming conventions and the intake process need to make accurate entry easier.

Sokolic sees this work as commercially significant because it affects the quality of service. A business that remembers the right history can respond with more context and avoid asking clients to repeat themselves.

“Good database management is often noticed through the mistakes that stop happening,” he says. “The client receives a relevant answer, the team sees the same information and the business can act with greater confidence.”

First published on sokolic.co.za by Sokolic Property Group.

Get commercial property news by email

Free alerts when we publish — pick a focus or get everything, unsubscribe in one click. Subscribe »