What an EOI actually is
It registers a client interest in a launch before units are allocated, and it usually carries a deposit that is refundable if no unit is secured. It gives the developer a picture of demand and it gives the client a place in the process. What it does not do is guarantee a specific unit, and a client who believes otherwise is a complaint waiting for allocation day.
- Registered before units are allocated
- Usually accompanied by a refundable deposit
- Indicates demand rather than securing stock
- Does not by itself reserve a specific unit
Why it is an operational problem
A launch compresses weeks of work into an hour. The brokerage that does well on allocation day is the one that already knows which client wanted which unit type, at which price, with which payment plan, and can act on that list without anybody reconstructing it. The failure mode is not losing a client, it is being slower than the brokerage next to you.
What to hold against each EOI
The client, the project, the unit preferences and the deposit status, linked so that when allocation opens the list is a working list rather than a spreadsheet somebody has to interpret.
- Client linked to the project
- Unit type, bedroom count and price band preference
- Deposit status and reference
- The agent who owns the relationship
- A record of what was promised and when
Allocation day
When units open, the work is matching a prepared list to live inventory and securing stock before somebody else does. That only works if inventory state is real time and holds are applied atomically, because the alternative is two agents believing they both secured the same unit.
- Live unit level availability
- Atomic holds, so the second attempt is rejected immediately
- Timed holds that release if the client does not proceed
- Conversion from hold to reservation to booking
How Clix handles it
Leads are linked to the project they enquired about, so the list of people to call when a phase releases already exists. Unit level inventory carries available, on hold, reserved and booked states, holds are applied atomically against the unit and release themselves on expiry, and every attempt is recorded whether it succeeded or not.
Confirm the terms per launch
EOI terms, deposit amounts and refund conditions are set by the developer and vary between launches. Confirm the specifics with the developer for each project rather than assuming the last launch applies.