What a sales grid is really for
The sales grid is where the project, the inventory and sales activity meet. It has to let a salesperson answer quickly, administration secure a reservation, and management read real availability.
When it circulates in several copies, the grid loses that function. Two people can work from different versions and offer the same unit. So the priority is not adding columns, but sharing a single, understandable version.
The essential fields for each unit
Every unit must be identifiable without ambiguity. Descriptive data can vary by project, but the core must stay stable to make search, filtering and reporting workable.
- Project, phase, building, floor and unit number.
- Property type, floor area, orientation, annexes and parking.
- Current price and its effective date.
- Sales status and the linked record once it is no longer free.
- Plans and documents useful for selling.
Defining statuses that trigger an action
Statuses should map to operational situations. Free means the unit can be offered. Option signals a temporary hold with a deadline. Reserved means a record is committed. Sold marks completion according to the rule the company has chosen. Blocked covers unavailability that does not depend on a prospect.
For temporary statuses, add an end date and an owner. An option with no deadline usually ends up distorting available inventory.
A status with no record, date or owner quickly becomes a colour nobody can explain.
Keeping the history of prices and availability
Overwriting an old price makes it impossible to explain an offer or a contract prepared a few days earlier. Keep the value, the date of the change and who made it. The same logic applies to status changes.
This history makes checks easier and lets you reconstruct a unit's journey without hunting for file versions in your inbox.
The weekly check to put in place
Once a week, review units with no price, expired options, reservations without a prospect, recent changes and gaps between sales inventory and administrative records. This check should produce a short action list, not another parallel table.
When the grid is connected to prospects and reservations, most of these checks can be flagged automatically.
Frequently asked questions
Which statuses should a sales grid have?
A simple foundation usually includes free, option, reserved, sold and blocked. Each company can refine its rules, but the statuses should stay few in number and tied to clear actions.
How should an option on a unit be handled?
Link the option to a prospect, a start date, an expiry date and an owner. At expiry it must be confirmed, extended under an explicit rule, or released.