Contractor Coordination and Sub-Agents

Contractor Coordination and Sub-Agents

One of Matt's most advanced capabilities is coordinating with contractors on your behalf. For complex maintenance workflows, Matt deploys specialised sub-agents that handle contractor communication, scheduling, and progress tracking autonomously.

The Sub-Agent System

When a task involves ongoing coordination with external parties, Matt creates a sub-agent — a dedicated assistant focused on that specific job.

What Sub-Agents Do

• Communicate with contractors via email on your behalf.
• Negotiate quotes by requesting itemised breakdowns and comparing prices.
• Schedule appointments that work for the tenant, contractor, and property access requirements.
• Track progress from initial request through to job completion.
• Report back to you with status updates at key milestones.

How Sub-Agents Work

1. You tell Matt about a maintenance need.
2. Matt creates a sub-agent assigned to that job.
3. The sub-agent operates autonomously, emailing contractors and processing responses.
4. You receive notifications at key decision points (e.g. approving a quote).
5. The sub-agent continues until the job is complete or you intervene.

Liaison Agents

Liaison agents are a specific type of sub-agent designed for contractor communication:

What They Handle

• Initial outreach — Emailing contractors with job details and requesting availability.
• Quote collection — Gathering quotes from multiple contractors for comparison.
• Scheduling — Coordinating dates and times between the contractor and tenant.
• Follow-up — Chasing contractors who have not responded within a set period.
• Completion confirmation — Verifying the job is done and collecting any invoices.

Communication Style

Liaison agents communicate professionally on your behalf:

• Emails include your name and property management context.
• Tone is professional but friendly.
• All communication is logged and visible to you in the maintenance ticket.

Contractor Search and Selection

Finding the Right Contractor

Ask Matt to find contractors based on:

• Trade — "Find me a plumber" or "I need an electrician."
• Location — "Find contractors near @10 High Street."
• History — "Who fixed the boiler last time?" or "Who has worked at @Oak Street before?"
• Availability — "Find a plumber available this week."

Contractor Ranking

Matt considers several factors when recommending contractors:

• Previous work — Contractors who have successfully completed jobs for you before.
• Trade match — Exact trade skills required for the job.
• Response time — Historical responsiveness to your requests.
• Cost — Previous quotes and invoices for similar work.
• Ratings — Any ratings or notes you have recorded.

Comparing Quotes

When Matt collects multiple quotes, he presents them in a comparison format:

• Contractor name and trade.
• Quoted amount with breakdown.
• Estimated timeline.
• Availability.
• Your previous history with each contractor.

Appointment Scheduling

Matt handles the logistics of scheduling:

Tenant Coordination

• Contacts the tenant to confirm access availability.
• Proposes appointment slots that work for both parties.
• Sends calendar invites or confirmation emails.

Contractor Booking

• Confirms the selected contractor and sends job details.
• Agrees on a date and time.
• Provides property access instructions.

Rescheduling

If plans change, tell Matt:

• "The tenant can't do Thursday, reschedule to next week."
• "The contractor cancelled, find an alternative."
• Matt handles all the communication to rearrange.

Multi-Agent Progress Tracking

For large-scale maintenance (e.g. multiple issues across properties), Matt can deploy several sub-agents simultaneously:

Portfolio-Wide Maintenance

"I need gas safety inspections at all my properties" triggers Matt to:

1. Create a sub-agent for each property.
2. Each sub-agent contacts your preferred gas engineer.
3. Sub-agents independently schedule inspections.
4. You see a consolidated progress dashboard.

Status Overview

Ask Matt at any time:

• "What is the status of all open maintenance jobs?"
• "Which contractors are we waiting on?"
• "Are there any overdue repairs?"

Matt aggregates information from all active sub-agents into a single summary.

Real-World Maintenance Workflow

Here is how a typical maintenance job flows through the system:

1. Tenant reports an issue — "The shower in Flat 3 is leaking."
2. You tell Matt — "There's a leaking shower at @Flat 3, @Oak Street. Can you sort it?"
3. Matt creates a ticket — Priority: standard, Category: plumbing.
4. Matt deploys a liaison agent — Searches your contacts for plumbers.
5. Liaison agent emails your plumber — "Hi Dave, we have a leaking shower at Flat 3, Oak Street. Are you available this week?"
6. Plumber responds — "Can do Thursday at 2pm, £120 callout."
7. Liaison agent checks with tenant — "Is Thursday at 2pm OK for a plumber visit?"
8. Tenant confirms — "Yes, that works."
9. Matt notifies you — "Plumber booked for Thursday 2pm, £120 callout. Approve?"
10. You approve — "Go ahead."
11. Liaison agent confirms with plumber — Sends property access details.
12. Job completes — Plumber invoices £120.
13. Liaison agent closes the ticket — Logs the expense and marks the ticket resolved.

The entire workflow happens with minimal effort from you — just the initial instruction and a single approval.

Tip: Build your contacts database with contractor details, trade categories, and notes on past performance. The more information Matt has about your contractors, the better his recommendations and coordination will be.