Two records can both be accurate and still appear to disagree. A listing may show when a space was advertised; a lease abstract may show a term date; a data platform may show when it ingested the record. Before you turn one date into a client-facing statement, identify what event each date describes.
Work one conflict at a time
Suppose a property listing retrieved on October 20 says a tenant’s lease ends December 31. An older lease abstract in the deal folder says June 30, but its page has no “as of” date. Do not pick the newer-looking date by default: retrieval date tells you when you accessed the listing, not when its lease information was verified.
Create a short reconciliation row for each source:
| Record | Event it appears to describe | Document date | Retrieval date | What remains unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broker listing | Advertised lease expiration | Not stated | Oct. 20 | When the broker verified the date; whether an extension exists |
| Lease abstract | Stated term end | No date visible | Oct. 18 (folder copy) | Whether it reflects an executed amendment |
Then ask what would resolve the disagreement. Request the executed lease and amendments, or ask the authorized property contact to confirm the current expiration and any extension. A broker’s listing can identify a discrepancy to investigate; it cannot by itself update an executed lease. If you cannot obtain the controlling document or confirmation, retain both claims as conflicting and report the event date as unresolved.
State the limit in client language
A careful note might read: “The listing retrieved Oct. 20 shows Dec. 31; the undated lease abstract shows June 30. I have not verified an amendment or current date, so the expiration remains unresolved.” This is more useful than silently choosing one record because it tells the next person exactly what evidence is missing.
Capture the source file or URL, the document’s own effective/as-of date when present, your retrieval date, and who supplied it. Avoid merging “recorded,” “effective,” and “retrieved” into one generic date field. CCIM’s market-analysis curriculum describes using several data inputs to support a market call [S1]; those inputs provide context, while the underlying lease document or authorized confirmation is needed to resolve this specific term-date conflict.
Next action: assign an owner and follow-up date for the missing amendment or confirmation. Until it arrives, do not tell a client the lease expires on either date. This reconciliation method does not determine legal priority between documents; counsel should assess disputed contract interpretation. Use the existing owner and occupier evidence guide for the distinct task of classifying which party owns versus occupies a property.