What the Agent Can Do

The Email Agent handles a broad range of email-driven tasks across document retrieval, owner and tenant management, general enquiries, and the full insurance renewal workflow. Below is a summary of every supported capability.

Update Owner Information

Reads owner contact update requests from emails or attachments and applies changes to the correct record in Strata Master.

Update Tenant Information

Collects and updates commercial tenant details including name, contact information, and lease status. Also used in the insurance renewal flow.

Handle General Enquiries

Responds to common owner and resident questions; keys and FOBs, renovations, pet approvals, Section 184 certificates, levy amounts, and more.

Process Insurance Emails

Reads broker emails dropped into the Merlo AI – Insurance folder in Outlook, extracts quote and document data, and drafts committee emails for your review.

Generate Renewal Reports

Exports insurance renewal data as CSV files for portfolio reviews, committee packs, or internal tracking; directly from the Teams chat.

Retrieve Documents via SMATA

Fetches by-laws, AGM agendas, AGM minutes, and insurance certificates directly from SMATA on request; via email or Teams.

Retrieving Documents via SMATA #

When a document is requested; through the email agent; the agent retrieves it directly from SMATA. No manual searching in your document system is required. The following document categories are supported.

Document Type	What to Include in Your Request
By-Laws	Include the strata plan number and request the by-laws document via email.
AGM Agenda	Specify the plan number and the relevant meeting date or year.
AGM Minutes	Specify the plan number and the relevant meeting date or year.
Insurance Certificate	Include the plan number and confirm whether you need the current certificate or a prior one.

Updating Owner and Tenant Information #

When an owner or tenant sends an email requesting a contact detail update; or attaches a completed form; the Email Agent reads the request, extracts the relevant information, and applies it to the correct record in Strata Master upon the approval by the respective user via the dashboard. This eliminates the need for manual data entry for routine contact changes.

Owner Information Updates #

The agent processes requests to update owner contact details including postal address, email address, and phone number. Updates can also be triggered by a written request in the email body or by a form attached to the email. Once extracted, either by email subject/ body or attached document/ image changes are applied directly to Strata Master upon the approval by the respective user via the dashboard; no manual re-keying required.

Tenant Information Updates #

For strata plans that include commercial lots, tenant details; such as tenant name, contact information, and lease status; can also be updated through the agent. This functionality serves a dual purpose: it handles ad-hoc tenant update requests same as the Owner Information Updates, and it is also a required step in the insurance renewal workflow. Before the broker is engaged for a renewal, the agent automatically contacts commercial lot owners overnight to confirm current tenant details, and updates Strata Master with the confirmed information.

Required in every request: Always include both the strata plan number and the lot number in any owner or tenant update email. This is how the agent matches the update to the correct record in Strata Master. Requests without these details cannot be processed automatically.

Handling General Enquiries #

The Email Agent reads and responds to a wide range of standard owner and resident enquiries, pulling relevant data from Strata Master where needed. All reply drafts are presented to you for review before being sent; the agent does not reply to owners or residents automatically.

Below is the full list of supported enquiry types, along with what the agent does for each.

Enquiry Type	What the Agent Does
Request for additional keys / FOB access	Drafts a response explaining the process for obtaining additional keys or FOBs for the relevant plan.
Renovation approval enquiry	Provides information on the renovation approval process, relevant by-law requirements, and how to submit a formal request.
Section 184 certificate enquiry	Explains what a Section 184 certificate is, who can apply, and the steps involved in the application process.
Section 184 certificate application	Initiates or assists with the Section 184 certificate application for the relevant strata plan.
Pet approval enquiry	Explains the pet approval process including applicable by-law requirements and how to submit a pet approval application.
Financial hardship assistance	Provides information on available financial hardship options and guides the owner on how to make a formal hardship request.
Strata committee nomination	Explains the nomination process and outlines any required documentation or next steps for the owner.
Levy due date and outstanding amount	Retrieves the current levy schedule and outstanding balance for the requesting owner directly from Strata Master.
Strata plan details	Provides a summary of the strata plan including the plan number, lot breakdown, and key contact information from Strata Master.
Corporate notes	Retrieves corporate notes associated with the strata plan from Strata Master for the requesting party.

Note All reply drafts are presented to you for review before being sent. The agent does not respond to owners or residents automatically; your approval is always required before any outbound communication is delivered.

Insurance Renewal Email Processing #

The Email Agent plays a central role in the insurance renewal workflow. It processes broker emails dragged into the dedicated Merlo AI – Insurance folder in Outlook, extracts quote and document data, matches the email to the correct renewal record in Strata Master, and drafts committee communications for your review.

It also handles commercial tenant detail collection automatically; contacting lot owners overnight before the broker is engaged; and processes final documents such as invoices and Certificates of Currency to close out the renewal record once everything is confirmed.

How to Process a Broker Email; Step by Step

This process applies to any email received from a broker; whether it contains a quote, an invoice, or a Certificate of Currency.

1. Open the broker’s email in Outlook: Locate the broker email in your inbox. This can be a quote, an invoice, or a Certificate of Currency; the same process applies to all three.
2. Drag and drop it into the Merlo AI – Insurance folder: This is what triggers the agent. Do not forward the email; always drag and drop it directly into the dedicated Outlook folder. Forwarding will not initiate processing.
3. Wait up few minutes: The agent reads the email content and all attachments, identifies the relevant renewal record in Strata Master using the plan number and broker details, and begins processing. Do not re-drop the email if it has not appeared yet; allow the full 5 minutes.
4. Review the committee email draft: Once processing is complete, a professional draft committee email is generated summarising the quote, coverage details, and next steps. Review it and send it when you are ready.
5. For final documents; drop and close the renewal: When the broker sends the final invoice and Certificate of Currency, drop that email into the same folder. The agent files the documents to SharePoint, links them to the renewal record in Strata Master, and marks the renewal as complete. No further action is needed from you.

What the Agent Does After Processing #

Action	Detail
Email and attachments read	Premium amounts, coverage summary, exclusions, and all attached documents are extracted from the email.
Renewal record matched	The email is matched to the correct renewal record in Strata Master using the strata plan number and broker details found in the email content.
Committee email drafted	A clear, professional committee email summarising the quote and next steps is generated and presented to you for review before sending.
Documents filed to SharePoint	Proposals, certificates, and invoices are uploaded to SharePoint and linked to the relevant strata plan’s renewal record with clickable links in the Dashboard.
Renewal marked complete (final documents)	Once the invoice and Certificate of Currency are processed, the renewal status in Strata Master is updated to Complete and the record is closed.

Tip for processing multiple broker quotes: If you receive quotes from more than one broker, drop each broker’s email into the Merlo AI – Insurance folder separately. The agent processes each one individually and generates a separate committee email draft per quote, so your committee has a clear record of all options.

Commercial Tenant Detail Collection #

For strata plans that include commercial lots, the Email Agent automatically contacts commercial lot owners overnight to gather current tenant information before the broker is engaged. This ensures the broker has accurate, up-to-date tenant data when preparing the renewal quote.

Strata Master is updated with the confirmed tenant details once responses are received. This step is fully automatic; it is triggered as soon as renewal instructions have been submitted in the Dashboard. No action is required from you.

Attaching Documents via Microsoft Teams for the drafted emails #

In addition to the Outlook folder method, you can upload any strata document directly through the Merlo AI Teams chat. This is useful when you need to file a document quickly, or when you are working outside the standard email workflow; for example, if you have received a document directly rather than by email.

1. Open the Merlo AI chat in Microsoft Teams: Navigate to the Merlo AI assistant in your Teams environment.
2. Attach the document: Drag the file into the chat window or use the attachment icon to select it from your device.
3. Specify the plan number and document type: Always include the strata plan number and the document type (e.g., proposal, Certificate of Currency, invoice) in your message. This tells the agent which record to look in Strata Master and SharePoint/SMATA.
4. The agent attaches the document in the drafted email: The document is attached to the drafted email.

Example Prompts; Attaching Documents via the Teams Agent

“Process this invoice document, upload it to SharePoint for plan 2604, and draft the confirmation email.”

“Draft an email to the committee and attach this Certificate of Currency for strata plan 12345.”

Note Always include both the strata plan number and the document type in your Teams message. Without these details, the agent will be confused of the document against the correct record. If either is missing, the agent will ask you to clarify before uploading.

Real-World Usage Scenarios #

The following examples show how the Email Agent fits into common day-to-day situations your team is likely to encounter.

Scenario	What to Do
An owner emails to request the current by-laws for their plan	The agent reads the email, retrieves the by-laws from SMATA, and drafts a reply attaching the document for your review. No manual searching required.
An owner requests a change to their postal address	The agent extracts the new address from the email (or attached form), matches it to the correct lot and plan in Strata Master, and applies the update automatically.
A resident asks about the pet approval process	The agent drafts a clear reply explaining the by-law requirements and steps for submitting a pet approval application. The draft is presented to you for review before sending.
A broker emails a renewal quote	Drag and drop the broker’s email into the Merlo AI – Insurance folder in Outlook. Within 5 minutes, the agent generates a committee email draft summarising the coverage and premium.
You need to compare two broker quotes before the committee meeting	Upload both proposals in the Teams chat and ask: “Compare these two insurance quotes and tell me which offers better coverage value.”
The broker sends the final invoice and Certificate of Currency	Drop the broker’s final email into the Merlo AI – Insurance folder. The agent processes the documents, files them to SharePoint, and marks the renewal as Complete in Strata Master.
An owner asks about their current levy balance	The agent retrieves the levy schedule and outstanding balance from Strata Master and drafts a reply for your review.
You need to quickly file a Certificate of Currency received outside Outlook	Attach the document in the Teams chat and specify the plan number and document type. The agent uploads it to SharePoint and links it to the correct renewal record.

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Tips & Best Practices #

Tip	Why It Matters
Always drag and drop broker emails; do not forward them	Forwarding a broker email to the Merlo AI – Insurance folder does not trigger the agent. The email must be dragged and dropped directly into the folder.
Allow up to 5 minutes for Outlook processing	After dropping a broker email into the folder, give the agent the full 5 minutes to process it before checking for the committee email draft. Do not re-drop the email if it hasn’t appeared yet.
Always include the strata plan number and lot number in update requests	Whether in an email or Teams message, the plan and lot number are how the agent identifies the correct record in Strata Master. Missing either detail can prevent the update from being applied automatically.
Always review drafts before sending	The agent never sends anything automatically. Review all committee emails, owner replies, and broker communications before confirming; this is your checkpoint for accuracy.
Drop each broker quote separately	If you receive quotes from multiple brokers, drop each email individually into the Merlo AI – Insurance folder. The agent processes each one and generates a separate draft, keeping records clean and distinct.
Specify the document type when uploading via Teams	When uploading documents through Teams, always state what the document is (proposal, CoC, invoice, etc.) alongside the plan number. This ensures the agent files it correctly in SharePoint and Strata Master.
Use Teams for quick retrievals and comparisons	For fast document lookups, policy summaries, or proposal comparisons, the Teams chat is often the quickest route. You don’t need to navigate the Dashboard for these types of requests.