Four qualification layers
Qualify the person, property, problem and process. Person means authority and stakeholders. Property means physical, building and preliminary location fit. Problem means what outcome the owner is seeking. Process means information, approvals, timing and decision sequence. A promising conversation is not a qualified opportunity until these layers are understood. Missing authority or incompatible timing can waste weeks even when the contact is enthusiastic.
Questions that uncover risk
Ask about ownership, co-owners, mortgage or insurer conditions, strata or body corporate, previous approvals, known complaints, intended future use, access systems, parking and material defects. Phrase questions as due diligence, not interrogation. Record unknowns explicitly. 'No restriction disclosed' is not the same as 'restriction checked and cleared'. Use statuses such as verified, stated by owner, pending evidence and unresolved.
Disqualify with discipline
Examples of early disqualifiers include refusal to provide informed consent, pressure to conceal the use, incompatible building rules, impossible timeframe, unacceptable property condition or economics that cannot support conservative assumptions. A pause is different from a rejection. If a solvable item requires evidence, assign an owner and deadline. If a hard gate fails, close the opportunity and protect the pipeline from emotional attachment.