Use the same five columns
Claim, supporting evidence, verification gap, display rules, and reviewer. Resist adding 'notes' — push detail into evidence.
Evidence ledger template.
An evidence ledger turns each research claim into a row with supporting records, a verification gap, and a display rules. Adopt this format and your team's work becomes reviewable — by your investors, your counsel, and your future self.
Why a ledger, not a memo.
A research memo describes the conclusion. A ledger captures the work. When the deal closes (or doesn't), or when counsel asks how a claim was reached, the ledger is the document that answers. Acren ships packets in this format; this template lets your team standardize the same shape internally.
Ledger structure.
| Claim | Supporting evidence | Verification gap | Display rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property record has entity context | Deed + entity registration match (REC-DED · SOS-ENT) | None | Customer-visible |
| Properties appear related (assemblage) | Adjacent parcel + shared registered agent (ASR-PARC · SOS-ENT) | Owner-of-record needs confirmation | Customer-visible · labeled 'Appears connected' |
| Operator distinct from owner | Operator filing + on-site signage | Operator entity not in SoS source | Generalized |
| Entity is successor to dissolved LLC | Officer overlap + agent overlap | Successor filing not yet recorded | Internal only |
| Relationship rejected | Contradicting deed history (REC-DED) | — | Suppressed |
| Facility carries permit context | Building permit context (PMT-BLD) | Permit detail is generalized | Generalized |
| Owner has portfolio of 5+ adjacent parcels | Cross-portfolio entity links + parcel adjacency | Two links 'Appears connected' | Customer-visible · labeled |
How to adopt the template.
One claim per row
Compound claims hide gaps. Split them — your reviewer thanks you later.
Cite source IDs, not URLs
Source IDs (REC-DED, SOS-ENT) survive URL rot. Keep a /sources mirror.
Make gaps mandatory
If the gap column is empty, the row hasn't been reviewed yet. 'None' is a valid gap.
Set display rules before sharing
Decide customer-visible / generalized / internal-only / suppressed at row creation, not at the end.
- Copy the column header
Claim · Evidence · Gap · Posture · Reviewer.
- Create one row per atomic claim
Compound claims get split.
- Cite source IDs
REC-* · ASR-* · SOS-* · PMT-*.
- Fill in the gap explicitly
'None' is valid; empty is not.
- Set display rules before sharing
Customer-visible / Generalized / Internal / Suppressed.
Common rejected patterns.
| Pattern | Why rejected | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Row with no source ID | Not reviewable. | Add source ID or label as 'Internal only / unsourced.' |
| 'Owner appears to be X' with no label | Confidence not declared. | Apply confidence label per the checklist. |
| Verification gap left blank | Reviewer cannot tell if rev was done. | Write 'None' if applicable; otherwise list gaps. |
| Customer-visible field on a generalized source | Display-rule mismatch. | Demote to generalized or remove from packet. |
| Multi-property claim in one row | Hides per-property gaps. | Split into one row per property. |
Responsible use
Research priority, not seller intent
Acren ranks commercial property research priority. It does not infer disposition, hardship, or willingness to transact.
Responsible use
Source evidence required
Every recommendation must carry supporting records, field-level rights status, and verification gaps.
Responsible use
Verification before action
Customers are responsible for verifying records before outreach, capital, or workflow decisions.
Responsible use
Display rules built in
Customer-visible, generalized, internal-only, and suppressed fields stay visible as product controls.
Continue
See how Acren ships packets in this shape.
Every Acren evidence packet is a ledger like this — with the source records inlined.
Continue
See how each opportunity keeps the source trail attached.