How DealRoom Works | From Introduction to Completion
How it works
From first invitation to completion, in four controlled phases.
Every DealRoom transaction moves through the same structure. Here's what the administrator does at each phase, what participants actually see, and what that step protects.
- 1
Create the DealRoom
Administrator does
The administrator — usually the broker, introducer or one of the principals — creates the room and gives it a transaction reference. They set the access rules for the room before anyone else is invited: whether an NDA is required, who can see which categories of document, and who will hold administrator rights alongside them.
Participants see
Nobody else is in the room yet. There is nothing for participants to see or experience at this stage — which is deliberate. The structure exists before the introduction happens, not after.
Now protected
The commercial relationship. No party's contact details are exposed until the room, its parties and its access rules are already decided.
- 2
Define each side
Administrator does
The administrator sets up the parties involved — Buyer, Seller, Legal, Adviser, Lender, or whatever the transaction calls for — and gives each one a label and colour so the room is legible at a glance.
Participants see
Participants aren't invited yet, so there's still nothing visible to them. What they will eventually see is determined here: a room organised around sides and roles, not a flat list of names.
Now protected
Clarity of role. When invitations do go out, every participant already has a defined place in the transaction rather than an ambiguous seat in a group chat.
- 3
Invite and protect
Administrator does
The administrator invites each participant in one of two ways: a secure invitation to their email address, or a unique join code issued for anyone who would rather not disclose an email at all. Either route, the administrator sets their alias — fully customisable, with a colour and a custom tag for the side they sit on — and applies whatever gate is required before they can enter: an NDA or other agreement, an identity check, or administrator approval of the invitation itself.
Participants see
Participants receive an invitation, or enter the code they were given, join the app, and if an agreement is required, they see and sign it before anything confidential is unlocked. Once inside, they see their own alias and party label, and everyone else's — colour-coded and tagged by side, so it is obvious who sits where, and never a phone number, email or account ID.
Now protected
The protections that matter before disclosure: confidentiality obligations executed first, private contact details withheld throughout.
- 4
Talk, share, sign and close
Administrator does
The administrator oversees the shared conversation, approves or manages document access, tracks outstanding actions, and keeps the room moving — freezing or closing it once the transaction is done.
Participants see
Participants take part in one shared conversation, upload and download the documents they're permitted to see, complete the tasks assigned to them, and sign agreements inside the same room. Everything sits together instead of being scattered across email threads and messaging apps.
Now protected
The full record. Messages, documents, signatures and actions stay connected to one auditable transaction, from the first message to completion.
Worked example
One business sale, start to finish.
No two deals are identical, but the shape is consistent. Here's how the four phases play out for a straightforward business sale introduced by a broker.
The introduction
A broker has a seller instructed to sell their business and a buyer who has expressed serious interest. Instead of exchanging phone numbers over email, the broker creates a DealRoom, sets up Buyer and Seller sides plus a Legal party for each, and requires an NDA before confidential access opens.
Invitations go out
The broker invites the buyer, seller and their respective solicitors. Most join by email invitation; the buyer, who would rather not circulate a personal address, joins using a unique code the broker issues instead. Each receives their alias — Buyer 01, Seller 01, Buyer Legal 01, Seller Legal 01 — and is prompted to sign the NDA before the room's documents become visible.
Documents and diligence
Once the NDA is signed, the seller's information memorandum and financials are uploaded to the vault, visible to the buyer and both legal teams but not to anyone outside those sides. The buyer's advisers request further documents through the room; the seller responds against the same request.
Actions to completion
As terms are agreed, the administrator adds the outstanding actions — proof of funds, further legal review, signature of the sale agreement — and tracks each one to completion. The room is closed once the transaction has completed, with the full record retained.
Getting started
What you actually need to start a room.
Nothing complicated, and no account created here on the site.
The DealRoom app
Available on iOS and Android. Room creation and administration happen inside the app, not on this website.
An email address — or a code instead
Invite each person by email, or issue them a unique join code if they'd rather not share an address at all. Either way they arrive under the alias you've set.
Your agreement documents, if gating access
If you want to require an NDA or other agreement before confidential access opens, have the document ready to attach to the room before you invite anyone.
Open the conversation. Keep control of the introduction.
Bring every authorised party into one professional transaction environment without exposing private contact details or creating hidden in-app side channels.
Submitting this form does not create a DealRoom account. Accounts are created securely inside the mobile app.