Paragon version 5.72 is now in effect. This update includes user-requested enhancements such as new save functions in Quick Search and interactive map layers – a terrific feature to create custom prospecting searches. Here are the highlights.
1. Quick Action Buttons Added to Quick Search
In the last release, Black Knight added some new saving options to the Search function to make it faster and easier. They’ve now brought that same efficiency to Quick Search. On the main page, in the Quick Search modal, there’s a little edit widget on the far right. Click on that and it takes you the Customize Quick Search customization box (below).
You can now modify an existing search (apply/save); create a new search (apply/save as); or apply to the current form with saving (apply.)
2. Whew! A Push Notification Your Session is About to Expire (Note: This isn’t automatic. If you want this, you need to enable Paragon to do it.)
We’ve all done it… painstakingly built a customized search, forget to hit save, and then start something else. You KNOW how this ends. If you’re on another browser tab or have Paragon minimized or take a phone call while sitting in front of your computer, you miss the display warning on your screen that you have one-minute left before your session is about to expire. Nothing is more frustrating than losing unsaved work!
With this latest update, Black Knight has added a push notification feature. You still have to be in front of your android device or desktop computer (Chrome doesn’t get notifications on your iPhone or iPad) where Paragon is open, but at least you’ll now have a fighting chance of saving your work.
A Session Expiration Alert will pop up:
Your Paragon session will end in 5 min. Please refresh
your session or log out. (And there’s another warning at the 2-minute mark.)
These push notifications will work on Windows; MacOS and Android. And they’ll work on three browsers: Edge, Chrome and Firefox.
As mentioned, this feature isn’t automatic! You must actively allow it via your browser.
You can change it back again later in browser settings if you decide you don’t want the notifications anymore.
3. A fix to the Listing Activity Report
A few updates ago, Black Knight put a limit of 120 days on the Listing Activity Report. Meaning, you could only see the views and search stats for the most recent 120 days of that listing’s life. If the listing had been active for say, 300 days, you couldn’t view or call up any activity data for the previous 180 days.
This wasn’t so bad when the market was super-hot, but it became a nuisance when the market cooled.
Now, the listing activity report tracks activity data for the entire life of the listing.
4. Drum roll please…. Introducing Interactive Map Layers!
According to Black Knight, this feature has been at the top of many users’ wish lists, so they’re excited to roll it out.
You can now create custom maps by drawing shapes around specific neighbourhoods, school catchments or special community amenities, and then use those shapes as search criteria in other map searches. Effectively, layering maps on maps.
The best way to learn how to use this function is to watch how it works in Paragon’s two minute Getting Started with Interactive Map Layers video.
When might you use this feature? Maybe you specialize in condos and you want to focus on expired listings in high-cluster zones in North Surrey, Cloverdale centre and White Rock. With Interactive Maps, you can draw a polygon shape around each of those core areas (and colour them differently) and then save it as a custom interactive map.
(these next couple of screen captures don’t reflect this exact search, but they illustrate the point)
Next, open your regular Map Search function, select your search criteria for expired condos, click on the Map Layers panel icon and add in your Interactive Layer.
Using this example, you’d be able to see all the expired listings in your core condo zones.
Another example might be that you have a client that is specifically looking for a home in a certain price range that has to be within three kilometres of an elementary school in either North Delta, South Surrey or Langley. You can map the exact catchment areas and then layer that map onto your Map Search for active listings.
5. Adjustment Values for CMA Comparable Reports
Last month, Black Knight improved the Automatic CMA Adjustments Module within Paragon’s CMA function. They added a Calc Adjust button, that would automatically calculate the adjustments that you pre-added – like an extra bedroom or bathroom.
In this update, they added a description on both the Summary of Adjustments and CMA Comp Report Horizontal that allows the end user to see how the adjustment value was derived. This is very useful if you’re using calculated adjustments.
That’s it for this time! As always, if you have any questions or concerns related to Paragon or other Board tools, contact our very friendly Helpdesk at 604-930-7626 or helpdesk@fvreb.bc.ca.
The next Paragon update is scheduled for mid-September, talk to you in a month.