On Wednesday, August 23, Paragon will update to version 5.60 and with that will come a number of performance enhancements and added features for you and your clients.
The most notable change will come to Paragon’s Collaboration Center, with improvements being made to both the look and capabilities of the tool.
Paragon
Update: Improvements to the Preferences Wizard
The Preferences Wizard in Paragon has been updated to include the following user preference options:
- If you have access to the Assume Identify feature, an Assume Identity set-up option will now be available
- The option to select a time zone to be applied in reports and in your Paragon display
- The option to choose whether clients will see property addresses with an actual hyperlink to the listing
Update: More information included in ‘Last Search’
The Last Search functionality, which provides quick access to your last five searches, has been updated to include the date and time of when that search was last performed.
Collaboration Center
Update: New Welcome Email
The Welcome Email, the first communication a prospective buyer will receive once you set up their Collaboration Center site, has received a significant visual and formatting update. This new look is not only more impressive visually but also provides clients information and access to the Collaboration Center in a way that is more clear and easier to navigate.
The new format is mobile-friendly and responsive, and will become the format for all notification emails to both consumers and agents moving forward.
Take a look at the old Welcome Email and the new:
Update: Text Editor removed
In order to maintain the new email formatting and create a look that is consistent and professional, the Rich Text Editor has been removed from the Collaboration Center’s Welcome Message creation screen. When you enter your message as plain text, it will then be automatically formatted into the new visual style for the Welcome Message, as shown above.
For those who utilize the “Message Body” feature, you will notice that the HTML elements (formatting, links, images) have been removed from your messages, to allow for the new automatic formatting. Your text will remain and we strongly recommend that you carefully review your saved default messages to ensure they have adjusted properly before using with your clients.
Old view:
What you’ll see now:
Update: New Dashboard interface for clients
The Collaboration Center dashboard has been redesigned to improve the layout of content and make it easier for your clients to see updates to your listing information.
Here’s what the new client dashboard looks like:
FAQ
Q: Will I still be able to compose a personal message before sending a welcome email?
A: Yes, only now formatting will be done automatically.
Q: Where did the insert signature button go when composing a welcome email?
A: The signature button has been removed. There is now a professional signature section at the bottom of the welcome email which includes your photo, phone number, email address, and any social networking sites that you want to share.
Q: Can I view the welcome email before sending to my prospective buyer?
A: Yes, when you are composing your welcome email you will see a new preview button next to the send and cancel buttons. This preview button will open the template in a modal window with your custom message added. This allows you to see the email before sending.
Q: Can I just use a default message instead of having to type a custom message each time?
A: Yes. If you go to preferences, select ‘Email’ and you will see an option called “Message Body.” You can create several “Message Bodies” to be used for different messages.
Q: Can I use special characters in my welcome email?
A: Yes, you can use special characters. To do this, you need to copy and paste the character into the text area. If you are using the “Message Body” option from your email preferences, you will need to double check those special characters.
Q: My profile picture in the Collaboration Center is blurry or stretched. Is there a way to fix that?
A: Yes. There is an option to upload a profile picture specifically for the Collaboration Center. Find it in the Collaboration Center’s Preferences Wizard, in the Agent Information section of the wizard, by scrolling down. There are tips available there about the required sizing and adjustment options to help format your photo to appear at the best quality.
How do I inform my clients about these changes?
We’ve created a generic message that you can send to your clients to help get them adjust to the new update:
Dear (Client name),
I wanted to check-in and let you know about a few changes that have been made recently to the Collaboration Center. First, you’ll notice that the dashboard interface has been updated slightly to make navigating the site easier and improve the layout of information. In addition to that, the look of email messages coming from me via the Collaboration Center has changed to be a bit more vibrant and provide better access to your saved listings and new matches.
Let me know if you have any questions about the update and I’ll be happy to talk further!
(Your Name)
For further assistance:
If you have questions about using Paragon or the updates to the Collaboration Center, contact the Board’s Helpdesk via email at helpdesk@fvreb.bc.ca or phone at 604-930-7626