Introduction

Important: Please note that the availability of certain features outlined in these release notes will vary depending on the package and add-ons that you have purchased as well as the account type that you have (admin/standard user). These features are subject to change at any time. Please see our Learning Center course on this update HERE. Having trouble accessing the course? This article will show you how to access the Lofty Learning Center: How to Access the Lofty Learning Center

Release Date

Monday, March 20th, 2023.

 

Summary

• Lofty Private Instance Team Add-On
• Language and Currency Add-On
• Rename Appointment Organizer to Owner
• Default Lead Routing Rule Optimization
• Increase Lead and Transaction Note Fields
• Company Number Source and Tag Addition
• AI Blog Assistant (Beta Release)
• Vimeo and Facebook Video Integration
• New Lofty Website Template
• Radius Search on Maps
• Auto Property Alert Source Settings
• Improved Home Report Cost Splitting
• Lofty Support Lead Import Improvement
• Zapier Transaction Integration

Lofty Private Instance Team Add-On

The Private Instance Team Add-On is an option available to Lofty users on an Enterprise account, which allows them to set up their own lead organization, such as the Pipeline and Segments, as well as set up their own lead routing rules. The Private Instance owner may invite other users to collaborate, as long as they are already members on the primary Enterprise account. Please see our article, Private Instance Team Add On, for more information. 

 

Language and Currency Add-On

The Language Translation and Currency Conversion add-on will allow you to automatically translate the language and convert the currency shown on your Lofty website and in your CRM. This is especially helpful if you service an international client base. The feature is a paid add-on that can be found in the Lofty Marketplace. This article will show you how it works and what it looks like for visitors to your Lofty website. Please see our article, Language Translation and Currency Conversion Add On, for more information. 

Rename Appointment Organizer to Owner

We have renamed the "Organizer" on the appointment to "Owner". This allows another Lofty user to "Organize" the appointment, without being the "Owner" of the appointment. For example, an assistant might be contacting leads and setting appointments, but the agent will be the owner of the appointment.

Default Lead Routing Rule Optimization

This update allows for the Default Lead Routing rule to assign leads to the Company Owner, Group Owner, Specific Agent, or Lead Pond. The options available will depend on the scope for which the lead routing rule is set. Reminder, Lofty users must have the Enterprise platform "Manage Lead Distribution" permission or the Team platform "Team Features" permission enabled to access the Lead Routing Rules.

Increase Lead and Transaction Note Fields

When adding notes to the lead profile or transaction, the notes field will expand for longer notes. Previously, a user could add 3 lines of text before needing to scroll to read more. With this optimization, the note field will expand to show 7 lines at once.

Company Number Source and Tag Addition

This new feature adds a Source and Tag that will display when an unknown number calls the account's Company Number and will list that Source and Tag for new leads who are captured via incoming call to the Company Number. An unlimited amount of Company Numbers may be purchased, but only one (1) Source and Tag may be added to the Company Number. This feature also allows the Ads team to create a Company Number to service Google Ads.

Adding a Source and Tag to the Company Number

To add a Source and Tag to the Company Number, first edit the Company Number

When a phone number that is not associated with a lead calls the Company Number, and is not answered by the Agent, the notification will have the following information:

• Source: (Source added to Company Number)
• Phone Number:(Phone number that called)
• An option to click to add as a new lead or associate with an existing lead
  • If this is being added as a New Lead, the lead's Source will be the Source applied to the Company Number and the Tag will be added to the lead's profile
  • If this is being associated with an existing lead, which already has a Source, the Source applied to the Company Number will be added to the lead's profile as a Tag and the Tag will be also be added to the lead's profile as a Tag
    
    • Reminder: A Lead may have many Tags, but only one (1) Source

Please see Company Number for more information on the Company Number.

Google Local Service Ads (Google LSA)

When a Lofty user purchases Google Local Service Ads, they need a company number to receive calls. Lofty will provide a company number for free with the purchase of the LSA service. After purchasing the ad service, Lofty will apply the Company Number to the account. Each user may only purchase one (1) Google LSA Ads package at a time.

When the Company Number is added, there are certain limitations on that Company Number in the User's CRM:

• Any Lofty user may purchase the Google LSA service. However, only Admins have access to navigate to Settings → Dialer → Manage Dialer. Once the Company Number has been added for the user in Admin Backend, the Company Number interface will be visible, but the list will show only the applied Company Number, not any other Company Numbers, and this Company Number will only be visible to this user.
• If the Lofty user can see the Company Number interface (i.e. is an Admin), the Google LSA Company Number will be at the bottom of the list of all visible Company Numbers, and this Company Number will only be visible to this user.
• The Source and Tag applied on the admin backend will be :
  • Source: Lofty Paid Lead 
  • Tag: Google LSA
• When the Source and Tag are filled in the Admin Backend, they cannot be edited by the user. 

AI Blog Assistant (Beta Release)

We are excited to announce the launch of our latest feature, the ChatGPT-powered AI Blog Assistant, specifically designed for real estate professionals. This powerful tool harnesses the capabilities of ChatGPT to help you create engaging blog posts to promote your listings and reach your target audience.

Effortless Blog Generation

With this new feature, you can effortlessly generate a blog post to promote a listing by simply selecting a property. The AI Blog Assistant will create a well-crafted blog post with a title, emphasizing the property's key features and appealing to potential buyers.

Tailor-Made Content

If you prefer a more customized approach, you can request Blog Assistant to write a blog post by providing a title, tags, and bullet points. Our AI system will use the information you provide to create a professional and engaging blog post that resonates with your target audience.

Continuous Development

This is the first feature we've released that utilizes ChatGPT, and our team is actively researching and developing additional tools to further enhance your real estate efforts. Keep an eye out for updates and improvements as we continue to innovate in this space.

 

We are offering 10 free trial uses for every website owner. This limited-time offer allows you to experience the benefits of AI-driven content creation and evaluate the tool's effectiveness in promoting your listings.

There are two (2) ways to access this feature:

1. CMS Overview
   1. 
2. Blog Page
   1. 

We offer two (2) different types of blogs:

1. Feature a Listing
   1. The user selects a listing to market and the related listing information will be used to generate a blog post.
2. General Blog
   1. The user provides a title and a few keywords, and the AI will write a blog post based on that information.

For both blog types, the user will select a length. The lengths are rough estimates, not an exact number of words:

• Short = ~ 300 words
• Medium = ~ 500 words
• Long = ~ 700 words

Important: The window cannot be closed while the blog is being written. It takes 15-20 seconds to generate a blog post. If the user closes the window before it is complete, the blog will not be written and they will have used up one of their ten (10) allowed blog posts

Note: For WordPress Blog users we are not offering AI Blog Writing Assistant service so we encourage our users to try Lofty Blog. 

Vimeo and Facebook Video Integration

This update supports Vimeo and Facebook videos in the Lofty website video block.

New Lofty Website Template

Lofty's 7th website template was launched on March 7. This template is a simple black-and-white theme. This template features new Home and About pages and is largely the 5th template, re-done in black and white. Editing this template is the same as any other website template.

 

Radius Search on Maps

This feature will allow a Lofty user or a visitor to a Lofty website to select a search area by radius, in addition to the polygon search. When "Radius" is selected, the user provides an address and a 1-mile radius will appear by default. The radius may be expanded up to 10 miles.

The radius search is also available in the Listings Discovery page:

As well as on the Lofty website listing pages:

Auto Property Alert Source Settings

The new setting allows users to deactivate Automated Property Alerts, Market Snapshots, and Market Reports, based on the lead's Source. Checking the box next to the source will deactivate that Source for these automated alerts. That is, leads from that Source will not receive the alert emails. The user can select different Sources for each of these three types of alerts. That is, if a Source is excluded from Property Alerts, it will not automatically be excluded from Market Snapshots or Market Reports.

Improved Home Report Cost Splitting

This update allows Lofty users to split the cost of Home Report with a lender via the marketplace when the Lofty user has already bought the package on their own.

Splitting Costs with a Lender

• When the cost split request is made, the Lender has 2 days to approve of the cost split. If the Lender does not approve, the agent will be charged the full amount.
• If the agent is upgrading the package and inviting a Lender to split costs, the package will be upgraded immediately and the agent will pay the difference themselves. For example:
  1. If the Agent is on the Starter Home Report package and paying themselves, they are currently paying $59/month
  2. If this Agent wants to upgrade to the Basic Home Report package and split the cost with a Lender, the Agent will pay $40 now to upgrade ($99 - $59)
  3. Next pay period (the first of the next month), if the Lender has approved, the Agent and the Lender will each pay $49.50

Lofty Support Lead Import Improvement

This update allows all Lofty users to request Lofty tech support assistance with Lead Import for the first 30 days they are a member of their Lofty account.

Zapier Transaction Integration

This update supports Transaction-related synchronization with third parties via Zapier.

Lofty → Zapier Use Lofty as a Trigger

Lofty can synchronize the following fields to other third-party providers:

• Basic Information

  • Transaction Name

  • Transaction Type
  • Transaction Stage
  • Associated Lead's Name
  • Associated Lead's Email
  • Associated Lead's Phone
  • Transaction Owner's ID
  • Transaction Owner's Name
  • Transaction Owner's Email
  • Close Price
  • Commission Rate
  • GCI
  • Team Revenue
  • Agent Revenue
• Property Details
  • Property Address
  • Property Unit
  • Property Listing Status
  • Property MLS Listing ID
  • Property Label
  • Property List Price
  • Property Property Type
  • Property Bedrooms
  • Property Bathrooms
  • Property Square Feet
  • Property Lot Size (Sqft)
  • Property Note
• Dates (Format: mm/dd/yyyy)
  • Close Date
  • Expected Close
  • Appointment Date
  • Agreement Signed Date
  • Offer Date
  • Contract Date
  • Appraisal Date
  • Home Inspection Date
  • Escrow Date
  • Expiration Date
• Custom Fields

Zapier → Lofty Use Lofty as an Action

Lofty will add a “Create Transaction” Action to allow third-party providers to create and update the following Transaction fields on Lofty:

• Transaction Name(Required)
• Lead First Name(Required)
• Lead Last Name
• Associated Lead Email
• Transaction Owner Email(Required)
• Transaction Type(Required)
• Transaction Stage
• Close Price
• GCI
• Team Revenue
• Agent Revenue
• Timezone(Date will be converted to the set of time zone)
• System Dates：
  • Closed Date
  • Expected Close
  • Appointment Date
  • Agreement Signed Date
  • Offer Date
  • Contract Date
  • Appraisal Date
  • Home Inspection Date
  • Escrow Date
  • Expiration Date

• Custom Fields
• Property
  
  • Property Address
  • Property Unit
  • Property Listing Status
  • Property MLS Listing ID  
  • Property Label
  • Property List Price
  • Property Type
  • Property Bedrooms
  • Property Bathrooms
  • Property Square Feet
  • Property Lot Size (Sqft)
  • Property Note

Logic

• Parsing is supported for the following date format：

  • yyyy-mm-dd：2001-08-24

  • mm/dd/yy：08/24/01

  • mm-dd-yy：08-24-01

  • dd/mm/yyyy：24/08/2001

  • Apr 11, 2022

  • dd.mm.yyyy ：24.08.2001

• Sync Logic:
  • First, find whether the transaction owner's email is an existing team member
    • If not, the transaction sync will fail
    • If yes, then check to see if the same lead (by email) is assigned to the transaction owner.
      
      • If yes, then the transaction will be created for this lead, or if this transaction already exists on this lead, update the transaction.
      • If not, Lofty will create the lead as a team lead, assign it to the transaction owner first, and then create the transaction for the lead. 

 

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding this topic or any others, please reach out to our Support Team via email at <support@lofty.com>, by phone at 1 (855) 981-7557, or by chat with us through your Lofty CRM.