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

Wednesday, May 31st, 2023. 

Summary

• Enterprise Permission Update
• Transaction Commission Optimization
• Google Local Service Ads - Call Package Adjustment
• Google Local Service Ads - AI Assistant Adjustment
• Reporting Section - Lead Privacy Filter
• Reporting Section - Data Update Alert
• Listing Detail - Schools Tab
• Lofty Mobile App - AI Email and Text Generator
• Social Studio - Coming Soon Listing Auto Post
• Social Studio - YouTube
• Listing Showing Management and Showing Invitations
• AI Assistant Chat Box Logic Update
• Enterprise Group Owner - Group Website Purchase
• Enterprise Company Website - Custom Registration Disclaimer

Enterprise Permission Update

We have updated Lofty Enterprise account permissions so there are more options when setting up permission profiles.

Manage User

Previously, several features were included in one single "Manage User" permission. Now, permission may be individually enabled for the following:

• Organization Hierarchy:
  • Allows the user to edit the organization hierarchy, either for the entire company or just their own group and sub-groups
• Permission Profile:
  • Allows the user to edit/add/delete permission profiles for the entire company
• User Management:
  • Allows the user to add/edit/delete users, either in the entire company or just their own group and sub-groups

System Configuration

Previously, several permissions were included in the single "Company Feature" and "Company Filter" permissions. Now, permission may be individually enabled for the following:

• Custom Fields:
  • Allows the user to create Custom Fields for the lead profile
• Transaction Forms:
  • Allows the user to add/edit/delete transaction forms, as released in Feature Updates for Lofty 3.63
• AI Assistant:
  • Allows the user access to the AI Assistant settings
• Reporting Goals:
  • Allows the user access to Reporting Goals for either the entire company or their own group and sub-groups
• SSO Setting:
  • Allows the user access to the Single Sign On settings for the entire company, as released in Feature Updates for Lofty 3.56

Lead Privacy Permissions

All lead privacy settings have been moved to the same section. Previously, 'Access All Company Leads' was at the top of the list and other lead privacy settings were towards the bottom.

 

The permissions themselves have not changed, but there is additional options for the 'Delete Leads' and 'Export Leads' permissions:

• Visible by User:
  • This allows the user to delete or export any leads they can see.
  • That is, they may not own these leads, if they have permission to view the leads
• Owned Only:
  • This allows the user to delete or export and leads they are assigned to, as the primary agent.
• Private Only:
  • This allows the user to delete or export and of their own private leads.

Website Permissions

Similar to Lead Privacy Permissions, the Website Permissions have been grouped together at the bottom of the permissions list. 

Transaction Commission Optimization

This feature builds in commission splits to the Lofty transaction section. When a transaction closes, there are three (3) stages of commission splits:

• Pre-Split Adjustments:
  • These are additions to or deductions from the total amount anyone is paid, before the commission split.
  • Pre-split adjustments affect the amount everyone is able to be paid.
• Split:
  • This is where the commission splits are entered.
• Post-Split Adjustments:
  • These are additions to or deductions from the total amount paid to those included in the commission split. 
  • Post Split Adjustments only affect those outlined in this section.

This features comes into play when a transaction is closed. Navigate to the Transaction section and mark the transaction stage as closed. A form will pop-up to fill in the Close Price, calculate GCI and enter the Splits:

A GCI (Gross Commission Income) calculator has been added, to quickly calculate the amount for the GCI field:

Next, add the Pre-Split Adjustments by clicking + Add/Deduct. Up to ten (10) may be added. Here, you have the opportunity to add or deduct other expenses from the GCI. Here, see that we added $50, which then added that $50 to the total GCI:

When Deduct is selected, note that the total GCI has been reduced by $50:

Scroll to the bottom at any time to see the current state of the commission payment. After the Pre-Split Adjustment, here is the current commission payment:

Next, add the commission Splits by clicking + Add/Deduct. Up to ten (10) may be added. In the Paid To section, you may select the Team, and Agent on the account, or any Vendor/Partner who has been added to the account. Note, the calculator assists with percentage splits:

Scroll to the bottom to see the updated state of the commission payment. After the Commission Split, here is the current commission payment:

The final section is the Post-Split Adjustments. Up to five (5) post-split adjustments may be added for each Commission Split. Since we only included the Test Agent in the Commission Split, we only have the option to make Post-Split Adjustments to their commission amount. In this example, we will say that fellow agent Group Owner owes them $5 for coffee:

Scrolling to the bottom, we see that Group Owner's payment decreased by $5 and Test Agent's increased by $5, while the Team Net Commission remained unchanged:

 

Google Local Service Ads - Call Package Adjustment

Google Local Service Ads, released in Feature Updates for Lofty 3.61, requires a calling package to function. If you do not have a calling package, you will be required to select one when self-purchasing Google Local Service Ads:

Google Local Service Ads - AI Assistant Adjustment

This update provides a free AI Assistant to Google LSA users, which will work to qualify new leads from these ads. When a new lead registers via the Google Local Services Ads, the AI Assistant will reach out with the following message:

Hi there! I am {Assistant_name} from {company_name}. Thanks for reaching out from our Local Service Ads! We are happy to help you! Do you mind if I ask about your needs? Are you looking to buy or sell a home?

Reporting Section - Lead Privacy Filter

This update adds a filter for lead privacy, which will allow you to better calculate agent performance and reporting goals, while still obscuring details on lead privacy. The lead privacy filter has been added to the reporting tab:

Reporting Section - Data Update Alert

If you have a large amount of data in your Lofty account, you may experience delays when updating the Reporting page. This update adds a warning when data is taking some time to update, and informs you that you may leave the page while the data loads. 

 

If you close the window and close the pop-up, the data will not load, so you may exit the page without refreshing the data.

Listing Detail - Schools Tab

This update adds a "Schools" tab on the listing detail page, as well as ratings provided by greatschools.org. We currently only support this feature for US based MLSs.

Lofty Mobile App - AI Email and Text Generator

This is an update to the AI Email and Text Generator, released in Feature Updates for Lofty 3.63. This feature is now available in the Lofty mobile app. The functionality is the same, and the weekly quotas are also the same. That is, all Lofty users will have the ability to draft 50 AI-generated text messages and 25 AI-generated emails, regardless of whether they are using the web or mobile app.

The icon and AI options for this feature are the same in the mobile app as in the web app:

Social Studio - Coming Soon Listing Auto Post

This update provides a new Social Studio Auto Post; Coming Soon Listings. Auto Post listings are available to all Lofty users who have purchased Advanced Social Studio

 

Currently, "coming soon" listings are treated as "new listings", however, some MLSs prohibit the promotion of "coming soon" listings. With this update, you can enable or disable auto-posts for listing with a status of "coming soon". By default, this type of auto-post will be toggled OFF.

This auto-post option may be enabled and the default content may be edited in the "Auto-Post Settings":

Social Studio - YouTube

YouTube is now an available social media option for all Social Studio users. To connect a YouTube profile, navigate to Campaigns → Social Studio → Settings → Manage Profiles

YouTube only supports video posts and there is a 50 MB file size limit. When creating the YouTube post, the following settings are available:

• Title
• Tag
• Category
• Privacy

When a YouTube post fails to upload, you will receive an email notification. Typically, posts will fail due to the account not meeting YouTube's requirements or the authorization has expired.

Listing Showing Management and Showing Invitations

The Listing Showing Configuration tool is a new feature that allows Lofty and non-Lofty users to configure showing times, schedule showings, and manage to show requests and appointments.

Lofty User Listing Agents

Listing Showing Configuration

To configure the showing options for your listing, first, navigate to Listings → My Listings → Manage Listing:

If this is the first time setting up the Showing Configuration for this listing, click the Showing Configuration button in the upper right corner. If you are editing the showing configuration, click Actions → Showing Configuration:

Here, you may set up the showing details, such as the available times, whether approvals are done manually or automatically, and any information the buyer's agent will need to access the property:

When complete, click Save to confirm the showing details.

The scheduling link is located in the upper right corner of the Showing Configuration page. Click the icon to copy the link. This link may be shared in the MLS private notes for interested buyers' agents to access. When clicking the showing request link, all agents, whether they are Lofty users or not, may request to show the listing. Here is an example showing the request page:

Managing Showing Requests

You may approve or deny any showing requests on the Smart Listing page for the listing:

Scheduled showings can also be viewed in the Lofty Calendar, on the Tasks view:

Non-Lofty User Listing Agents

Listing Showing Configuration

When non-Lofty users request a showing time via the link, they will be prompted to sign up for Lofty's property showing feature:

Once an account has been created, non-Lofty users can create their own showing links, by clicking + Create Showing Link:

Next, they may add the listing details and set up the showing details, just like the feature for Lofty users:

Managing Showing Requests

Non-Lofty users also have a dashboard to approve and deny showing requests, as well as track their own scheduled showings:

Lofty User Buyer Agents

Scheduling Showings

When requesting a showing, Lofty users will be prompted to sign in to their Lofty account to continue:

Managing Showing Requests

Lofty users may access their requested showings via the Calendar Tasks view:

Non-Lofty User Buyer Agents

Scheduling Showings

Non-Lofty users will be prompted to create an account to log in to the showings tool. If they have previously created an account, they may sign in to request a showing and view their other requests.

• Note: This is not a log-in to a Lofty account. This only allows them to manage their showings and showing requests.

Managing Showing Requests

Non-Lofty users may access their requested showings via the link they will receive via email after registering on a Lofty user's showing request link.

AI Assistant Chat Box Logic Update

With this update, the AI Assistant chatbox on the Lofty website can only be disabled in the CRM. In the CMS chatbox settings, you will see the following message, if the AI Assistant has been enabled:

The setting is located in the CRM Settings → AI Assistant → Live Chat on Website:

If you do not own the AI Assistant, you will see the following message in the CMS chatbox settings, which directs you to reach out to the AI Assistant owner:

Enterprise Group Owner - Group Website Purchase

This update allows Enterprise Group Owners to purchase Group Websites for their own Hierarchy Group and any Sub-Groups within that Hierarchy Group.

Enterprise Company Website - Custom Registration Disclaimer

This update allows up to three (3) custom disclaimers to be added to the Lofty website lead registration pop-up. This is a setting on the Company website and, when enabled, will also be enabled for all group/agent/subdomain websites on the account. Leads will be required to check the box next to the disclaimer to complete registration on the Lofty website.

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.