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Overview of Realty Assist Integration and Dashboard
The implementation of Reality Assist serves as a central platform for real-time agent and office CRM integrations. Specifically, the system connects with Realtime Agent (RTA) and Agentbox to streamline fund requests and vendor-paid advertising (VPA) management.
Integration Flow: Real-time agent integration and the Agentbox integration both feed data directly into the Realty Assist dashboard. For agents, the transition is minimal; their primary workflow change is selecting "Realty Assist" instead of "Campaign Agent" within the interface.
The Dashboard Appearance: Upon logging in, the dashboard serves as a "call to action" page. It prioritizes items requiring immediate attention, specifically outstanding and overdue payments.
Color Coding for Invoices:
Black: Indicates an invoice is awaiting payment. These have a due date set in the future and have not yet been actioned by the vendor.
Red: Indicates an invoice is overdue. This occurs once the specified due date has passed without payment or action from the vendors.
Automated Reminder Schedule: The system sends out automatic reminders via email and SMS at specific intervals relative to the due date:
Three days prior to the due date.
On the due date itself.
Four days after the due date.
Two weeks after the due date (though this is less common in metro areas like Melbourne compared to regional settings).
Manual Actions on Invoices: From the dashboard, users can resend an invoice instantly by clicking the three dots next to the property address. Other options include downloading the invoice, adding a credit note, or disabling invoice reminders entirely (useful for difficult vendors who wish to stop receiving automated prompts).
Member Management and Access Levels
The system allows for the creation of various member types to manage staff access and notifications. The three directors (Grant, Mark, and Valerie) will have primary administrative rights.
Creation Process: Users with administrative rights navigate to the Members section and click "New Member."
Member Categories:
Active Members: These members can log into the system. Active members are generally set up with Standard Access, meaning they can see only their own listings, not company-wide data. Setting up an active member requires their email address to send a completion link.
Passive Members: These members are in the system but cannot log in. They are added for the purpose of attaching their names to invoices, ensuring a professional appearance for the vendor. Passive members receive notifications when an invoice is sent and when it is paid. Their details are entered manually on their behalf.
Access Tiers:
Ownership Level: (Grant and Mark) Full system access with the ability to do everything.
Office Management Level: (Valerie) Comprehensive access, though she cannot change trust account details.
Standard Access: Restricted to viewing individual listings only.
Strategic Staff Roles: The team plans to add staff members Arthur, Tyson, and Peter Perignon as members so that invoices sent to their specific vendors carry their names, ensuring continuity and professional look.
Office CRM and RTA Integrations
Setting up connections between Realty Assist and existing tools like Agentbox and Realtime Agent is critical for data accuracy.
Realtime Agent (RTA) Setup: In the Office Settings under the Integrations tab, the user must enter the company login details for RTA. This sends a trigger to RTA to complete the back-end connection. Once connected, a pop-up appears after a listing agreement is signed, prompting the agent to enter the vendor's phone number and a due date for the VPA invoice.
Agentbox Setup: Activating the Agentbox integration (referred to as "Reaper") sends an email verification to the user. Agentbox is a one-way feed due to its internal architecture; information flows from Agentbox to Realty Assist, but not vice-versa.
Listings Data: When Agentbox is connected, a "Listings" button appears on the left-hand side under "Reper Sales." This feeds all property data, marketing budgets, and agent names into the system.
Manual Fund Requests: If the Agentbox integration is not utilized, fund requests can be created manually by typing in property and vendor details. The process remains similar but lacks automatic data population.
Fund Request Processing and Invoicing
Creating a fund request (Vage-Paid Advertising) involves selecting the property and configuring the invoice parameters.
Invoice Types:
Individual: For properties owned under a personal name.
Company: For properties owned under a corporate entity.
Trust: Used for Power of Attorney situations or executors of a will.
Data Fields: Invoices capture the marketing budget, start date, agent name, property address, listing price, and listing date. The due date for the invoice is recommended to be set at two to three business days for a "short and sharp" turnaround.
Customer Selection: Users can select one or multiple vendors from the Agentbox drop-down. While two vendors can be added, it is often recommended to add just the main point of contact who is on the title. During the deferral process, the vendor has the option to add additional applicants themselves, shifting the administrative burden away from the agency.
Unique Scenarios: In sensitive cases, such as a divorce where vendors require a split and cannot share details, the agency can issue two separate invoices—one to each party for half the total amount.
Payment Options and Vendor Experience
The vendor-facing invoice is Bell Property branded and provides several avenues for payment.
Method of Delivery: Vendors receive an email with the invoice attached and a "View and Pay" button.
Payment Categories:
Pay Today (Upfront): Options include Credit Card, EFT, BPAY, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.
Pay Later (Deferral): Allows vendors to defer payment until settlement or withdrawal.
Fees: Credit card payments (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) currently incur a merchant fee of .
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Specifics: Each property is assigned a unique account number. This ensures that if a vendor pays into those details after an invoice is settled, the funds automatically bounce back to their bank account rather than getting lost in the system. EFT payments generally clear within 30 minutes to one hour, except for ANZ, which typically processes overnight.
BPAY: Standard processing time is one to three business days.
Receipting: Realty Assist handles automated, compliant receipting to both the vendor and the agency once funds are received.
Repayment Terms and Settlement Logistics
The repayment of deferred funds is triggered by specific events.
Standard Repayment Trigger: Repayment is due at settlement, property withdrawal, or after days, whichever occurs first.
Repayment Methods:
Manual Repayment: The agency holds funds and pays Realty Assist back directly. This is the preference currently stated by Mark for his office.
Solicitor Disbursement: (Used by of offices) The system generates an email to the solicitor (CC'ing the vendor) requesting that Realty Assist be included in the disbursements at settlement. Valerie can generate a "Loan Payout Statement" via the dashboard to facilitate this.
Monitoring and Collections: If a property hasn't sold by day , Realty Assist reaches out to the vendor to get an update. If the -day mark is reached without a sale, the company works out a payment plan with the vendor to reduce the debt. Late fees are not applied.
Funding Speed: Unlike platforms that may hold funds until the end of the month, Realty Assist provides instantaneous funding to the agency upon approval, allowing campaigns to start immediately.
Questions & Discussion
Mark: Should Valerie add other sales team members so they can use the platform through Realtime Agent? Or will they have those abilities anyway? Speaker: They will have the RTA abilities even without being set up in Realty Assist. However, adding them allows you to attach their name to secondary or manual invoices, ensuring the vendor sees the name of the agent they signed with. This also ensures the agent gets notifications when invoices are sent and paid.
Mark: Is the Agentbox integration necessary? I have many listings and don't want it to get confusing if everything feeds through. Speaker: It is not strictly necessary. If it is off, you simply type the details in manually. You can decide later once you speak with Georgia (Accounts) about what fits your office workflow best. The integration is only as good as the data entered; if the CRM data is messy, the invoice data will be too.
Mark: Do I need to cancel my arrangement with Campaign Agent? Speaker: There isn't usually a strict contract, as there is no subscription fee. RTA only allows one finance provider at a time; when you connect Realty Assist, it will likely disconnect Campaign Agent automatically. You can also ask RTA to "clean up" your list of payment options to remove RELO or other competitors from the drop-down menu.
Mark: Has Greg signed the contract list yet? Speaker: It didn't appear as signed this morning. I will send a "nudge" to the top of his inbox to make it easier for him to find. (Note: Greg is currently in LA, and the team will follow up with him in the afternoon).