Effective communication is the cornerstone of a successful homebuying journey. The OPERATOR platform provides powerful tools to streamline your interactions, boost buyer trust, and keep everyone aligned. This guide details how to use the Updates and Messaging features to deliver a transparent and professional experience.
Sending Updates to Buyers
Updates are designed for one-to-many announcements, perfect for sharing key progress milestones with buyers and your internal team. Think of this as a private feed for each property.
To send an update:
Navigate to a Property: From the Homes tab, select the property you wish to update.
Open the Updates Tab: In the property’s navigation menu, click on Updates. This will display the feed of all previous updates for that home.
Draft Your Message: Click into the text box at the top of the feed. Write a clear and concise message. You can use rich text formatting and emojis to add visual appeal.
Post the Update: Click Post Now. The update will be published to the property’s feed, and the buyer will receive a notification via email and their mobile app.
Best Practice: Use updates to celebrate visible progress. Photos of a newly framed house or a video walkthrough of the completed drywall are highly engaging and empower buyers with tangible information about their new home.
Attaching Media & Documents
Visuals make your updates more impactful. You can attach photos, videos, and documents to provide rich context and keep buyers excited about their home's progress.
To attach files to an update:
Draft Your Update: Follow the steps above to begin drafting your update.
Select Media: Click the attachment icon (image icon) within the update composer.
Upload Files: You can either drag and drop files directly into the window or browse your device to select the desired photos, videos, or documents. You can upload multiple files at once.
Confirm and Post: Once the files are uploaded, they will appear as previews in the draft. Click Post Now to publish the update with the attachments.
Note: Supported file types generally include common image formats (JPG, PNG), video files (MP4), and documents (PDF). Please be mindful of file size limitations to ensure quick uploads and a smooth buyer experience.
Editing or Deleting Updates
Mistakes happen. OPERATOR allows you to correct or remove updates after they have been posted to maintain accuracy and professionalism.
To edit or delete an update:
Locate the Update: Navigate to the Updates tab for the relevant property and find the post you wish to modify.
Access Options: Click the ellipsis icon (
...) located in the corner of the update post.Choose Your Action:
Select Edit to modify the text of the update. Make your changes and click Save.
Select Delete to permanently remove the update from the feed. You will be asked to confirm this action.
System Behavior: Deleting an update will also remove it from the buyer’s view and their notification history, ensuring a clean and accurate record.
Messaging Buyers (Group)
The Messages feature is designed for direct, conversational dialogue. It is ideal for answering specific questions or coordinating with a group, such as all buyers associated with a single property.
To send a group message:
Open the Property Messages
From the Property navigation menu, click Messages.
This opens the Message Portal, where all conversations related to that property are shown.
Everyone assigned to the property — including internal team members and buyers — can view and participate in these messages.
Type Your Message
At the bottom of the Message Portal, there’s a text field labeled “Type message”.
Enter your message and press Enter or click Send to share it with all participants in the group thread.
This functionality is perfect for sending reminders about a joint appointment or asking a question that pertains to all buyers of a home.
Attaching Media to Messages
Just as with updates, you can attach files to messages to provide specific, contextual information directly within a conversation.
To attach files to a message:
Open the Conversation: Navigate to the Messages tab to open the messaging portal.
Click the Attachment Icon: Within the message composition box, click the attachment icon.
Upload Your File: Select the document, photo, or video you wish to share from your device.
Add Context and Send: You can add an optional text message to accompany the file. Click Send to deliver the message with the attachment.
This is an efficient way to share a specific document requested by a buyer or send a photo to clarify a construction detail without broadcasting it to everyone.