News & Past Hot Tips

When viewing (or entering) a listing in Paragon, layers can be added to the Google map view to provide more detail about the property’s location. The layers menu can be found within the map toolbar, to the left of the print icon:

One of the layers that can be applied is the Parcel Lines layer, which will display the tax parcel boundaries. Check the box to turn this layer on, and then zoom in until the boundaries appear. You can also apply the parcel ID numbers to the map by toggling the “show labels” option to APN:

​When you click within a parcel, it will display the approximate lot dimensions and parcel size. If you would like the parcel layer to always display, this can be set in the Preferences menu (System – Search Options – Parcel Layer).

For properties in the City of Madison, the Madison Subareas layer (and labels) can be applied to easily identify the correct location code:

​Click here for more info on mapping within Paragon (including a helpful video tutorial!)

When searching by Location, there are a few shortcuts you can use to enter multiple locations in the same area:

• Use EST for Madison Metro East – this will include all City of Madison locations E01 – E16 (including Monona & Maple Bluff)
• Use WST for Madison Metro West – this will include all City of Madison locations W01 – W19 (including Middleton, Fitchburg & Shorewood Hills)
• Use county code (i.e. B for Columbia County) followed by NE, NW, SE, SW to search for a quarter section of the county. For the northeast part of Columbia County, for example, enter BNE. For a chart showing how the counties are broken up into quarter sections, click here.

The start of a new year is a good time to pull statistics – not only to help set goals for the coming year, but also to make sure you were properly credited with prior year sales. This can easily be done in Paragon by taking the following steps:

• Under the Resources menu, choose Paragon Statistical Reporting
• In the menu on the left side of the screen, click the arrow next to Sales Detail (under Broker) to expand that section, and then choose Agent:

• In the criteria screen that appears, change the Date Range dropdown to Year, enter 2023 in the Begin and End date fields, and then click Generate:

• This will display all of the properties you listed and/or sold in 2023, as well as your units & volume for the year. If you were not properly credited with a sale, please forward the accepted offer & closing statement to listings@wisre.com and MLS staff can adjust.

ShowingTime provides a calendar sync option that allows you to merge your showing appointments into your personal calendar. To facilitate this sync from within Paragon, click on Preferences and Showing Assist. Click the Edit Profile button to open your profile. Click Calendar Sync under your photo. From here you will have an option to sync your showings as a showing agent and/or listing agent. Click the Create Calendar Sync Link to create a link. Copy and paste this link into the settings within your calendar program. Directions for Google, Yahoo, and Outlook be found here.

Do you have contacts in Paragon for whom you would like to preview listing matches before sending?​

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If you use Collab Center, you can set up the contact for Agent Preview. Open the contact, go to Contact Information, select Agent Preview from the Collab Center Search Options located in the top left, and click Save. When a listing notification is sent, it will come to you first to Approve or Disapprove in Paragon. This approval/disapproval can be done directly from the contact grid.

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​If you use Email Notification, you can edit the notification so it is only sent to you. Open the contact, click Buyer Activity, click the search name, then click Email Notification 1. Click the Edit Notification button at the top. Remove the contact’s email address, check the Bcc Me box, and click Save. Be sure you clearly identify the contact in the subject line so you know who to forward the email to when you receive it.

When entering the above grade, below grade, and total square footage fields for a new listing, only include space that is finished. To be considered finished, the following components are needed:

1. Heat source
2. Finished walls
3. Finished ceiling
4. Finished flooring

If one component is missing, the space can still be counted as finished, but the missing component must be disclosed in the public remarks. If two or more components are missing, the space cannot be counted as finished. The room dimensions section should only include finished rooms. More detail can be found within this helpful guide.

To set up a buyer with auto notifications about new properties you need two things: a contact, and a saved search. The quickest way to set this up:

1. ​Create a contact – Click the Contacts icon and choose Create Contact. Enter a first name, last name, and email address, then click the Save button at the top left.
2. Build the search – On the left panel click Buyer Activity, then click the green plus sign Add Search. Then on the right click the green plus sign Add New Saved Search.

   Put in your criteria and then Save. It will suggest a search name for you which you can change if you like. Click Save.

3. Send the Welcome Message – Click the blue Send Welcome Message button to send them the link to access their Collab center site.

​That’s it! The search is now running and will send them new matches and price changes.

Within Paragon, there is an easy way to see the number of potential buyers (Paragon contacts with saved searches) at the current list price, and if the price were changed.  This functionality is available for partial listings, as well as live listings.   Check out this short video demonstrating this cool feature.

​https://vimeo.com/714241325

Do you like game shows? Then check out our newest animated video for a refresher on the timing and rules of marketing new listings (two & a half minute watch):

If you receive an email alerting you that a client has opted out of receiving emails via Paragon, this may be because they accidently clicked on the opt out link within an email, or because Paragon received a bounce back from your client’s email provider. To opt them back in, email them the following link or open the link and type in their email address: http://p50.paragonrels.com/paragonsubscriptions/optin.aspx

Your client will be sent a confirmation email containing an opt-in option they will need to click on within 72 hours to opt back in.

​The above opt in link can always be found within the links in the blue banner on the top of the Paragon home page:

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You can proactively check for clients who have been opted out by clicking on Contacts and View/Manage Contacts within Paragon. Look at the Email column. Clients should have an orange envelope indicating a valid email address. If you see a white envelope with a red exclamation point, this client is opted out and is not receiving emails.

The MLS works best for everyone when listing data is accurate. Agents are encouraged to utilize the assessor data as a source, as it provides an easy way to verify the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, finished square footage, year built, lot size, and more for a given property. Click here to locate the assessor data by county/municipality.

If the assessor data is not available, or the listing agent believes another source is more accurate, there are also options for Appraiser, Blueprint, Builder, List Agent, or Seller. Other should only be selected when none of the other options apply, and should not be used as a workaround to independently verifying listing information. Regardless of the source, please double check the data you are entering for accuracy.

Supra keyboxes come from the factory preset to open between the hours of 6:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Central Standard Time, and shift to the hours of 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. during Daylight Saving Time.  So, with the end of Daylight Saving Time, they will open between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

If you would like to change the access hours, or remove all time restrictions, you can do this for keyboxes you have added to your inventory.  Once added, select the keybox and then select Program Keybox.  Change the start or end time by clicking or tapping on the time.  When done, you will need to select to Program the keybox.  You will need to be near the keybox and have the shackle code to do this.

There are two types of days on market counts in the MLS:

• DOM = the number of days an individual MLS # has been actively marketed (Active, Offer-Bump, or Offer-Show status). The DOM resets each time a new MLS # is entered.
• CDOM = the cumulative number of days a property has been actively marketed. This includes the DOM from previous MLS #s unless the property was off-market for at least 31 days between listings.

A few notes:

• In order to enter a new MLS #, a new listing contract must be secured (an amendment does not suffice). If a new listing contract is not obtained, the new listing will be deleted and a fine of $50 will be assessed.
• Days on market do not accumulate while a listing is in Delayed, Withdrawn by Seller, or Offer-No Show status.
• To ensure a DOM count of 0, a listing must be entered on the list date.

Certain fields in the MLS have an option for “other”, which can be selected when none of the other choices apply. It appears in several of the feature categories, the source fields for square footage, year built, acreage and waterfrontage, as a room type, and as a type of financing. When it is selected, please use the remarks to explain what “other” means.

South Central WI MLS is one of nine MLS databases that cover the state. We import listings from other MLSs directly into the SCWMLS database if they fall within one of the counties our members typically market in. This means that when you do a search within the SCWMLS, all listings in the following counties will come up, even if they were entered in a different MLS:

Adams, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jefferson, Juneau, Lafayette, Marquette, Monroe, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Vernon, and Waushara

The MLS numbers for these imported listings will be the number that was assigned when it was input into its native MLS, but will be prefixed by 2 letters to make the number unique, and to identify them as being listings that originated in a different MLS system. For example, listings from Metro Milwaukee MLS will be prefixed with MM. 

If you are searching for listings outside of the counties noted above, you should switch to Wirex. Wirex does not include listings from the Northwoods MLS or the Door County MLS.

The Quick Search widget on the Paragon home page is a great tool to quickly find listings. There are only a few criteria to choose from, but you can add and remove things to suit your own search needs. If you are searching for listings for a specific Sale Agent for example, you can add that field. Click the gear wheel icon at the top:

​This will bring up a window where you can add, remove, and move search fields. The Available Fields column on the left shows fields you can add. The Selected Fields column on the right shows the current fields on your Quick Search.

Find the search field you want to add on the left column, click it to highlight, then click the ADD button. Click the Class dropdown to add fields from other property classes. Fields can be removed from the Selected fields by highlighting it and clicking the REMOVE button. You can also reorder the selected fields by dragging and dropping. You can have a maximum of 15 different fields. When you are done click Apply.

When entering a new listing, the Property Info section has options for both Dining Area and Dining Room. The key differences are as follows:

• A dining area is open to, or shares space with, the kitchen and/or living room
• A dining room is a more formal space that is typically its own separate room