Adding a New Auto Task

Creating a New Property Auto Task

Important:

• • When creating an auto task, it is important to remember that auto tasks are not property specific. What you are creating is a task template to be used on all properties that meet the condition(s) that you specify. Therefore, the information you provide in the screens below must be generic.

1. From the Admin tab, click the Auto Tasks tab at left, then click the Property sub tab (at right), as shown below:

2. To create a new auto task, click on the + next to Add New Property Auto Task. The following is a portion of the screen that will appear:

3. In the Task field, type the name of the task you are creating.

4. In the Type field, indicate which type of task you are creating.

• • Task - This is the default auto task setting. A task is an action that needs to be performed by a specific user within a specified time frame. Tasks are assigned to users and must be marked as completed in the system when finished.

  • Start Task Plan - The purpose of this type of task is simply to kick off a string of other tasks. A Start Task Plan task is the top level task in this string (see Start Task Plan for information on how to set this up).

  • Email Notification - This feature allows you to use the Auto Tasking system to generate automatic Email Notifications to users inside or outside the Broker Brain system. An Email Notification task requires no action from your user(s).

  • Task & Email Notification - A Task & Email Notification generates both a task and an email. This type of task requires an action to be performed by a user, and also sends an automatic email notification regarding the task. In this instance, the task must be shown as complete by the task owner once it is finished.

5. Add any instructions for the task owner in the Task Instructions field.

6. Enter the duration of the task in the Days to Complete field. Entering a 0 will make the task due on the same day it is created. Entering a 1 will make the task due the following day.

7. Entering data into the Recurrence fields will cause the task to occur repeatedly based on the parameters you set. In the appropriate fields, indicate how many times you wish the task to occur and the number of days between each task. If you do not wish the task to recur, it is not necessary to enter anything in these fields.

Important:

• • If you set a recurring task to trigger every certain number of days, you must use the occurrence field to indicate how many times you want the task to occur. If you leave the occurrence field blank, the task will reoccur indefinitely.

• For a detailed explanation of recurring tasks, click here.

8. Set your task triggers. Triggers control how and when a task will be generated. Following is an explanation of the different types of triggers:

• • Auto Task Completed – This field is used for linking tasks together in order to create a string of dependent tasks. In other words, once task A is marked as complete by its owner, task B will automatically generate, and when Task B is completed, Task C will kick off. See Creating Auto Tasks using a Start Task Plan below for information on how to set this up.

  • System Trigger – There are several system triggers available for Property Auto Tasks. If you select one of these triggers, the task will automatically generate whenever one of these actions occurs.

Important:

For some of the system triggers, you can also set up an automatic email notification that will inform the recipient of the trigger details when a system trigger fires a task. To do this, create your System Trigger auto task as a Task & Email Notification using the %System_Trigger_Info% macro in the body of the email. See Creating a Task & Email Notification Task below for information on setting this up. Following are the system triggers that provide this feature:

• Flag Added - Email will specify flag type, color, and text

• General Inspection Added - When a generic inspection is added OR a form based inspection is completed, the inspection type and comments are included

• Realtor Lockbox On - Email will specify lockbox status, location, and code

• • Manual Trigger – Checking this box creates a task that can be triggered at the property level. This type of auto task is designed to generate when you tell it to, and will only generate from the properties you add it to. For more detail on the use of manually triggered tasks, click here.

  • External System Trigger - External System Triggers allow Broker Brain to interface with outside tasking systems, like Equator. Currently, Equator Agents is the only external system trigger available. When using this trigger, Broker Brain will bring new and incomplete Equator tasks into your system, and will update tasks completed in Equator to a completed status in Broker Brain. Before using this trigger, it is important that you fully read the information provided here, as there is some important setup required. Note: the External Task Keywords field is not a trigger; it is used in conjunction with External System Triggers.

    • Day of Month Trigger - The Day of Month trigger causes a task to be fired based on the day of the month you specify. It is the only trigger that is set in motion by the calendar, as opposed to system activity or data that is property specific (for instance; dates, status changes, or property actions). Because of this, the Day of Month trigger is to be used ONLY in conjunction with one or more of the Conditions fields, which are discussed below. Use it carefully, as setting this trigger without a condition attached will cause the system to fire a Day of Month task for every active property currently residing in your Broker Brain system. If you oversee any managed properties, this trigger is useful for sending monthly "Rent Due" notifications to tenants (for more information on how to set this up, click here).

  • Date Triggers – Date triggers allow you to create tasks that will generate before or after certain activities occur within the system. For instance, you could create a task that would be set to occur a few days before the Actual COE date. Or, you could create a task that would be set to occur a few days after an MLS List Date. Date triggered tasks kick off when actual dates are entered into the field that is set as the date trigger (in our examples, Actual COE or MLS List Date).

  • Status Triggers – Using status triggers, you can set a task to automatically generate when a property enters a certain status. For instance, you could create a task or an email notification to generate each time a property becomes listed. There are two types of statuses you can use to set triggers: Property Status and Eviction Status. It is important to note that from the Admin>Statuses section of Broker Brain, any statuses you create will become check box options here. For more information on creating statuses, see Statuses.

  • • Important:

    • You may have certain tasks that need to be repeated at various stages of the process. Because of that, you can assign multiple status triggers to any auto task.

    • If multiple status triggers are used, a separate auto task will generate for each trigger assigned. If you wish to have multiple conditions met in order to fire off a single auto task (for example, a task to be generated after another auto task is complete AND after it reaches a specified status), set only one trigger and use the Conditions section to specify the other statuses that must be met.

9. In the Conditions section (at left in the screen shot below), select any conditions that apply to your task. Conditions are for use on any task that should only be created IF a property meets some kind of criteria. Some examples of this are tasks that should only be generated: IF the property has a pool, IF the client (bank) is Fannie Mae, IF the asset type is a short sale, etc. There are many different condition options, including for example, the property's previous status, occupant type, assigned agent, etc. The Additional Conditions section at the right of the screen is used to set a task to generate only if a property is currently in a certain status. Checking a status in this section will not cause any tasks to fire off, however; if you wish to have tasks generate based on their current status, this must be done in the Status Triggers section above.

10. In the Assignment section, use the Group Assigned box to select the group that should own this task when it is generated. If you wish for a certain individual within the group to work the task, select their name from the Assigned User drop-down box, which will appear once a group has been selected.

Important:

• When you assign a user to a task, the user will get an email from Broker Brain when the task is generated, letting them know that they have a task assigned to them. If the task has a group assigned but no user, all users within the group will receive the email. If you wish to opt out of these emails, click here and read the information provided.

11. If you are separating your workflow by agent, check the Override Agent Group Type Restrictions check box; otherwise, disregard it. If you would like to restrict access in this way, please contact support for assistance in setting this up.

12. Click the green Add button to create your task.

Important:

• The “If Has Flag” condition refers to any flags that might be attached to a property. Creating Flags and Flag Types will be discussed in another section.

• The If Zip Code condition allows you to create an Auto Task for only properties within a certain zip code or codes. Simply fill in the desired zip codes separated by a comma.

• The Auto Tasks that come standard with the system apply only to the original groups in the original market. If you have added new markets and new groups within those markets, the existing Auto Tasks will not generate for properties in those markets. If you want the same Auto Tasks to generate for properties in these new markets, you will need to assign duplicate Auto Tasks to the desired groups in those Markets.

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