Touchbase

F.A.Q

-	Touchbase for agents	-	Cellular phones
-	Touchbase for the administrative staff	-	Text Message Costs
-	Formations	-	Email
-	Profile – General questions	-	Mobile phones
-	Error Message Related Questions	-	Messages
-	Pagers	-	Reports
-	Administrative staff	-	Bixmail

Can’t find the answer you’re looking for?
Contact customer support by consulting the support section

Touchbase for agents

What is Touchbase?
Touchbase Real Estate is an internet-based messaging system designed specifically for the realty field. It allows agents to communicate between themselves in a direct way via their MLS system, from any computer or apparatus having an Internet connection. Touchbase allows agents to control where they wish to receive their messages, in addition to providing message reports, listing management and several personalized options.

How can I subscribe?
How can I be activated?
A colleague mentioned I was not activated in Touchbase, what does it mean?
To be “active” in Touchbase, you must have a destination programmed in your Profile for the reception of text messages. To activate your Profile, all you have to do is login to the system and program the communication tools of your choice

What is my profile?
Where do I find my profile?
How can I access and modify my profile?
Your profile is the place where you can control the reception of your messages. Touchbase sends messages via text messaging. You can receive messages on your cell phone, pager, email address or Blackberry/mobile device. You can access your profile by connecting to Touchbase via the homepage. Once connected, you will see a menu at the left of your screen. All you have to do is to click on “Profile” to access your profile.

Once in your profile, you can select a destination for the reception of your messages (for example, a cell phone), and you can customize your availability period and other personal parameters.

How can I connect to the system?
How do I login?
You can connect to the system directly from our site, www.touchbaserealestate.com. Once on the site, choose “Member’s Entrance”, then select your real estate board, enter your member code and your password. These codes are provided by your real estate board.

Which password should I use?
Follow the instructions on the member’s entrance page.

Touchbase for the administrative staff

What is Touchbase?
Touchbase is a web-based messaging system. It allows the administrative staff to access the profiles of their agents to make adjustments, to print or safeguard various reports, and to send group messages in a fast and easy way. Touchbase was conceived especially for real estate agents.

They can thus communicate between themselves via their MLS system or through Touchbase directly, enabling them to make showing requests, ask for information on a property or to even send a personal message independently. Administrative staff thus have more time for their customers and other tasks.

Where do I start?
By connecting to the system you have access to all the profiles in your office. You will be able to program, delegate, organize messages, visualize reports, determine the office parameters, and program replacements as well as the duty schedule! Touchbase is the hub of it all! If you want to activate your entire office in Touchbase today, send us your official office list, including name of agents and of administrative staff, and the means of communication that they wish to use (the tool on which they wish to receive their messages whether cellular phone, pager, email or a mobile device, as well as their service provider). You can fax us this list free of charge at: 1-877-324-7262 or email it to support@touchbaserealestate.com - we’ll program it for you!

Can I obtain an administrative password?
How do I get my own login and password, as an administrator?
How do I create a login code and password for one of my co-workers?

Can I send you my office list and have you activate all the profiles?
If you want activate your entire office in Touchbase today, send us your official office list, including name of agents and of administrative staff, and the means of communication that they wish to use (the tool on which they wish to receive their messages whether cellular phone, pager, email or a mobile device, as well as their service provider).

You can fax us this list free of charge at: 1-877-324-7262 or email it to support@touchbaserealestate.com - we’ll program it for you!

Formations

Where can I learn more about Touchbase?
How can I register for training?
Where do I go to for training?
When you are on our homepage, www.touchbaserealestate.com, click on the “Help” button at the top of the page it will bring you to our customer support section, where you will be able to use different methods of support offered to you, in particular on-line training as well as the option of watching on-line film capsules.

What type of training is it?
Trainings are given through a shared-screen system via the internet. You only have to connect to the Webinar and turn on your speakers (or call into the teleconference) to attend a demo of the different options Touchbase offers you. The session will be provided by a qualified member of our customer support team.

How long does the training last?
The duration of the training can vary, according to different factors, like the number of registered people or the number of questions asked. It can last from 20 to 40 minutes. We suggest you plan a one hour block on your schedule. This way, you will not be distracted if the training does not last 20 minutes, and you will be able to take a bit of a break!

What are the Tutorials?
The tutorials were created to offer short explanations of the multiple Touchbase functions. They are pre-registered, enabling you to view them at the time of your choice and as often as you like. You can put them on “pause”, fast forward them or rewind them at any time.

How long do the Tutorials last?
As they were created to show you a short overview, the help bubbles last on average from 2 to 5 minutes

Profile – General questions

When I send a message, certain numbers which I wish to keep confidential are displayed, why is this?
What is the “Parameters” tab for?
Where can I control the list of phone numbers from which I select my call-back number when sending a message ?
When I send a message, the recipients receive my number at the office as a call back number. Why?
When you are in your reception profile, it is possible to decide which phone numbers will be sent with your outgoing messages. You only have to click on the “Parameters” tab. Here you will be able to add and remove phone numbers. It is however important to remember that all the numbers which are registered there will not necessarily appear in your message; when you send a message, you must select the number of your choice among the list (programmed beforehand in “Parameters”). Thus you program a short list of call-back numbers, and then when you send a message you choose the number you’d like to send along with your message.

I’ve set-up my cellular number and/or my email address and someone says that my profile is not correctly activated. My cellular number and my email address are posted on my profile, but they are in yellow.
You must confirm that these tools are set-up correctly by clicking on “Click here to confirm the reception of messages on this tool”. You make also have a default destination set up, all you have to do is program your profile, and then confirm it.

I’ve set-up my cellular and/or my email address, and although all seems to be well set-up, it’s marked as not-valid.
Make sure that when you set-up the destination where you wish to receive your messages that all types of messages have a destination. You have the option “to activate or de-activate a destination according to the type of message to be received”; if you are not certain, we suggest you leave the default setting. Un-checking destinations could be your issue. It is very important that all message types, whether they are showing requests or other messages, have a destination. If, for example, you only wish to receive your showing request (and only showing requests) on your cellular phone, your profile will remain inactive because only one type of message out of six (1/6), will have a destination. But, if you decide to have showing requests on your cell phone, and all other messages on your e-mail, your profile will be active, as all message types have a destination.

When I click on the Touchbase link from my MLS system, I receive an error message.
Make sure that your pop-up blocker is de-activated, or, regulate it so that it recognizes the page.

When I want to reach the site, I get an error message.
Error messages are fairly common on the internet. Try to close your internet window and open another one. If you continue to get an error message, click on “Options”, “Internet Options”, then delete the cookies, the files and the history before trying again. You can also reboot your computer again.

Error Message Related Questions

When I click on the link for Touchbase within MLXchange I receive an error message that says, ‘Unable to open a window to display Touchbase.’
Make sure your pop-up blocker is turned off, or set it to ‘allow’ or ‘allow this page.’ When I try and open the website, I get an error message.

Internet error pages are fairly common. Try closing your browser window and re-opening another. If you’re still getting an error message with a new window, go to Options, then Internet Options, and delete your cookies, temporary files and delete your history. Then close that internet window and try again. You can also re-boot your computer .

Pagers

After having entered my pager number, I do not get a confirmation message.
I’ve entered the 10 digits of my pager number, but I do not get any message.
Try to enter your P.I.N. without the area code. Or try to enter the number without the area code (7 digits) . Some pagers use the phone number without the area code, or the P.I.N. number. It depends on your service provider.

Make sure you select the city corresponding to your service provider. If you are in Quebec City and that the head office for Telus is in Montreal, that does not mean that you must select Montreal. Choose your area and your service provider.

Questions – Administrative staff

How can I delete an agent from the Touchbase system?
To delete an agent, you must contact your real estate board. We update our data (which we receive from your board) daily, once the agent is removed by the board, and we update the system, he or she will no longer be visible.

How can I delete a member of the administrative staff or an “other person” from the system?
You can delete these people by going to “Profiles”. You’ll see next to their name whether or not you can remove them. If you cannot, your broker will have delete them. Generally, only the people who created the name can delete it.

How can I change the office list from “First name, Last Name” to “Last Name, First Name”?
How can I add/withdraw the initials from my messages?
How can I choose the language by default?
These options are in your “Office preferences.” Remember that all that is selected in the office preferences will be applied to all the users of your office.

How can I add/withdraw the option of abbreviation?
This option is in your office preferences. “Abbreviations” is a short cut where you can program nicknames.

Cellular phones

I’ve programmed my own cell phone number and was sent a test message which I did not receive.
Go back to your reception profile and make sure that your cellular number has 10 digits, including the area code. Also make sure that you selected the right service provider

Text Message Costs

Do I have to pay for the incoming Touchbase messages on my cellular?
Touchbase is included in the realtor fees you pay to your real estate boars. However, each service provider is free to invoice his users in their desired way. The costs can also vary according to the type of message sent. In general, Touchbase sends SMS (text) messages.

Telus
The reception of SMS and smtp messages at Telus is included in your fixed price. Only the sending of messages from your cellular will be invoiced.

Bell
The reception of SMS and smtp messages at Bell is included in your fixed price. Only the sending of messages from your cellular will be invoiced to you.

Rogers
All Rogers subscribers can receive their incoming text messages without additional cost. The sending of a message from a cellular will be invoiced. The reading of a message sent in smtp format mandates the sending of a text message (often it says: “reply with read”), which involves certain cost for the reading of the message. Touchbase mitigated this exclusive problem with Rogers users by removing the transmission of smtp messages for Rogers users.

Fido
Of course this is information that is subject to change. Touchbase is by no means responsible for any related cost for the use of text messaging .We invite you to contact the customer service of your service provider for more information on rates, your plan and possible bundles

When I set-up my email, I included capital letters, but when I record the information, the address is registering in small characters only.
The characters don’t have an impact on the address which is entered. It does not matter if you enter MYEMAIL@EMAIL.COM or myemaill@email.com, the information is the same.

Mobile phones

Do I have to pay for the messages and emails from Touchbase that come in on my Blackberry?
“Smart phones” (Blackberry, Treo, Pocket PC) enable you to reply directly from your apparatus. However the process of answering implies the downloading of a Touchbase page. Various data packages allocate you a quantity of monthly downloads.

The expenses related to the surplus downloading will vary according to your package. For more information, please contact your service provider.

How can I answer a Touchbase message directly from my mobile device?
In order to answer to a message directly, you must make sure that you receive your messages in an email format. At the bottom of the page, you will see a Touchbase link that you will have to select, it will open a Touchbase page that you will be able to complete and send.

It is important to note that the direct answer implies the opening of a new Internet page. It is possible that this will imply additional expenses. We recommend that you communicate with your service provider, in order to know what your fixed price entails.

Is there a limit of downloading on my Blackberry?
Does my contract enable me to send or receive a limited number of messages?
Is there a limit of messages that I can receive?
Your service provider will be able to answer these questions. The limits of downloading and the monthly rates depend on the model of your apparatus as well as on your service provider

Messages

Lorsque je reçois des messages, ils commencent tous par une abréviation, mais je n'en connais pas la signification.
Ces abréviations sont utilisées pour raccourcir les termes écrits. Par exemple, on inscrirait NR plutôt que « numéro de rappel ».

Demande de visite	RV
Confirmation de visite	CON-RV
Annulation de visite	ANN-RV
Compte-rendu de visite	C/R
Demande d'information	INFO

I receive messages outside of my availability period, how is this possible?
I’ve received a message at 2 am, how is that possible?
When somebody sends you a message outside of your availability period – be that it is late in the evening or early in the morning - the caller will have the choice to forward you the message immediately if it is urgent. If he/she judges the message to be urgent it will be sent to you immediately.

I have redirected my calls to my home telephone. What will happen with my text messages?
Even if you transfer your calls, the text messages will continue to be sent on your mobile device.

Reports

Reports are saved for how long?
How long are my messages archived for?
You can access your messages for approximately 2 months to 1 year depending on the service to which you have subscribed. Messages are archived for two months after the original sending/reception date if you use Touchbase as offered by your real estate board.

Messages are archived for 1 year if you have subscribed to BrokerPro. If you wish to safeguard these messages on your computer for later consultations, you can do it two ways: click on “Export Messages” on the reports page, or click on “How to safeguard this page of your report”, on the report itself (if you want to safeguard only this specific report).

The first option enables you to choose a period of time and to import the file on your computer, without having to open it. It is practical for the administrative staff who like to record the reports in a daily way in a complete csv file . The second option, located on the report itself enables you to safeguard the report on your computer, in HTML format.

Can I delete a message from my reports?
No. It is important to remember that Touchbase is a service offered by your Real Estate Board; they can thus access the system. Administrative staff as well as your broker can also access your messages.

I want to find a message from 6 months ago; can I contact you to obtain it?
Unfortunately, we preserve messages for a two months period only. Messages are then deleted. We strongly recommend that you save them on your computer, a USB key, or even on a CD or DVD.

This way, your messages will always be at your disposal for later consultation if you need some. The BrokerPro service offers the option of accessing your messages for a period of 1 year.

If this option interests you, you can subscribe to the BrokerPro. Contact us now by clicking here to reach the contact us section.

I received an incomprehensible message and I cannot find it in my reports.
It is important to remember that, even if Touchbase is a tool strongly used by the agents for sending messages, it is not the only means of sending messages. It is thus possible that a person has sent a text message directly to you, or that the message comes from a friend or a member of your family which does not use Touchbase. All the messages sent by the Touchbase system will appear in the reports.

Can I save my reports automatically?
Do I have to save my reports manually?
BrokerPro offers a service by which the offices will be able to receive a csv file automatically and free on a daily basis. If this option interests you, you can subscribe to BrokerPro. Contact us now by clicking here to reach the contact us section.

Bixmail

What is bixmail?
Bixmail is a service which enables you to send a vocal message by email to any address, by calling a toll-free number. This service is a simple and effective means of communication enabling you to send emails in a secure way, even when you are on the road. This option is offered by the real estate boards that have adhered to it. For more information, contact us at bixmail@telmatik.com or at 1-866-466-2010.

Why would I need bixmail?
Bixmail enables you to send vocal emails in a secure way when you are on the road. A real estate agent of the island of Montreal spends an average of 76 minutes per day traveling . 44% of these agents use email to communicate with their colleagues and customers half of the time. What if traffic was no longer a waste of time? Send emails on the go, thanks to bixmail.

In what way is bixmail safer than a mobile device?
Bixmail enables you to send vocal emails hands-free, thus enabling you to keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road. You only have to enter the toll free number in your speed dial. All the operations are done vocally, therefore no need for you to type at any time. The use of a headset enables you to keep all your attention on the road.

How does bixmail work?
How can I subscribe to bixmail?
Bixmail is offered to the Touchbase users through their Real Estate Board. If bixmail is offered by your Real Estate Board you must initially have a valid profile in Touchbase. When you activate your profile, make sure that your cellular number is correctly registered in your User Information, which will make it possible for bixmail to identify you when you call.

Once your profile is activated , you can program the bixmail phone number in your speed dial. The members of your office will be automatically added as contacts. You will be able to also add additional contacts, through your profile.

Once registered, you can call the bixmail line and mention the name of the person to whom you wish to send a bixmail. All is left to do is to dictate your message. The receiver will have to open it to listen to your message. He/she will then be able to reply to your e-mail or file it, as he/she would for a regular email.