Set up an auto email in connectMLS

Note: you cannot create an auto email from a Hotsheet search.

Perform the customer's search and view the results. Do not select any listings.

Go to the top right of the screen and click the Save icon :

At the top of the Save Search window:

1. If you have already added the customer as a client in connectMLS, click Select client and choose them from the list of clients.
   
   
2. If you have not yet added them to connectMLS, click Add a new client and enter their information.
   At minimum, you must fill out the first & last name, primary email address, Status, Types and Allow Reverse Prospecting fields (those fields are required to save a client):

Click Add when you're done

That brings you back to the Save Search window and the client you've just added appears in the Client field. Give the search a name (your client will be able to see the name you use) and put a dot in front of Automatic Search:

You can choose how frequently connectMLS will run this search for you: daily, weekly or in real-time :

• If you run it daily, you must choose the interval (every 1, 2 or 3 days) and the time(s) you would like it to run. You may choose up to six times per day (between 4am and 11pm).
  
  
• If you choose to run it weekly, the same interval applies (every 1, 2 or 3 weeks). You must also choose the day of the week you want it to run (you may only choose one day of the week). You can have it run up to six times on the selected day.
  
  
• When you choose either daily or weekly, there are a couple other settings you must complete:
  
                       
  
  
  You must choose to either run the search immediately or wait until the next scheduled run time. Additionally, you must choose to either include all currently matching listings (Find all matches) or just those listings that match after you create the auto email.
  
  If you have been emailing them listings (using the same search criteria) prior to setting them up for this auto email, you may want to select Find only matches added/updated after you click save. Doing so will not send them an initial blast of everything that currently matches their search (you have most likely sent them these properties already). They will only get any new matches going forward.
  
  
  
• If you choose Real-time, connectMLS will constantly look for new and changed listings that match the search's criteria.
  
  
• Real-time auto emails have a couple stipulations:
  
  • • you must include some sort of location field (city, zip code, neighborhood, school, etc.).
    • you must specify a price range.

The next section deals with the expiration of your auto email. All auto emails must expire at some point (they cannot be set up to run perpetually):

There is a drop-down arrow to the right of the Expires on field that allows you to set an expiration date of up to six months (180 days). The drop-down arrow opens a calendar that lets you choose the expiration date. The calendar will not allow you to select a date that is more than 180 days from the current date.

There is also a setting that allows you to choose when you would like to be notified that an auto email is about to expire. You can receive a message anywhere between 1-7 days before the auto email expires.

Here's the good news about expiring auto emails: you can extend an expiring (or expired) auto email and add on an additional 180 days (or less, if you prefer). Click here for an article that covers extending an auto email that is about to expire (or has already expired).

The Listing Notifications section is small, but crucial to the delivery of auto emails:

1. Putting a dot in Send notifications to the client when the search runs means that any new matching properties will automatically be sent directly to the client (based on the schedule you determined at the top part of this screen). By selecting this option, you are confirming that the client has requested that you send them emails from Connect.
   
   
2. If you put a dot in Screen search results before sending to client, your auto email will be using the Screener feature, which sends any matching listings to you. It is then your responsibility to go through the listings and choose which ones you would like to send to the client. Screener was created and added to our connectMLS system to replicate Matrix's concierge mode.
   Click here for more information about Screener.

You can also choose to receive a notification (blind carbon copy) when the search runs. 

The last step is to set up the actual messages that are sent to the Client when matches are found. There are two types of messages: the Initial message, which is sent out the first time connectMLS runs this search, and the New/Changed Listing message, which is sent each subsequent time the search finds matching listings.

For each of these messages, you can either use the default message text (click Preview to check it out) or customize it to include your own message (click Customize to create your own custom message to the Client):

Remember to click Save when you are done.

Related articles:

Edit auto email in connectMLS

connectMLS email templates

Expiring connectMLS Auto Email

Concierge functionality in connectMLS (Screener)

Add/Delete extra recipients on connectMLS Auto Emails