Set Up Collaboration Center with Notifications for Your Buyers in Paragon Connect – The RAE Knowledge Base

Setting up a Collaboration Center site for your buyer clients helps them stay connected to the listings that match their preferences, making their home-buying journey more efficient. You can choose between two workflows:

Starting from a Search: Create and save a search based on your client's criteria, then add them as a contact.
Adding a Contact First: Enter your client’s contact information, then create and save a search tailored to their needs.

If your client is also selling a property, you’ll need to set up the seller side separately. For detailed instructions on setting up a Collaboration Center site for sellers go to Paragon Connect - Assign a Contact (Sell Side).

You can save up to 20 searches per client. If your client is uncertain about whether they want to focus on St. Albert or Edmonton, you can create separate searches for each. This allows them to filter results by location and easily switch focus later. If they decide to concentrate on one area, you can quickly disable the other search without needing to edit it (Editing Clients Saved Searches and Managing Notifications in Paragon Connect).

For the first saved search you set up for a client, you’ll need to send a welcome message to initiate their Collaboration Center site. After that, any future searches or properties you recommend will automatically appear on their site.

This guide will walk you through setting up a client's Collaboration Center by starting from a search.

Click on the Menu (), then select Properties.
Click the class name that best fits what your client is looking for to open the search criteria. For this guide, we’ll use Residential, but you should select the class that suits your client’s needs.

Enter your client’s search criteria, then click Search.

If you're not finding many results, you may have narrowed the search too much by certain criteria. For example, if your client is looking for a half-duplex and you’ve selected Single Family as the property class, you might miss listings that are condominiums with minimal to no condo fees. Similarly, if they’re looking for an acreage-type property with more than 4 acres near Edmonton, consider a multi-class search, as many acreage-like properties near the city's boundaries might be listed under different classes. Remember, you can save up to 20 searches!

Review the results. If adjustments are needed, click the Filter () icon, make any changes, then click Apply.
Click Save ().
Enter a name for the search on the Save Search pop-up window. It should be unique and descriptive so that both you and your client can easily identify its purpose. Avoid using special characters like !*@%+ etc. For example, based on the screenshot in Step 4, you could name the search something like "[Client Name], Apt-Hi Rise, AP, $500,000-$1,000,000."
Click Assign Contact.
- If your client is already a contact, click on their name. You'll be automatically redirected to Step 8.
- If they're not a contact, click Add () at the bottom of the pop-up window.
- Enter your client’s first and last name. If adding a Spouse or Secondary person, click More Fields+.
- Enter the spouse/secondary name and email. To send separate notifications, toggle the switch next to Spouse/Secondary notifications to be on (). If you enable separate notifications, both individuals will still use the primary email and password to access the Collaboration Center site.
- Choose the notification method (default is based on your settings):
  - Auto Notifications: Automatically sends updates to the Collaboration Center to keep your buyer informed about new matches and updates.
  - Agent Preview: Requires you to review and approve each listing before sending it to your client. This option disables property search features in the Collaboration Center.
- Enter your client’s email address(es). If you’re entering multiple emails, click the P () next to the email the client prefers to receive notifications. This will set it as the primary email, which will also serve as the username for logging into the Collaboration Center.
- If you choose to, fill out any additional contact information below the email, such as phone numbers, address, and general information. Once you’ve entered all the necessary contact details, click Save.
You will be redirected back to the Save Search pop-up window and it will now have the notification options.
Enter a personalized welcome message for your client(s). The Welcome Email template provides useful information on how to use the Collaboration Center site and includes details about the initial matches for the Saved Search. A couple of customizable templates are linked at the bottom of this article, as well as in System Documents under Resources (ML Documents in Paragon Classic).
To review or modify the actions that trigger your default notifications, click Change Types.
Click Timeframes to adjust the date range and set how often both you and your client will receive notifications.

a. Date Range: This determines when Auto-Notification emails start and end. It defaults based on your settings, but you can adjust it here to better match your client’s timeline. Click here to learn how to change your default settings.
b. Notification Frequency: The default frequency is set to Immediately for both you and your client. To change this to Off or Recurring, click the arrow next to the client or agent, depending on who needs a different schedule. Clicking Off will disable all notifications for this specific search. Click Recurring to set a specific time and schedule (daily, weekly, or monthly) and then click Apply.
Once you have adjusted your notification settings, click Save. Your client's Collaboration Center site is now set up.