Our product development team is constantly innovating, to build a better Alto software experience.
Every time we've added a new feature, we've notified all our users within Alto itself utilising in product messaging.
However, for a full list of the changes on a monthly basis such as new features, any improvements or product fixes to our software, please see the relevant articles in our 2024 Release Notes section of the Help Centre.
New features
To view a log of the latest new features within Alto:
- Sign in to Alto
- Click the Alto icon in the bottom right corner of the screen
- Click Product updates
- A summary list of our Product updates display. Some new feature updates will include links that take you to the relevant page within Alto. Popup messaging and/or guides may then launch to provide you with more information on what's new
Note
To summarise, the key areas included in the first beta release of our new property workflow (currently in beta for Web/Alto on mobile users) are:
- Search your property database on mobile
- At a glance prompt of the next action to do on a property (Pre-Appraisal & Post-Appraisal statuses)
- Book a market appraisal appointment
- Prepare for an appraisal using Alto's property valuation report
- Invite an owner to complete a property questionnaire to comply with NTS material information
Sending tenancy emails - attach tenancy documents
This new feature went live on 15th October.
When sending tenancy emails, if you select Browse Alto in the Attachments section, you can now attach documents stored on the tenancy record.
For more information on Sending an email to all landlords and tenants, click here.
Alto consumer released (beta)
This new feature went live on 9th October.
We've released (in beta) a new feature for Alto users - Alto consumer. (working name)
Alto consumer will enable you to send tasks, notifications and milestone updates to your contacts, digitalising their processes to be fully integrated with Alto. This should make the onboarding, pre-listing and progression phases of a transaction smoother for your contacts, whilst reducing the administration work for you.
Due to National Trading Standards introducing new requirements around the material information required on a property listing in 2023, the first 'task' we've introduced to Alto consumer as part of this beta is a property questionnaire.
You can now invite your contacts to register for Alto consumer and complete a form which will cover off the material information required.
Once they submit the form, you'll be notified in Alto and can make amendments before importing the information directly onto the Alto property record and publishing it.
This data will then be shown in the relevant fields on the portals, i.e. Zoopla, Rightmove & OnTheMarket.
Save and update images/floorplans/virtual tours via API
This new feature went live on 9th October.
We’ve updated our APIs which will enable PropertyBox to integrate with Alto (later this year).
The API provides the ability for an integration partner to get the existing images/floorplans/virtual tours and save them back to Alto. The integration partner can maintain the order and the caption.
Alto property workflow released to mobile (beta)
This new feature went live on 1st October.
Alto's new property workflow (currently in beta for Web/Alto on mobile users) is a new way of managing properties through the lifecycle of a transaction.
On your Alto on mobile home page, the My properties tab lets you search your property records and view their details wherever you are.
You'll be given a prompt of the next action to take on the property in order to progress it based on its status and what tasks have already been completed.
If you tap View on a property, you'll be kept in the loop of what's next to do and whereabouts in Alto you need to go in order to do it, broken down across a series of tabs.
Improvements
Improvements for Reporting beta
We've released the following improvements for Alto's Reporting beta:
- Lead source is now available on the Appraisals tab so you can understand which marketing channels vendors are using to find you
- Added number of completed viewings and appraisals within the chosen date range
- Added appraisal to instruction conversion rate
- New table views on the Appraisal, Instruction and Offers tabs. See a breakdown of relevant properties and export to a CSV
Email templates now have a default subject line
This improvement went live on 24th October.
When sending a templated email, the template name is now copied over as the default Subject line.
Ability to clone existing email templates
This improvement went live on 21st October.
We have added the ability for you to clone email templates.
For more information on how to do this, click here.
Full name now shows on NRL and Cash Book reports instead of initials
This improvement went live on 15th October.
We have made a change to now include the full name on the NRL6, Q, and Y reports, and the Cash Book reports.
Previously, they used to only show the initials.
For more information on Printing HMRC reports, click here.
Sales progressions beta screen updates
This improvement went live on 15th October.
Based off feedback, we have made the following changes to the new Sales progressions (beta) dashboard in Alto:
- Added a Sort option of Oldest to newest
- Added a Search bar to search for progressions
- Added filters for progressions Status: In Progress, Completed, Incomplete/Failed
- Added the relevant contact information of the parties included in the transaction
Contact email and telephone number patching via API
This improvement went live on 1st October.
We’ve added the ability for partners to update contact emails and telephone numbers using the patch person endpoint in the Contact API.
Product fixes
Bug fix for Reporting beta
We've released the following bug fix for Alto's Reporting beta:
-
Fixed a bug that caused some users to see dates in US format
Bug fixes and optimisations for Alto consumer
This product fix went live on 24th October.
We've released the following bug fixes and optimisations for Alto consumer. (working name)
- Resolved an issue which meant the page became unresponsive after 1 hour of inactivity
- Fixed the flow for logged in users who click on the magic link in their email - this no longer goes to a blank page
- Added a message to the error page if you try to invite a contact who has no email address populated
- Added a loading image to the activity page to make it clear that something is happening
- Added a property ‘card’ which informs contacts of the next task assigned to them
- Fixed a bug with the registration magic link not being sent
Fixed paragraph spacing being doubled when standard emails were copied into an email
This product fix went live on 24th October.
An issue was identified where the paragraph spacing was greatly increased when creating standard paragraphs using the email editor.
This has now been fixed.
Fixed Bank reconciliation report displaying the current date instead of the Bacs payment date for Bacs payment items
This product fix went live on 18th October.
An issue was identified where the Bacs Payment Date was not being retrieved properly when generating the Bank reconciliation report.
This has now been fixed.
Email and SMS: Fixed 'active selected' tick boxes being stuck
This product fix went live on 15th October.
An issue was identified whereby the 'active selected' tick boxes when sending out confirmation e-mails for Viewings and Market Appraisals weren't working - they were stuck in the 'active selected' position.
If you were to then navigate to any of these email or sms templates and change the 'status' option to 'active un-selected' and then generate the confirmation emails for Viewings and Market Appraisals, the recipients are still ticked to be sent email and sms confirmations.
This has now been fixed.
Fixed a bug for NTS parking fields
This product fix went live on 11th October.
An issue was identified with publishing to Rightmove for properties which state No disabled parking. This resulted in the publish failing and so the property wasn't listed.
This has now been fixed.
Fixed a UI bug for NTS fields
This product fix went live on 4th October.
Some NTS (National Trading Standards) fields were showing as duplicated due to a bug.
This has now been fixed.