FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

What is OBOTA?: The word OBOTA is an acronym for "On Behalf Of The Agent".
How do I sign up?: SIGN-UP HERE! Click on the link at the top of this page. Complete all relevant fields, and proceed to the next Step.
Do I have to sign up for both Just Listed and Just Sold cards?: You have the option of registering for Just Listed and Just Sold, Just Listed only or Just Sold only, as permitted by your Real Estate Board.
I work as part of a team. Do all my team members have to register?: Listing data is captured using the Primary Listing Agents' ID. If you are part of a team, you should register as a team, however, only the Primary Listing Agents' ID will be requested at the time of registration.
Why do you need my TREB/CREA Number?: Your listing data is extracted using your unique ID. If you are a TREB agent, it will be your TREB ID. If you are a member of any other board, it will be your CREA ID. This is how we obtain the address, the image and the Radial Search for the Subject Property.
What is a Tagline?: A Tagline can be your slogan.... Successfully selling homes since 1983! In this field you can enter up to a maximum of 55 characters and it will appear on the address side of the card in red. This field is optional.
'Send postcards only after the property picture is available, but not longer than 10 days after the listing is taken'. What does it mean if I choose this option?: If a listing or sale is entered without a photo, the system will hold your card. After 7 days, it will automatically request a photo from you via email. If you do not respond by the date on the email, the card will be printed and mailed using the Non-Photo template.
'Send postcards immediately after the information is entered in the MLS, even if no property picture is available'.: Unlike the above situation, we will not wait for a photo, but will proceed with the Non-Photo template immediately.
What do you mean by 'Ad Partner'?: An Ad Partner may be your Mortgage Broker who can co-advertise with you on all of your postcards and also share in the expense of the postcards. Samples of the templates that we offer can be viewed on our homepage.
What Ad Partner information will show on the cards, and where?: The Ad Partners' photo and contact information will show on the address side of the card.
Why does it ask me for a password?: The system asks you for a password so that you can re-enter your OBOTA account and make any changes that are necessary.
After I've signed up, what's the next step?: Once you have signed up online, we will check to see if we require further information. If we do, it will be requested from you in the form of an email. If we do not, you will receive a Registration Confirmation email from us indicating that your registration is complete and we are ready to begin sending out Listed and Sold cards on your behalf.
How soon after I register on-line will you send out my cards?: Once your registration is complete (i.e. you've received the Registration Confirmation email), we will begin to receive any 'new' listing data as of the next business day. Your cards will be created and will leave our building within 72 hours.
My cell number/email address has changed...I have a more recent photo of myself. How do I notify you so that the cards go out with the updated information on them?: Log-in to your OBOTA account using your email address and password and update your information. We will be notified that you have made a change to your account and will update your records accordingly. Please note: it can take up to 5 days to update your profile. Therefore, any cards that are in the system may still go out under your previous profile.
I am moving to another company. How do I notify you?: If you change companies, you must notify us immediately so that we can prevent future cards from being processed with your old information. Send an email to obota@colourtech.com to advise us. We will then cancel your current OBOTA account. Once you receive the Disabled Account email, you may register again at our website as a new user. NOTE: DO NOT REGISTER AS NEW UNTIL YOU RECEIVE THE DISABLED ACCOUNT EMAIL.
Why do I receive numerous emails stating that you are unable to charge my credit card for a certain Listed or Sold card?: When we receive data from your Board (overnight), the system charges your credit card as it automatically creates each postcard. If the charge does not go through, an email is generated advising you as such. If your billing information has changed, you can log into your account, or contact us by phone, and provide the new information. We will then try charging your card again. If we do not hear from you, the program will try your card once a week for 20 days. If unsuccessful, it will cancel that particular card.
When I registered, I indicated 200 cards but would now like to increase/decrease that quantity?: No problem. Just log in to your account and make the change. Our system will be updated accordingly and you will receive a confirmation email. Note: Changing your quantity will only affect new listings that we receive the day after your confirmation email indicating that your account has been updated. Due to the fact that the same mailing list is used for both the Just Listed and Just Sold card (per property), if we previously sent out a Just Listed card for 100, and you change your quantity, the Just Sold card for that property will still receive 100 cards.
What will 'my' Just Listed/Just Sold card look like?: On the OBOTA Home Page, you can view a sample for your company. These are the standard templates that will be used for all of the cards we mail out for you. Your Name, Title and Agent Photo, along with (up to) 4 lines of Contact Information will replace those on the sample.
The standard template doesn't work for me. Can I customize the look?: Certainly! For a one-time set up fee, we can customize the front side of the postcard and the left half of the back. You can include specific logos and awards, graphics, individual agent photos (for teams) and also a larger image of yourself as an individual agent. This can also be useful if you have a team photo that doesn't work well in the standard template. Just check off the Custom Design box at sign up.
What if I want to use my own designer?: No problem! However, please note that there are strict guidelines that accompany this process if you want to use a designer other than Colour Tech. Please refer to the following three attachments: AdMail Guidelines, OBOTA Front Specs, OBOTA Design Specifics
AdMail Guidelines, OBOTA Front Specs, OBOTA Design Specifics.
I want more/different information on my card? What can I change on the standard template without going custom?: You can change the Just Listed and the Just Sold text, however, there are some important points to keep in mind when doing so: Since the Just Listed text will appear consistently on every card we send out for you, the wording cannot be property specific. The same applies to the Just Sold wording. You will not be able to choose fonts, italics, bolding, etc. The OBOTA program is not set up for text formatting. We recommend that the character count stay as close as possible to the default to avoid space issues.
Property Photos: The property photo that will be printed on the Just Listed card is the Primary photo that accompanies the listing. If you change the property photo and want the cards to go out with the updated photo, you can email it to obota@colourtech.com. In the event that the cards have not been printed, we will replace the file with the newer photo. The Just Sold cards will be printed with the same photo that was printed on the Just Listed card. NOTE: For optimum results, we recommend that all photos be landscape.
Why is there so much white space at the bottom of the cards?: This area has to remain blank due to a requirement by Canada Post and will show the same way on both standard and custom templates. If you choose to customize, you have the option of changing the white to a lighter tone of the main colour you use for your background so that the white does not stand out quite so much.
If I send out a Just Sold card, doesn't that violate the Privacy Act?: The Just Sold cards that we create show only the Property photo, not the address, unlike the Just Listed card. On our site, you will find a document titled 'Marketing Consent Form'.
What is a Radial Search?: A Radial Search is a listing of names, addresses and telephone numbers of residences surrounding the Subject Property.
How will I know when my cards have been sent out?: Each time we deliver your card to Canada Post, we will send you an email that includes the property address and whether it was a Just Listed or a Just Sold. In that email you will find the following as attachments: .jpg images of the front and back of the card and a .txt file containing the mailing list, along with the phone numbers.
Will I receive a copy of the card in the mail?: Yes, your copy will be mailed to your office address.
Will a card be sent to the owner of the listed property?: A postcard will be sent to the owner of the listed property as long as the address is captured during the radial search. If the address is incomplete in any way, outdated, or marked as non-solicit, it will not be captured.
Will my cards be delivered to Condos/Townhouses/Apt buildings?: When sending out Listed and Sold cards for Condo listings, the cards are mailed to single family dwellings in the area. Due to the small percentage of unit numbers associated with many addresses, our Radial Searches exclude Condos and Apt buildings. This cuts down on mail that is deemed undeliverable due to incomplete addressing information. Freehold Townhouses that have their own separate address (as opposed to those that are listed under one main address) may be captured.
Vacation Properties - How can I exclude cards from being sent to those addresses not occupied on a year round basis?: Unfortunately, there is no way of excluding these addresses from being captured in the radial search. Therefore, if you list in these areas, it is entirely possible that a Just Listed or Just Sold card, sent on your behalf, will be directed to one of these homes and may or may not be deliverable by Canada Post.
Will a card be mailed to an RR# address?:: Many RR (Rural Route) addresses are being converted to civic addresses. Canada Post will not guarantee that mail will be delivered if a Rural Route # is used for a property that has been converted. Because of this, Rural Route #s are excluded from our radial searches.
Will a card be mailed to a PO Box address?: A significant number of addresses have not been updated by mailing list providers to include the required PO Box number AND the civic address. Incorrectly addressed postcards may not be processed by Canada Post and could possibly be discarded. We, therefore, do not capture addresses that merely show the PO Box.
I often re-list properties but I don't want a second or third set of Just Listed cards to be sent out. How can I stop these cards from being processed?: All of your listing data will be sent to us automatically by your Board. However, our system is designed to catch re-lists by recognizing duplicate addresses. Therefore, if the address is exactly the same each time, when the re-list comes through our program will flag it. We will then cancel the Listed card if we have already processed one within the last 12 months. In the event that the address is not exactly the same, a postcard may certainly be created since it will be considered a new listing.
I sometimes co-list properties. Will the cards go out under my name?: It all comes down to how the listing is Broker-loaded. If a listing is posted under both Agents' individual ID's, and both Agents are registered for OBOTA, we would receive the data and the cards would be created using the first listing Agents' profile. If the first listing Agent is not registered for OBOTA, we would not receive the data.
Do I have to contact you every time I get a listing or make a sale?: Absolutely not, no and never! Your data will come into us automatically each time your listing is uploaded to your Board.
Exclusive/Private listings - can you send these cards out for me?: Just Listed or Just Sold cards can be done manually, upon request, for an additional fee.
Rural Listings: At this time, listings that have 0 as the first numeric in the postal code will be skipped due to the fact that many rural addresses are not updated with Canada Post requirements.
Mobile Homes: If Property type=Mobile, our system will automatically filter the data sent to us from your Board so that a postcard is not produced. If Mobile is not indicated as the type but the property photo indicates as such, we will try our best to manually filter them out. Colour Tech does not guarantee that these will be caught, nor will we refund any costs associated with producing and mailing the postcards.
Vacant Land: If Property type=Vacant Land/Lot, our system will automatically filter the data sent to us from your Board so that a postcard is not produced. If Vacant Land/Lot is not indicated as the type but the property photo indicates as such, we will try our best to manually filter them out. Colour Tech does not guarantee that these will be caught, nor will we refund any costs associated with producing and mailing the postcards.
Commercial Listings: If Property type=Commercial, our system will automatically filter the data sent to us from your Board so that a postcard is not produced. If Commercial is not indicated as the type but the property photo indicates as such, we will try our best to manually filter them out. Colour Tech does not guarantee that these will be caught, nor will we refund any costs associated with producing and mailing the postcards.
Rentals: Data for Rentals or Leases will not be sent to us.
All Boards: Data is captured using the Primary Listing Agents ID (you can see this ID on your Registration Confirmation email)
Filogix Boards: At the time the listing is broker-loaded, you must set the listing to ‘allow’ it to be shown on a public site, in order for the data to be transferred to Colour Tech.
National Do Not Call List (National DNCL): Radial Searches/Mailing Lists provided by Colour Tech may contain telephone numbers that are registered on the National DNCL. The responsibility lies with the Agent to ensure they do not place calls to those numbers by registering themselves as a Telemarketer with the National DNCL. For further detailed information, please call them directly at: 1-877-249-CRTC (2782) or visit their website at: www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/dncl.htm
What is the Broker Data Access Agreement?: The Broker Data Access Agreement (BDAA) is a document, authorized by your Broker, which gives us permission to access your listing and sold data.
What is a Marketing Consent Form?: The Marketing Consent Form covers the issue of Privacy with regard to sending out OBOTA Just Sold cards. It is strictly for use between the Agent and the Seller and, therefore, should be retained by said persons. Any copies of this document received by Colour Tech will not be kept on file and will be discarded.
How do I obtain a receipt for each card that goes out?: A receipt can be found at the bottom of the email that we send you indicating your cards have been mailed.
What is your cancellation policy?: We really don't like to see you go but, should you decide to cancel your OBOTA registration, we ask that you do so in writing. Send your email to: OBOTA@ColourTech.com We require 30 days notice and we will confirm with you, via email, when your OBOTA account has been disabled. During these 30 days we may still send out cards on your behalf based on the data we received prior to your cancellation.