Q. How can Kato help with feeding to our website?
A. As part of Kato, we offer two options to enhance the property search section of your website:
Option 1: XML Feed for Your Website.
We can provide your website developers with an XML feed, enabling seamless integration of property listings into your website. By clicking a single button, the property details will be published directly on your website feed. This eliminates the need to enter property information multiple times
Additionally, any enquiries received through your website will be automatically directed to the requirement section of your account.
Option 2: Custom Property Search Page.
Alternatively, we can build a property search page that seamlessly fits into your website. This option offers the added benefit of sending any inquiries received through the search page directly to the requirement section of your account. Similar to Option 1, you only need to enter the property details into Kato once, and the listings will be circulated to the society and published on your website.
Option 3: API
An API allows our system and a client's website to communicate and share information automatically and in real time. If this is something you'd like to explore, please reach out to the team.
By choosing either of these options, you can save time and effort by streamlining the process of listing properties and managing inquiries.
Q. What is Property Hive?
A. Property Hive is a company that provide a WordPress plugin that creates a custom property search on your WordPress website (if you use WordPress)
Is it quick to implement?
Yes, they take our XML feed so setting up a property search couldn't be much quicker
Why use Property Hive?
If you're not in a position for Kato to build your website / property search, but equally won't have a website developer building out a whole new property search page, Property Hive can provide a good middle-ground as the plugin helps simplify the development work needed to implement our XML feed (i.e. the developer isn't building the site from ground up) which saves considerable time and money all round.
What are the cost implications?
You'll pay Property Hive for the plugin, which is a one off fee of £149
Q. What are the feed times for portals?
A. Here's a summary of the feed times for our main portals you can publish to:
Zoopla:
The feed to Zoopla is instant, as it operates on a real-time data feed.Rightmove
The feed to Rightmove is also instant, using a real-time data feed.Novaloca:
Listings are scheduled to publish on Novaloca at specific times: 6am, 12pm, 4pm, and 8pm.EACH:
The feed to EACH is instant, ensuring immediate listing updates.Twitter:
Listings are published to Twitter instantly, allowing for immediate visibility.OnTheMarket:
Listings on OnTheMarket typically publish within 30 seconds, but it may take a few minutes to update an existing listing.
Please note that these feed times may be subject to occasional variations based on specific circumstances.
Q. Can we access auto generated agency PDF's?
A. With Kato, you have the ability to access auto-generated agency PDFs. The team can set up a template in your Kato account, you can automate the process of generating agency particulars for your listings. The particulars are created based on the information you enter into the system for each listing. The more details you provide, the higher quality your particulars will be. This feature saves you time and effort by generating professional-looking agency particulars with just a few clicks.
Q. Whats the difference between a Brochure Vs PDF?
A. The PDF is a feature in Kato that allows for automated brochures to be generated based on the information you have entered into the system. These brochures are dynamic and always up-to-date, reflecting any changes made to the property's details, such as rented floors or adjusted rent prices. The link to the brochure is automatically updated wherever it appears, ensuring that the latest information is accessible.
On the other hand, a Brochure is intended for static marketing brochures that may have been created by a creative agency specifically for your property. These brochures are typically customised and not automatically updated based on changes in the system. These can be uploaded and stored in the disposals 'Media' tab.
Q. My PDF formatting / margins are off when printing
A. The reason behind the printing of the PDF particulars may vary depending on individual needs and preferences. Some users may find it useful to have physical copies of the brochures for distribution or for offline reference. However, the PDFs are designed to be viewed online with an edge-to-edge layout, which may result in white margins when printed using standard printers.
Q. How do I get a quote for a PDF template?
A. As part of your package, we provide standard PDF template designs that you can use for your property brochures. These templates are included at no additional cost and are a great starting point for creating professional-looking materials.
However, if you're looking for something more customised or unique to your brand, we offer premium and bespoke PDF options. With premium PDFs, you can choose from a selection of enhanced designs and additional features. For a fully tailored solution, our bespoke PDF service allows you to submit your own design and specifications.
To explore the premium or bespoke options, please reach out to your account manager or email help@kato.app and our team will review your request and provide you with a more specific cost for your build.
Q. What are Recommended tasks?
A. These are found on your dashboard in Kato. Recommended tasks are a checklist of general tasks that we suggest you keep on top of in order to ensure the accuracy of your data and manage your workload effectively. These tasks may include activities such as updating property details, reviewing and responding to inquiries and following up on leads.
Q. What are Property Microsites?
A. Property Microsites are one-page websites that can be generated using the content you add to Kato. These microsites provide a dedicated online space for showcasing a specific property. This feature allows you to present detailed information about a property in a visually appealing and easily accessible format.
Q. How to set up Twitter / X?
A. To enable publishing to X in your Kato account, follow these steps:
Sign into your Kato account.
Go to your profile settings by clicking [here](profile settings link).
Click the 'Connect Twitter' button.
You will be redirected to X and see a message.
Click the 'Authorise app' button to grant permission.
Once completed, you will see a confirmation that your X account has been linked to your Kato account.
You are now ready to publish to X.
Q. How do I publish to Twitter / X?
A. Once you have linked your X account to your Kato account, you can start tweeting about your properties. Here's how to do it:
After completing the steps to connect your X account, go to the Marketing' page of your disposal.
Select 'Twitter;' from the publish options on the right hand side
Kato will show you a draft of tweet that will be sent out.
Take a moment to review the tweet and make any changes if needed. You can modify the content or add additional information to make it more engaging.
Once you are satisfied with the tweet, click the "Publish" button.
That's it! Your tweet about your property will be sent out to your X followers.
Q. Wha are 'Favourites' and how do I use them?
A. They are custom areas / shapes of areas in the Favourites section of a requirement and it serves two purposes:
Quick Access: These are areas that you frequently use and want to access quickly. By adding them to your Favourites, you can easily navigate to them whenever needed.
Hard-to-Capture Areas: Custom areas can also include regions that are challenging to capture using pre-set or Radius options. Examples of such areas could be motorway corridors, Greater London, or any other specific locations that require a more tailored approach.
Once you provide us with the list of areas you'd like to see in your Favourites, we'll prepare a draft for your review. You'll have the opportunity to make any necessary changes before the areas are created in the system.
Q. What options do you offer for Bespoke Reports?
A. We offer a bespoke report design option that allows you to download customised reports tailored to your specific brand. With this option, you can have reports designed with your desired layout, branding, and content.
Steps for us to provide a quote:
1: Send us your design - costs are dependant on number of pages and complexity of design / number of development hours needed
2: Design consultancy time - this is where we bring your design in line with the fields available in Kato and ensure that it fits most use-cases of properties that you store in the system. We usually have a call to walk you through any feedback or items to consider
Once we receive this information, our team will review your requirements and provide you with more specific details, including any associated costs and timelines. Feel free to reach out if you have any additional questions or specific requests.
Q. How do I put Kato in Dark Mode?
A. Currently, there is no dark mode version of the site. However, if there are any updates or changes to the site's design in the future, including the addition of a dark mode, it will be communicated to the users.
Q. Why is a withdrawn or unpublished listing is still showing on a portal, Google or your own website?
A. When a listing is withdrawn or unpublished, the change doesn’t always appear everywhere at once. There are a few common reasons:
Portal feed timings: Portals receive listing data via scheduled feeds, so there can be a delay before the removal is picked up and processed. This is often anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the portal.
Your own website: Your website may be caching pages or only syncing at set intervals, so the listing can remain visible until the next update runs. Speak to your web team to be sure.
Google: Google doesn’t remove pages the moment they’re taken down. The page may remain in search results until Google next crawls it and updates its index, and cached versions or snippets can linger even longer.
What you can do:
Give it a little time, then refresh or check again, as most portals and websites will update on their own.
Check the listing’s status in Kato to confirm it’s been withdrawn or unpublished correctly.
If it’s still showing on a portal after a day or so, contact the portal directly or get in touch with us so we can check the feed.
For Google, you can use Google Search Console’s “Remove URLs” tool to request a faster removal of your own website’s pages.
Q. Why is my property not showing on a portal even though I’ve just published it?
A. Publishing a property in Kato doesn’t make it appear on a portal instantly. Portals receive listing data through scheduled feeds, and each portal then needs to process and approve the listing before it goes live. There are a few common reasons for a delay:
Feed timings: The listing is sent to the portal at set intervals, so it can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours to be picked up.
Portal processing: Some portals review or process new listings before publishing them, which can add further delay.
Missing or invalid details: If required information is missing or doesn’t meet the portal’s requirements (such as a postcode, price, property type or photos), the portal may reject the listing or hold it back.
Portal-specific settings: The property may not be set to publish to that particular portal, or the portal’s listing limit for your account may have been reached.
Searching and filters: The listing may be live but not visible in your search, for example because of filters, sorting, or the area you’re searching in.