Yes, heels is plural. For fun, let’s imagine we’re creating some basic iMacros scripts:

TAG POS=1 TYPE=INPUT:TEXT FORM=form1 ATTR=NAME:sale_comp_1_address CONTENT={{!COL1}}

TAG POS=1 TYPE=INPUT:TEXT FORM=form1 ATTR=NAME:sale_comp_2_address CONTENT={{!COL2}}

TAG POS=1 TYPE=INPUT:TEXT FORM=form1 ATTR=NAME:sale_comp_3_address CONTENT={{!COL3}}

CONTENT= is the column number of the CSV export, and ATTR=NAME identifies which field the data will be sent to in the form. If this script is for a single appraisal company, then what this means is that Column 1 will be entered here, Column 2 there, and so on. So what are iMacros’s Achilles heels for Broker Price Opinion form filling automation?

Achilles Heel #1: Data run through iMacros cannot be saved or manipulated within a database

This really hurts because as we go forward, BPOs will continue to be more and more data driven. Data leads to greater accuracy in a broker’s Price Opinion. In order for us as an industry to use data for our benefit, we need to host our data. iMacros does not have this capability in its current state. Could it be designed as a hybrid with a database? Possibly, but then we run into the following problem.

Achilles Heel #2: The CSV file must output the same criteria in the same sorted columns

Have you ever signed up for iMacros-based automation and been told your MLS isn’t compatible with the software? The truth is that as long as your MLS can generate a CSV file then it is supported. However, there is a decent portion of MLS systems that export to CSV but don’t allow you to change the order of the header columns. That means that before the CSV file can be run through iMacro, you’ll need to manually sort each column to match what you see above in the original iMacros script. What if one MLS has “Address” in the first column but another MLS has “Property Type” in column 1? Here is the flaw. You will get the property type input in your sale_comp_1_address field. It doesn’t save time by arranging all the columns to fix this flaw, in fact it wastes time. The only other solution would be to write a custom script for each different MLS output, but that’s not practical.

Long story short, we haven’t necessarily been using iMacros in our industry to fill out forms because it’s been good. We have been using it because it has been the only viable option on the market.

Disclaimer: iMacros is a worldwide product designed to easily fill out forms and automate web browser processes. I respect the work they have been able to do on a large scale. I still use iMacros for a variety of other business tasks. I’m simply identifying why your product falls short of specifically processing Broker Price Opinion’s form fill automation.