What a useful risk alert looks like, and why most notifications fall short.
An alert is only as good as what you can do with it. "Something changed on this property" isn't an alert. It's a to-do list for an analyst. A real alert answers four questions before you have to ask them.
1. What was found
The type of event, named plainly: a mechanic's lien, a tax lien, a new mortgage, a lawsuit, an ownership transfer, a foreclosure filing. Not a code, not a score. The thing itself.
2. Where it came from
The public record it was filed in: the county recorder, the court, the state registry. Knowing the source tells you how solid the signal is and where to go if you need the document.
3. When it happened
The date it was filed, not the date someone noticed. That gap matters. A lien filed three months ago and discovered today is a very different conversation than one filed yesterday.
4. Why it matters to you
The link to your portfolio: which loan, which asset, which Sponsor, which entity. An alert on a property is useful. An alert that tells you it touches three of your deals through the same Sponsor is actionable.
What an alert shouldn't do
It shouldn't bury the signal in noise. A lien that was released years ago isn't live risk. A routine refinance isn't the same as an unauthorized second mortgage. Good monitoring separates what's active from what's history, so your team spends time on exposure, not paperwork.
The goal: act, don't investigate
Every Alefy alert is built around those four questions. What, where, when, and why it matters. So the first thing your team does is decide what to do, not figure out what happened.