You know the drill. Just sign here, here, here ...and initial here, here, here and here... and when your fingers are cramping and numb, we'll have ourselves a legal document.
The paperwork in a real estate transaction - from listing to closing - can be a real time-drain for all involved. On some deals, all those signatures and initials just might necessitate a physical therapy appointment.
DocuSign offers a legal, secure electronic signature service guaranteed to reduce the wear-and-tear on schedules and fine motor skills. Did you know that an electronic signature is enforceable and legal. (even in California!)
Better yet, DocuSign Lite is a free service anyone can use right from DocuSign's homepage! There's no paper, no account to set up, no cost or credit card number to provide. Simply upload the document that requires a signature and enter the email address of the recipient. Your recipient gets an email message from DocuSign notifying them of a document to be signed and you receive an emailed receipt confirming that the process is complete.
For more information, here is a link to the DocuSign blog. If you're a Mortgage professional, an REO Professional or a Real Estate Professional, take a moment to read through the section dedicated to the real estate industry.
Learn how DocuSign can speed up the process for everyone on both sides of a transaction. And if you're headed to NAR - you can check out their booth. Tell them AnotherME sent you!
So when you hear, "where do I sign?"... now you can tell your clients, just click here, here, here and here...
Do you feel like a pawn in the voice mail chess game? Call - Call Back? Message - Return Message? Check – Check Mate? Well, technology has come to our rescue!
SlyDial (www.slydial.com) is a free service for your land or mobile calls that allows you to connect immediately to your recipient's mobile voice mail without waiting for four to six rings, their outgoing message, inevitable prompts, blah, blah, blah. SlyDial lets you go directly to voice mail. Check Mate!
SlyDial is a real time-saver when when you need to share a bit of information and just don't have time for a full conversation. It's also a tool for discretion and consideration - ever disturb or distract someone when all you wanted to do was leave a quick voicemail? Like the times you remember that you need to return someone's call... at midnight! I hate it when that happens.
So here's how it works: to use Slydial from a land line or a cellular phone, dial 267-Sly-Dial (267-759-3425) to leave a message for your intended recipient. The service is free to users who don't mind listening to a little advertising, or you can pay a very modest subscription fee to avoid ads (look for the words "MYslydial Premium".)
You don't have to join the premium service to use SlyDial - just enter the 267-759-3425 number on your phone and you're in business. But if you want to use SlyDial apps for your iPhone (www.apple.com/iphone), BlackBerry (www.BlackBerry.com) and Windows Mobile Smartphones, you need to be a MYslydial Premium subscriber.
There's lots of great information (check out the FAQs) at the SlyDial website that clearly explains the value of this very simple, very convenient communication solution.
I'm always looking for ways to save time here or there and to become more efficient in my business. Slydial is a winning deal!
Over the summer months, I've been using my laptop in the evenings to update my Facebook and Twitter accounts. And let me tell you, a laptop is hot!
Did you know heat is the probable a cause of some those annoying performance issues, like ‘lockups’. And it might even be the cause of permanent damage. Yikes! What I've learned is that with a laptop, heat issues can be even more of a concern. (now they tell us!) All those heat producing components are tightly arranged inside a small space...so there's not much room for a cooling system. (think tiny exhaust fan)
Use your laptop for an extended period of time and feel the bottom of it. Or feel your legs!
Well, I found a "COOL" solution for the "HOT" laptop! It's a laptop cooling pad! I had no clue there was a product like this.
One day browsing for a thumb drive at Office Depot, I ran across this little gem. It's a lightweight, thin "platform" that houses 2 cooling fans. (It’s the same footprint as a laptop) It plugs into your laptop and doesn’t create a big drain on the battery life either! Bottom line - less heat makes for a more efficient computer.
In case you’re wondering, I purchased the Targus brand Chill Pad, but there are others on the market as well. After using this “Cool Tool” for the past few months - I am singing its praises. I'd recommend this $30 investment (average cost) for any real estate professional who uses a laptop.
It will improve your overall computer experience and extend the life of your laptop. While keeping you from heating up!
My background is in corporate telecommunications/technology sales ...many moons ago! And outsourcing was the big buzz word - everyone was doing it! Outsourcing was used for management’s “pet projects”, for services we didn't offer and in some cases they outsourced an entire department to another company who could do it better for less! It made sense… and cents. Using the talents and resources of strategic partners to save on staffing, expenses and training. It was a way for my company to stay focused on it's core business.
Back then, I sold “services” for a video conferencing manufacturer. We offered everything from maintenance services, coordination of equipment installations – worldwide, bridging video calls ‘across the pond’ and around the country, plus designing and building custom video rooms for distance learning and corporate boardrooms.
There’s no way we could have staffed and managed all of those services – worldwide, while maintaining focus on our core business of building video conferencing equipment! We outsourced all or a portion of every service we offered; with no apologies!
Fast forward to Real Estate - How can YOU focus on providing the best service to your clients when you’re the one who does it all?
Do you have a “pet project” you need to get done? Do you need a Marketing Department or a Bookkeeping Department. Do you need a strategic partner to help you grow your business?
If you're not focused on your core business, then maybe it’s time to think about outsourcing! But, where do you go, who do you call?
Hit the easy button... the Virtual Assistant business is your vehicle for Outsourcing!
AnotherME Virtual Assistants offer Real Estate Outsourcing! Real Estate Support is our core business: listing coordination, closing coordination, marketing, database support, blogging, social media support, bookkeeping and expense management! We also offer mailing services, general admin and graphic design.
As a real estate professional (and a small business owner), we can learn a few lessons from our friends in the corporate world. Outsourcing is one of those lessons. It’s a business decision that makes sense …and cents!
A Virtual Assistant is a valuable resource in your Real Estate business for help with listings, contracts, marketing and general admin tasks. But, have you considered asking your VA to help out with some of your personal tasks as well. When you have a relationship and a trust with your VA, handling personal tasks is just one more way you can leverage your time and resources.
Being that your Assistant is "Virtual", she's not available to pick up the kids, drop off the dry cleaning or deliver cupcakes to the brownie troop. But she might be able to help you with any or all of the following!
Birthday Cards/Presents: With so many on-line programs that keep up with birthdays, a Virtual Assistant can easily log into your Plaxo, Facebook or SendOutCards accounts and send an E-Card or even a paper Birthday card to a contact in your database. Take a few minutes to create a custom/personal message for each of your groups: acquaintance friends, church friends, networking groups, neighbors, etc. and let your VA send the cards on your behalf. You can vary the message every few months or once a year. Ordering gifts, flowers or gift cards on-line is one of the easiest ways to delegate. "Please call X store and order X for my nephew. Address in my Top Producer database. Thanks!" That was Easy!
Research pricing and ordering: Are you the one who always volunteers to order or get pricing for a party, meeting or event? Flowers, invitations, decorations, awards, promotional items, catering, signs, flyers, printing... the list goes on and on. Of course you can call and get 3 quotes for a catering company along with their menus for your Rotary Club meeting the next day... but don't you have to meet clients, attend an inspection or negotiate a contract? Try handing it over to your VA. She can research, organize the info and quotes and then put all the information in a nice presentation format! You'll be the hero in your group.
Confirm/Reschedule appointments: If you're on the go with a car full of people or an out of town client, it's not easy to confirm or reschedule your personal appointments. Text your VA and have her call your Dentist, Nail Salon, Accountant or next client to let them know you're running late or need to reschedule.
Community, church or civic groups:
DataBase - Do you manage the database for your "group"? This is an ideal task to delegate to a Virtual Assistant. She can update the info, create a mailing list or labels, set up your database in an email program or do a search to find addresses for members.
Mailing - Just because your Assistant is "Virtual" doesn't mean she can't help with a mailing. It takes a little coordination - which is easy for a good VA - and she can handle it all. Printing, labels, stuffing, stamping and mailing!
Transaction Coordination, Contract to Close, Closing Coordination, Transaction Management… Whatever you call it, this is the one service you should consider adding to your business.
One of the challenges facing many agents today is keeping the paperwork and communications flowing during the closing process. When you’re out with new clients and can’t respond to calls or emails until the evening or the next day, the closing process for your Under Contract clients has been slowed down or sometimes derailed.
A Transaction Coordinator is on the job and working for you. She will be responding to those emails and phone calls during the day and making sure that everyone is “doing their job!” Then you can focus on new clients while still providing excellent service to your clients who are under contract.
Coaches and brokers recommend adding a Transaction Coordinator to your team when you are handling at least 20-24 sides per year. A Virtual Closing Coordinator just makes sense. Most Virtual Transaction Coordinators charge a flat fee per contract, paid at the closing. No overhead, no additional phones or computers to buy and no salary. Just pay as you produce!
Your Transaction Coordinator/Closing Coordinator is responsible for managing the process and deadlines, monitoring the progress, following up, communicating with all the parties in the transaction, and assisting your clients through the closing process. When you stop and think about it, there can be up to 12 parties involved in just one deal: buyers and sellers, co-op agents, escrow companies, title companies, closing attorneys, appraisers, inspectors and don’t forget the loan officers and processors. And with today's market, deals are taking longer and are a bit more complicated!
The bottom line... when you get to the closing table and everything has fallen into place, then you look good and your clients are happy! Happy clients equal more referrals!
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
able prompts, blah, blah, blah. SlyDial lets you go directly to voice mail. Check Mate!
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the big buzz word - everyone was doing it! 
Do you have a “pet project” you need to get done? Do you need a Marketing Department or a Bookkeeping Department. Do you need a strategic partner to help you grow your business? 
Being that your Assistant is "Virtual", she's not available to pick up the kids, drop off the dry cleaning or deliver cupcakes to the brownie troop. But she might be able to help you with any or all of the following!
;)
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