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Can You Use DocuSign to Sign In Person With an iPad?

By
Real Estate Agent with Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker DRE #00697006

docusign ipadI have been reading a ton of articles about the different apps available for the iPad and downloading suggestions. People think I'm a tech wiz but that's only because I do stuff they don't or can't do. I'm really no different than your average real estate agent. I am, however, an early adopter of new technology because I'm easily lured by the "coolness" factor, and I also believe much of it tends to simplify my real estate business -- but for the life of me, I can't figure out how to use the iPad DocuSign app in person to sign a document. I can email it, but I'm talking about signing on the iPad screen.

I've read blogs that say you can sign documents with your clients while sitting on the couch with your iPad. I even bought a special pen that works on my iPad. Granted, I've used it primarily for precise aiming when pulling back the slingshot for those Angry Birds, but I've been told the pen can also be used for signatures.

As a Sacramento short sale agent, I sign a lot of listings with sellers in Sacramento -- I signed more than 100 new listings last year. That's enough to warrant a paperless transaction.

I've been using DocuSign for a while now and find it to be mostly intuitive. OK, I find most software intuitive because I admit to being one of those people who will only read a software manual if all else fails and, even then, the Folsom dam can break and wash out Sacramento before I'm likely to consider that all else has failed.

I wrote to DocuSign yesterday and explained my situation: I'm sitting at the table with sellers. I've already set up an envelope, saved it as a draft, made the sellers each a recipient and myself. I asked, how do we sign this in person? The answer from DocuSign: They would need to access their email once you send it on your iPad and then follow the steps.

Doesn't that sort of defeat the purpose of bringing my iPad to list a short sale? I may as well print out the docs and haul 'em along. Criminy.

Photo: Big Stock Photo

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Elizabeth Weintraub is co-partner of Weintraub & Wallace Team of Top Producing Realtors, an author, home buying expert at The Balance, a Land Park resident, and a veteran real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown, Carmichael and East Sacramento, as well as tract homes in Elk Grove, Natomas, Roseville and Lincoln. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put our combined 80 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at RE/MAX Gold. DRE License # 00697006.

Photo: Unless otherwise noted in this blog, the photo is copyrighted by Big Stock Photo and used with permission.The views expressed herein are Weintraub's personal views and do not reflect the views of RE/MAX Gold. Disclaimer: If this post contains a listing, information is deemed reliable as of the date it was written. After that date, the listing may be sold, listed by another brokerage, canceled, pending or taken temporarily off the market, and the price could change without notice; it could blow up, explode or vanish. To find out the present status of any listing, please go to elizabethweintraub.com.

Comments (9)

Myrl Jeffcoat
Sacramento, CA
Greater Sacramento Realtor - Retired

Elizabeth - I want an I-Pad, but haven't bought one yet.  The reason - It doesn't yet do all I want it to do.  However, I believe it is only a short time away before it will.  Stay tuned, it can only get better!

Jan 08, 2011 03:55 AM
Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker
Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA
Put 40 years of experience to work for you

I see you're not playing Angry Birds, then, Myrl, and that's a great reason to buy an iPad. I'm also reading Life, by Keith Richards, on my iPad. #2 good reason. And, there are a ton of real estate applications that work on the iPad. Including, DocuSign. In fact, Tom just told me how to do a signature. Duh. I guess his Support Staff missed this in training, but the way you do it is you change the "signer" to "in person." DocuSign sends me the email, and we all sign basically at once.

Looks like I open the email and the document and hand it to the seller. Seller signs. I hand it to the next seller to sign. When I get it back, it asks for my password to prove I watched them sign, then I sign and it's done. How cool is THAT??

What are you waiting for, get an iPad. Sure, there will be newer versions, blah, blah, and if a cooler version comes out that is capable of more functions, I'll buy a new iPad and give my old iPad to my sister. It's the way the world of technology works. There is always a faster, cooler model right around the corner.

Jan 08, 2011 06:51 AM
Cece Blase
Paragon Real Estate Group - San Francisco, CA

Can we talk about Angry Birds instead? (wink)

Actually, we are being strongly encouraged migrate over to Authentisign here in San Francisco-- it's a freebie that's a bit inferior to DocuSign, but folds neatly into our new instanet forms. But I bet Authentisign doesn't work effectively on iPads either. . .

Jan 08, 2011 06:25 PM
Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker
Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA
Put 40 years of experience to work for you

Hey Cece: I'm up to Level 7.8. And let me tell you, the pen makes it a lot easier. I mean, don't you just hate it when you pull back that woodpecker and he flips backwards to the ground because you pulled too fast?

We're getting pounded in Sacramento to use another signing service with Zipforms that is inferior to DocuSign as well. And it's free. But sometimes you get what you pay for, too.

Jan 09, 2011 01:44 AM
Myrl Jeffcoat
Sacramento, CA
Greater Sacramento Realtor - Retired

I know you're right about waiting for the latest greatest in technology.  Back in 1957 my dad didn't want to buy a television set YET.  We were the last family on the block to get one.  He didn't think they were clear enough, and they weren't in color.  My mother finally earned a few extra bucks doing sewing alterations, and bought our first RCA television in early 1958.  My dad watched that old black and white set on Saturday nights.  He loved The Mitch Miller Show or "Sing Along With Mitch."  Without that set, he would hae missed it.  Dad died in 1966, and just the other evening when I was looking at my Sony HD, and how clear it is.  I said to my cat, "This is the TV set dad was waiting for.  Unfortunately, he would have been waiting more than 50 years, if he had lived to see it.

Jan 12, 2011 01:56 PM
Emily Medvec
eXp Realty LLC - Santa Fe, NM
Broker | Realtor | Serving Santa Fe & Northern NM

Like you I us docusign because it is fast, easy and secure. One of the things about docusign is the secure server route via email. I guess they would have to change the route to sign live or maybe in the future there will an app. In the meantime, it's an ipad for me now that Verizon is a carrier and a solution for us in New Mexico.

Jan 18, 2011 03:27 PM
Craig Frazer
Farmington, UT
Real Estate, RE/MAX Metro, Davis & Salt Lake County

Elizabeth - I am extremely late to this thread, but I have the same intuitive disconnect with DocuSign.  I am attempting to get them to answer what appears to be a simple question "how do I have my clients (buyer or seller) sitting right next to me at the house, restaurant, car, etc. be able to sign the contract documentation I just drafted on my iPad?"

To go through the whole envelope/email/confirmation process seems to defeat the whole purpose of using real-time, live technology to create contract documentation only to not be able to have your clients sign the documents while they're sitting right next to you.  I get the sense that we have 21st century technology (iPhone, iPad, etc) that is being forced to use 20th century processes.

The DocuSign product appears to assume that few of us actually interact in person with our clients (thus the dependence on email based processes).  However, in the course of my business, well over 90% of my contract initiations occur live and in person (just not at my office).  DocuSign just doesn't seem to work in a manner that is in sync with how I do business.  I've been looking at signature recognition software options that will provide a more simplified and direct method for my clients to sign documents via iPad.

 

Feb 22, 2011 11:41 AM
Vance Booher
Re/Max Select, SRES - Greensburg, PA

Elizabeth - I don't know if this helps or not, but I was watching YouTube Videos on how to use the IPad in Real Estate and came across one by Jared Chamberlain of TCG Calgary Real Estate.  He explains how he does exactly what you are talking about using the DropBox app and the Noterize app.  It isn't DocuSign, but it sure looks like slick way of doing things.

Apr 03, 2011 09:16 AM
Paul Gapski
Berkshire Hathaway / Prudential Ca Realty - El Cajon, CA
619-504-8999,#1 Resource SD Relo

Liz that seems like such a cool great feature and the best thing of the ipad is the instant on capability. It will make us use it a lot more.

Apr 06, 2011 04:51 AM