In real estate, and many other industries, it is known to be quite a paper-filled career choice. With everyone working on "going green", instituting a paper-less plan should be in our 2011 business plan!
In my paper-less quest, I have changed the way I operate in a few areas of my business over the last year(s).
~ Three years ago I signed up for CTM e-contracts, and it is so easier to email, and have clients sign on-line without the need to find a fax, have it shrink, and no one can read it when it is returned. My clients can be anywhere in the world, and all they need is a computer with email capability. This wonderful program has the ability to upload earnest money checks, lender letter and keep all email communication within their "file", and ZIP all of this information, including contracts, to a disc at the end of the transaction. Many clients are now opting for NO PRINT, and having the contracts on their computer until closing.
~ Even while you are out and about assisting clients, I use the "task function" on my phone to make notes, rather than find a piece of paper, that could get lost.
~ We all get hundreds of emails a day, some of which are pertinent to a transaction. I use Outlook, and keep a "file" for each client with all outgoing and incoming emails. When the transaction is closed (or not), I convert their file to a PDF file using PDFill (which is free), and burn all these emails to a disc and put into my broker file. With some clients, this sure helps the reduction of paper!
~ Throughout the years of my career, I have sent newsletter via snail mail, and in the last several months have eliminated 1/3 of the mailings and now use Constant Contact and send electronic newsletters. It is even better, there is no limit on how much information goes into this newsletter!
With going Paper-Less, it saves many dollars on ink cartridges we would have purchased, and also ease the cutting down of many more trees to use for the paper!
"This post is written as a submission to the ActiveRain & Kodak Paper-less Challenge contest. I have the chance to win the high speed KODAK SCANMATE i1120 Scanner, great for helping real estate professionals reduce their stacks of paper by scanning contracts, photos and business cards in seconds."
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