Fishhawk Lake Real Estate The Paper Chase

 

The unglamorous part of our job quite often is the paperwork.

 

 

 

 

 And yet, if you don’t stay on top of it, you don’t end up closing the deal, plain and simple. Of course it’s great getting clients excited, finding that first home or that vacation dream house, but eventually you have to get down to brass tacks and follow through with all of the minutia. If you don’t keep track of signatures, timelines, and keep your clients in tow (and sometimes the other agent as well), you will find that you’re going to be considered at the very least, less than professional and at the most, out of a career.

 

 

 

I frankly HATE the paperwork. I always say I'm a People Person not a Paper Person. Thank God I have a principal broker who is very detail oriented (thank you, Helen Bateman!). When there is gray area with verbiage, timelines, etc. I ask her opinion. It really helps to have someone “check your work” with an objective eye. If you miss some small detail, it could cost your client BIG TIME. And ultimately you are the loser as well, because you’ve lost your integrity and your reputation.

 

 

 

Two simple suggestions: keep track of all e-mails by putting them in a separate folder (you just never know when someone says that they swore they sent something, signed something in time, etc.)

 

 

 

Take notes: handwritten notes  with dates are a good papertrail because if you are ever questioned, whether by your client, the other agent or in a court case, you have documentation to back up your word or your memory of what occurred. It does make a difference!

 

For a look at what fun you can have at Fishhawk Lake, click on the link below! 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N20w1bP2UA&feature=youtube_gdata

 Fishhawk Lake canoe trip-Gayle Rich-Boxman 2012 copyrighted All Rights Reserved

Gayle Rich-Boxman
Broker,Vernonia Realty
Specializing in Fishhawk Lake Recreation Club
"Your Gateway to the Lake!"
Direct: (503)755-2905
My website: http://www.lakehomesatfishhawk.com/
My blog: http://fishhawklakerealtor.wordpress.com/

 

 

 
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22 Comments on Fishhawk Lake Real Estate-The Paper Chase

20 Most Recent Comments Displayed Show All

OCT
24
1,526,422 Points 163 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master
Most of what I do is electronic. An email trail has proved useful on more than one occassion when a question has come up about when something may have been sent. Even phone conversations can be written up in Evernote and made part of a transaction file for future reference.
9:15am • #3
928,093 Points 13 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

Gayle,

Excellent advice.  Although we may have all the digital signatures, etc, it is still important to keep any and all paper trails. A
9:55am • #4
941,568 Points 26 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp

The best way is to automate this process with an online system which includes notes
10:03am • #5
137,165 Points Outside Blog

Keeping track of emails is a great business practice.  Often times tenants and owners reference something they've said a long time ago and it's best to have the proof to back up or dismiss the claim.  
10:45am • #6
1,519,003 Points 112 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Amen to both of those tips.  I am involved in a court case right now.  I sincerely doubt the other side has the notes and emails I do.  
10:48am • #7
851,621 Points 183 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

I didn't even bother to read the post yet, I just love, love, love your picture.
10:58am • #8
851,621 Points 183 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Ok...nice tips. I do the same thing with my email, I keep everything. and I have a great asst who handles paperwork.
10:59am • #9
173,317 Points Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp

Those are great suggestions. I keep separate email folders for each property listed and sold and another folder for buyers who haven't purchased yet. I also find that writing important notes on my 8.5 x 11 Daytimer works very well.
11:48am • #10
511,432 Points 12 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

Great advice, Gayle.  Especially if you are involved in arbitration, or God forbid, a lawsuit.
11:49am • #11
161,047 Points 1 Featured Post

You never know when documentation will get you out of a bind or help someone else out of one.
12:41pm • #12
314,182 Points 17 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

Everyone in our team has a different strength and we all help each other. It works really well!
3:30pm • #13
1,329,613 Points 189 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Gayle, paperwork is tremendous for all of us..... it does seem like it has gotten worse particularly with contracts over the years, to cover EVERYTHING....
3:49pm • #14
975,840 Points 351 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Great tips Gayle.  I usually don't keep my emails in a separate folder though.  They sure do get deleted a lot!
4:42pm • #15
292,425 Points 20 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

I'm with Karen in #8.  What a fox.  Oh yeah, g-mail is great because every e-mail for a transaction can be put into a file for that transaction with a click.  Makes it easy to retrieve all communications for that deal. 

Go Giants.
5:52pm • #16
981,695 Points 114 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

It's necessary, absoulately.  I like paperless as much as I can, and having set up separate client folders is essential. 
6:04pm • #17
586,569 Points 46 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Going as paperless as possible is working well for me.  I like things neat and organized... computer - paper files all must be in a neat order or I'm cranky.... LOL.  Sad but true... One of the negatives of being a type A+ :)
6:23pm • #18
866,303 Points 18 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

It is good to document everything.. I think this is good advice.  Folks laugh at me because my files have lots of paper in them.
8:08pm • #19
360,245 Points 42 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Mike, thank you!

Norma, since most of my clients are far away, e-mail works great for me. I can also send off a message at dark-thirty in the AM and not disturb someone!

Cindy, hmmmm....I don't know what evernote is?

R&A~I haven't gone digital in my signatures yet...probably have to check out docusign at some point. On my To Do List.

Glad you think this is good advice!

Harry, ditto.

Kevin, it also doesn't clog up your memory both in your Inbox as well as your head!

Chris Ann~whew, I've never had to deal with that (thank God), but my principal broker has said on a few occasions that she's happy I take so many notes. I've written down stuff VERBATIM, so that later I can repeat it back to that person, in case they were to say that they said something completely different. Good luck with that case!

Karen, you are too funny! Roger Mucci told me how much he disliked it! I have to go to your new one and make it larger so I can see if it's really YOU. So glad to see you and thanks for stopping by TWICE! I don't have an asst or anything close to that!!! (Well, I have an a&*, but it's behind me....)

Mark, God Bless You...I have a Franklin Planner! I find that it gives me more room to write and I can add paper if I need it. With no cell service here, I can't do an i-phone or whatever....Daytimer, I had one of those for YEARS.

Don, I sure hope that never happens. I also pride myself on getting earnest money back to the buyers--always--

Nan, so right!

Patty, my team is mostly me, myself and I. My principal broker is a phone call away, usually, which sure helps.

Oh, Gary, YUP. I can't BELIEVE how much the paperwork has grown, even in the last six years and how it keeps changing. I had a principal broker handwrite the latest offer I dealt with for his buyers on my listing and I had to tell him that his contract papers were a year out-of-date. Now, THAT'S sad!

Jay, I'm even afraid to delete them after the deal's done!!

Lloyd, I blushed reading this! I think the Giants are doing well again this year, right?

Yup, Carla, I'm with you. I even try to remember to put both theirs and my sent ones in there as well as those from the loan officer, ZIPform, etc. It's hard to keep up with sometimes.

QMan, are ya kiddin'? I love people like you!

Joan, I say let'em laugh. 'Cause you'll have the last one.

 

 

 

 

 
9:38pm • #20
OCT
25
851,621 Points 183 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Roger is wrong, the picture shows a great deal of personality. Do you think mine is too small? That might not be good. 
12:07pm • #21
OCT
26
472,808 Points 35 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

The devil is often in the details. Good you have a back-up pair of eyes to proof read. I also apprecaite that you recognize your strengths and make sure that others have your back in the areas where you're not quite as committed. Have a great weekend Spirit Sis. :)
8:27am • #22

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