If your technology isn't saving you money, maybe you aren't using it right...

I think we are all feeling the need to tighten the purse strings these days.  One of the best ways to do this is to look at all of the websites and services that you may have signed up for during a time when the cash was flowing more freely.  Make sure that you give each one a good hard look, though, before you start discontinuing everything with wild abandon.  Each service had some merit and possibilities or you wouldn't have signed up for it when you did.  Perhaps in the hustle and bustle of your daily business, you have just lost sight of those possibilities. 

When looking at these services, don't limit yourself to only looking at how much money the service costs you but be sure to look at how much money the service can make you if used properly. 

Hey, the way gas prices have skyrocketed is a perfect example.  It is costing us a lot more these days to drive around town.  But, would this be your solution???  I seriously doubt it.  You aren't going to stop driving your car.  What can you do instead? 

First, cut down on unnecessary car trips.  This is where other technologies can come into play. 

*Use an efax number or email to send documents instead of driving them around town. 

*Keep your files in an online transaction management system instead of having paper files that you need to constantly go to the office to retrieve.  Remember, if you paperwork is in a digital format on your computer, you may be able to turn in paperwork to your Broker through email instead of running it into the office.

*Setting up direct deposit with your Broker for your commission checks will save you both trips to the office and trips to the bank.  Being paperless isn't easy in the beginning, but once you get the hang of it, it can save you a tremendous amount of money.

Think of your car as a piece of your working technology and integrate as much as possible.  Here are a couple of ideas:

*Does your car have blue tooth capabilities?  Try syncing it with your contacts in Outlook.  Now, you can easily call clients during your time on the road. 

*Do you have GPS in your car?  There are some very affordable portable systems out there and this will save you time and unnecessary gas money by keeping you from wandering lost. 

The bottom line is that your car is a piece of technology that while it costs you money to operate ultimately it is saving you time (remember time is a commodity) and it is helping you to make money by giving you the ability to show property and get you where you need to be more efficiently than other modes of transportation.

I hope this will get the idea rolling around in your head.  You should do this with every tools you use in your business.  Always be looking for the return on your investments and don't be afraid to think outside the box. 

 
Post is included in group: Arizona Real Estate
Post is included in group: Technology
Post is included in group: Online Transaction Coordination
Post is included in group: SureClose Users
Post is included in group: Real Estate on the Peninsula

37 Comments on If your technology isn't saving you money, maybe you aren't using it right...

Everything i do pretty  much is paperless even though I still have paper files and who drives files places? But thanks for the tip on direct deposit never thought my broker could do that.

05/02/2008 09:06 AM by Orlando & Lake Mary Real Estate Expert, Heather Joubran (RE/MAX Central Realty)


good post- I do many of these things to save tima and money....

05/02/2008 09:08 AM by Michael Shankman Selling Las Vegas 702-498-3383 (Liberty Realty )


Great post...we do much of what you say and you are right on the money.

05/02/2008 11:03 AM by Team DiMuria, Katy Texas Realtors (Prudential Gary Greene Realtors)


We have been doing this for the past year and have really noticed a savings.

05/02/2008 11:14 AM by Patty & Scott Carroll - RE/MAX, Vancouver WA (RE/MAX Equity Group)


Good post, I agree we have to be as simple and efficient in our business as we can, but as for paid services yes some are useful, but I have found for almost everything you can find there is a free way to do it and that is what is so powerful about the web.

05/02/2008 11:31 AM by Mead Homes (MJ McAdams Realty)


I could not agree more! Technology is worthwhile only if used effectively.

Great article.

Galel Fajardo, Coast Mortgage Group

Orange County mortgages and Orange County FHA Loans 

05/02/2008 12:32 PM by Galel Fajardo, CMPS™ (Coast Mortgage Group)


Beth - thanks for the great post. I absolutely agree with you, the more technology we can learned to efficiently use in our business the more we can save.

05/02/2008 01:37 PM by Cowlitz County Real Estate Agent Venancio Gonzalez (Windermere Real Estate/Allen & Associates)


Beth - I am always about saving money.  I have discovered a great way to embrace & communicate with my customers without breaking the bank that I believe is going to be the next major shift in technology.  It is called video emailing.  I have had customers actually say it was great to meet me after sending my first vmail to them.  I have never seen that with a regular text email.  It is very cost effective and I can't believe the response have received with using this cutting edge tool.  Go to www.myvmailpage.com/webvision for a great presentation about the service.

Make it a great day!

05/02/2008 03:42 PM by Chris Carr (Exit Realty Mountain Properties)


Good Job Beth,

 

We really need to adjust in this market. I am looking at marketing that might be something my client likes when it actually is ineffective. I am looking more and more at the internet.  This is a great forum to exchange ideas.  I am new to active rain but I am really enjoying it.  For the most part it has been a very positive exchange and I am learning a lot from it.  So thanks for your inpute Beth and happy selling.

05/02/2008 04:51 PM by Steven Nickens R(S) GRI ABR Wailea Maui Real Estate (The Wailea Group LLC. Maui Hawaii)


this a a great crack-shot article. Qucik to the point and well-written. Thanks for posting. 

05/02/2008 06:03 PM by Alan Robinson (PTE REAL ESTATE GROUP)


Heather, I'm glad I could expand your thinking on the direct deposit.  It sounds like you have made a good start at being paperless.  Let me know when you are ready to try paperless files...I promise, it is possible ;-)

05/02/2008 06:04 PM by Beth Young (PropertyInfo Corp. - SureClose)


Excellent post Beth. Isnt that the Mayor of Boston driving those 4 wheels? Beth could u tell me more about sureclose.com your transaction management link please? Ive heard of handheld GPS devices that plug into cigarette lighters that could range from $300 on up?

 

Cape Cod Realtor sdw1

05/02/2008 06:48 PM by Stephen D White, E-Pro, ABR Cape Cod Realtor® (Ocean Blue Realty llc)


Preaching to the choir the more tech stuff you use the more you can save.  Don't forget to start using a do to list to help even more save you time and gas.

05/02/2008 08:38 PM by Dick Betts (Dick Betts National Speaker)


I love technology, but there is a nagging song that plays in the back of my mind,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhNM2K8cmU8 

(That song really scared me when I was a kid!)

 

Great post, makes you think!

05/02/2008 08:42 PM by 123 Happy Street Member (123 Happy Street, LLC)


I agree. I love that I can cut out a lot of paper. Saves on clutter and saves the trees! Talk about a win-win! 

05/02/2008 08:59 PM by Christy Powers - Pooler, Savannah Real Estate Agent (Keller Williams Coastal Area Partners)


Beth, Great post

 

Couldn't agree w/ you more 

05/02/2008 09:28 PM by Eric Egeland (Chicagoland Realtor / Broker) (Re/Max United)


I'm trying to talk my wife into a Kawasaki Vulcan Drifter to use for pre-viewing... save those miles from the F-350... She's not buying it.

05/02/2008 10:33 PM by Lane Bailey - The REALTOR for Car People (Diamond Dwellings Realty)


I agree with your views on technology Beth. A scanner has helped me tremendously.

05/02/2008 10:50 PM by Portland Oregon Real Estate >> Wayne B. Pruner, GRI (Oregon First)


Our office is working on transitioning to paperless. The time and cost savings are already visible. It's great to have access to documents from any online connection rather than having to drive to the office. It's still a bit of a learning process for some, but gas at $3.50+ per gallon is a pretty strong incentive.

05/02/2008 11:38 PM by John Novak - Las Vegas and Henderson NV Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty The Marketplace)


I love that we can scan all our documents straight to our email from our copy machine now. It save a lot of time, and as many said gas. I also use services provided by Title companies where you get a fax cover sheet and load the documents into and electronic file that they store on their servers for 10+ years. It saves me from storing in on my hard drive, and I can even download the entire file at the end onto a disc. Three copies, one for me, the office, and the client.

05/03/2008 07:55 AM by


Beth - very cute - LOL - Peddle Power works for me that looks like a 14 peddle power engine to me now to just sign up fourteen people to move me about town as required.

I will have to come back to re read and get the real message in your post after I stop laughing

05/03/2008 10:28 AM by Kathy Clulow ASP® SRES® (RE/MAX Scugog Realty Ltd Brokerage)


Michael and Team DiMuria, thank you.  I'm glad to see that you are on the right track!

Heath, isn't technology great?!?!

05/05/2008 08:58 AM by Beth Young (PropertyInfo Corp. - SureClose)


Patty and Scott, I am so glad to hear that.  After switching to a paperless system, I saw the benefits almost immediately.  It was a huge cost savings.  Sometimes it just takes others a little longer to get the hang of it.

05/05/2008 08:59 AM by Beth Young (PropertyInfo Corp. - SureClose)


Greetings from Fresno Beth!

We have recently purchased a S300 Fijitsu scanner - a little portable that we take to short sale listing appt. Have the client have all their docs ready that is needed for the short sale - bank statements - Tax returns etc. scan them in at the house when taking the listing - LEAVE them all the paper and leave with it all in the Lenovo X61 Tablet -

 Another GREAT tool that we just recently started using (the last 2 weeks) is Docusign.com - want to save time and MONEY$$$$ Get Docusign - last week alone I used it 6 different times to get signatures, and NEVER left my computer!! It is GREAT!  NO appointments - NO meetings - NO driving - NO nothing - Just email - YES!

Thanks for the post Beth! Take care

05/05/2008 11:03 PM by Realty World The Nazaroff Team


Yes, there are many services on the web for "free" but take caution...you don't want to become dependent on systems that may not be completely reliable.

05/06/2008 09:12 AM by Beth Young (PropertyInfo Corp. - SureClose)


Galel, thank you.  I often see people get caught up in the latest tech gadget and lose sight of how it is supposed to benefit their business.

05/06/2008 09:38 AM by Beth Young (PropertyInfo Corp. - SureClose)


Great Post, Every little bit helps and in the long run can save you quite a bit of money and not to mention the benefits of time management!!! Thanks for writing this blog.

05/06/2008 08:02 PM by Dione Sage (American Mortgage Specialists)


Tips I'm sure we are all doing and the reminder is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

C. Lange

05/06/2008 08:47 PM by Michael Lange, e-Pro, GRI and Cheron Lange (John Hall and Associates)


Steven, welcome to Active Rain.  You are right, you will find many good ideas to build on and some great people, too.

05/08/2008 09:21 AM by Beth Young (PropertyInfo Corp. - SureClose)


Alan, thank you very much for the compliment.

05/08/2008 09:23 AM by Beth Young (PropertyInfo Corp. - SureClose)


Stephen, I think you are right about the picture.  I would love to tell you about SureClose.  I think it is far and away the best transaction management platform available.  There is plenty of information I can give you.  Would you like me to email you or would you like to talk in "real time"?

05/08/2008 09:25 AM by Beth Young (PropertyInfo Corp. - SureClose)


Beth if you could email me with the short version info of Sure Close- your transaction management platform thank you very much

 

Cape Cod Realtor

05/09/2008 01:59 PM by Stephen D White, E-Pro, ABR Cape Cod Realtor® (Ocean Blue Realty llc)


Bill, as always it is great to hear from you.  I am so glad that you are adding tools to your business to lead you to being paperless.  It is a process that must be taken in steps but, boy oh boy, how they pay off!

05/13/2008 07:59 AM by Beth Young (PropertyInfo Corp. - SureClose)


Hi Beth- I liked your analogy, and your graphic didn't hurt either :)

05/13/2008 10:38 PM by Kathy McGraw ~ Calif Broker (CELLing Realty)


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Real Estate - Other: Beth Young (PropertyInfo Corp. - SureClose)
Beth Young
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