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Tools I Consider Essential to My Business

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 DRE# ER40011786

 

Every day we have tools we use to make our tasks as a REALTOR® easier, and could not do without them!    These tools are utilized every single day I work in business!   

 

CTMecontracts

The first the top tech tool I absolutely LOVE is CTM-econtracts.    Remember those days of writing contracts on the hood of your car?   Well, that was pretty easy, but if their handwriting was terrible, it was illegible.    Then there was faxing, which shrunk the contracts and again, illegible.     As long as you have Internet connection, these contracts are available on every device.    This system is so smart, now with so many multiple offers, it will create all the original disclosures, and make files for the accepted offer.    It even adds the name of the buyer, so we don't mis-spell their name and adds those legal descriptions that are a mile long!

 

On CTM-econtracts we can create a listing and sales contract with the items that pretty much remain the same, making it EASY PEASY to create a new contract.    We can zip it all on a disc or prepare it for saving on an external drive.    I think this system is better than sliced bread!  It started out reasonable - $99 per year several years ago, and now $312 per year, but it sure makes it simple to create new contracts.

 

The second top tool I would say that is essential in my business is a tie between Top Producer and Excel.    Top Producer allows me to keep all information about my clients, including births, deaths, birthdays, conversations and of course email and phone numbers.     I can set up reminders, automatic emails and even agent phone numbers in separate categories.    If I want to do a mailing to a certain neighborhood, all addresses are in that category, making it simple.     It also is simple to print labels for mailings.    I can even make a category for Christmas cards.

 

Excel spreadsheets make it simple to track my business.   I have a spreadsheet for each year since I started in this business, breaking it down to each transaction, into the month and into the year.    I have columns for Buyers and Sellers and the address and date a transaction closes, and my commission.   (Also noted if there was a referral paid, and final commission received)     At the end of the year, I finalize all my stats - did I have more Sellers or Buyers, what cities did I do the most business, where did the business come from, average sales price (and compare to previous years) and compare volume to past years.     This keep me in the know of where to spend my money, time and energy and like to refer back to it several times a year, as business does vary.

 

In Master's Club (at Aurora Association of REALTORS®), we have to do a certain number of transactions, and have to achieve a certain volume, and like to refer to my spreadsheet mid-year to ensure I am on track so not to miss achieving my goals for this award.

 

I know we only needed two, but Dropbox was another tool I could not do without.   I often have out of state buyers where I need to do videos and email, and so nice to be able to upload to Dropbox and send.   I had to upgrade my account after utilizing this feature many times.

 

So many things have changed in 20+ years to make our business quicker and easier, and we have to love that! 

 

 

 

Posted by

Joan Cox
Broker/Owner, REALTOR®
House to Home, Inc.

Serving the Denver Metro area including all suburbs


Helping Buyers and Sellers achieve their real estate dreams, one house at a time!

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720-231-6373  
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Comments (40)

Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Jeff, it is amazing thinking about all the tech tools we use to get through our days!

Feb 21, 2019 07:30 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Brian England if you see CTM coming in, take it, it is really good.

Feb 21, 2019 07:31 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Roy, nice to know you used TP too, it is a great CRM.

Feb 21, 2019 07:31 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Cara, I use it all the time too, and have to upgrade to premium too.

Feb 21, 2019 07:31 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Grant, those are two wonderful tools.

Feb 21, 2019 07:32 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Elizabeth, good luck, and hope you don't have to upgrade, but essential.

Feb 21, 2019 07:33 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Sally, we always have to evaluate our systems and whether they work for us.

Feb 21, 2019 07:33 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Thanks Marte Cliff I am very organized and is easier when you have wonderful systems in place for the business.

Feb 21, 2019 07:34 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Paul, it is nice to have systems that help us stay organized.

Feb 21, 2019 07:36 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Gabe, many tools do the same, and as long as they keep us organized!

Feb 21, 2019 07:36 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Nina, I knew you moved from TP, and have thought about it, but haven't yet.

Feb 21, 2019 07:37 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Debb Janes EcoBroker and Bernie Stea JD Top Producer has a lot to the system, and I know I don't use most of it, but changing seems like too much right now.

Feb 21, 2019 07:38 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Mary, you are right, so many programs to choose from, we just have to utilize the one best for us.

Feb 21, 2019 07:39 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Rebecca, sounds like we utilize the same systems to keep our business on track.

Feb 21, 2019 07:39 PM
Lise Howe
Keller Williams Capital Properties - Washington, DC
Assoc. Broker in DC, MD, VA and attorney in DC

Thanks for this.  I love seeing what others are using.  

Feb 26, 2019 09:03 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Lise, it is interesting to me too.   

Mar 21, 2019 02:24 PM
Sally K. & David L. Hanson
EXP Realty 414-525-0563 - Brookfield, WI
WI Real Estate Agents - Luxury - Divorce

Being "in command" of your tool belt is HUGE !

Mar 22, 2019 07:08 AM
Peter Mohylsky, Beach Expert
PMI. Destin - Miramar Beach, FL
Call me at 850-517-7098

Thanks for sharing this information, great post.  Happy New Year.  

Jan 03, 2020 05:47 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Sally, you always say the right thing!

Jan 03, 2020 06:12 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Peter, thank you and Happy New Year to you as well.

Jan 03, 2020 06:13 AM