My Heart Told Me it was Time for Electronic Signatures
Companies can shout their marketing message from the rooftops, and many do. Of course, the ultimate goal, if that is the method you chose to implore, is that someone standing down on the street will hear your message and be in the right frame of mind to want to do something with it.
We prefer to believe that having someone you are walking next to on the street, or waiting in line with at the bus stop, chat you up for some conversation would be a better way to pass along a truly important message.
Now, don't get us wrong, we aren't saying that our message that your life will be easier using Docusign is 'truly important' (it is however, in our opinion, a fact), but who doesn't want their real estate life to be easier?
A big thank you to Jonathan for his tale of realizing the benefits of incorporating Docusign into his business. Jonathan was one of the winners from our Docusign contest earlier this year and we wanted to let one of the people walking in your shoes tell you how Docusign has helped his business, as opposed to shouting at you from the rooftop.
If, after reading his story, you would like a free version of Docusign to get you started with electronic signatures, we'd love if you'd try our free product here
Somewhere around the end of April a year ago, I noticed some tightness in my chest and some shortness of breath. Being a male member of the human species, I didn't go to the doctor for another two weeks.
And when the symptoms not only were continuing but worsening some two weeks after that, I went to the emergency room and was told that I was in the midst of congestive heart failure and soon would need to have two heart values repaired.
This should be the part of the story where I tell you real estate took a back seat, but I ended up completing the negotiations for two sales from the comfort of Arrowhead Hospital's cardiac telemetry ward. (One was about two hours after another patient went Code Blue and both were done while I was sucking down oxygen which, if anything, tells you I have zero perspective.)
This also should be the part where Docusign enters the picture, but it's not.
Fast forward two-plus months ... two weeks after open heart surgery, one week after returning home with my heart-shaped pillow and a long zipper scar, I found myself negotiating an offer for out-of-state buyers after they had viewed properties with my buyers' agent. E-mail was sketchy with these folks, fax machines were nowhere to be found.
That's when I started using electronic signatures - I had someone else from my office send out an inspection form on my behalf.
Finally, two weeks after that, I took the very belated plunge and signed up for Docusign, much to the laughing enjoyment of many of my tech-minded peers who couldn't believe someone like myself who tended to be an early adopter had never adopted this technological no-brainer - especially in light of how much of my business comes from out-of-state buyers.
Since that time, Docusign has saved my clients and I countless hours and considerable aggravation. The only flaws I've found are not Docusign's; they are the non-sensical lenders (yes, I mean you Fannie Mae) who still will not recognize the validity of an electronically-signed document.
For my clients living out of town, it has been ideal. For my clients who were getting divorced and preferred not to see nor talk to each other any more than necessary, it has been ideal. For my own ink and paper budget, it has been ideal (especially since moving to a brokerage where I could go fully paperless.) And for my own lack of organization, it has been incredibly ideal.
I'm almost certain there still are more agents not using electronic signatures than using them, rationalizing their decision based on the few lenders who won't accept electronic signatures. Truthfully, they ought to stop the rationalization and come to the realization that this a massive time-saver in an industry where our time means everything.
If time wasn't money, would I really have sold two houses from a hospital bed? Yeah, I think not.
Legal stuff: "This post is a submission to the DocuSign/ActiveRain Electronic Signature Stories Contest. It's possible I will win a prize for writing this post. You could win a prize too by going to the Contest Announcement and sharing your own story"
Non-legal stuff: But feel free not to share because I want to win.
Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Want to read more that Jonathan and Tobey have to say about Phoenix real estate and the industry in general? Check out his outside All Phoenix Real Estate.com blog or his Facebook Fan Page!
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