Paperless Office Is Going Green And Not Just For The Trees

Go Green: Save on paper, Save a tree.  But going green by going paperless isn't just about supporting our global ecosystem, its also about money and money saving time.  Its about being more efficient, more customer oriented and, well... more closings.

Being a small office we were faced with a business decision a few years ago.  Grow our business by hiring more people to handle the admin stuff i.e. paperwork.  Or find ways to grow using the current staff and doing more through more efficient systems and software.  When we tracked the administrative time producing tasks, handling paperwork was number one on the list. 

When we put together our plan, we had four objectives we wanted to achieve:

1. Transaction work-flow: 
   
   
2. Use of On-line Forms:  Electronically access not only our state RE transaction forms, but because we specialize in short sales, to immediately access our short sale disclosures and lender specific documents.
   
   
3. E-Signatures:  Both on-Line signatures and because most lenders will not accept on-line signatures for a short sale, the ability for our clients to "hard sign: electronically.
   
   
4. Team and client access to document storage and retrieval.

Here are some of the strategies we integrated or are in the process of putting in place:

A Lead Management, Contact Management, and Transaction Management Platform

There are many good transaction management programs available.  We've chosen Real Estate Dashboard because of the flexibility it provides and the ability to replace multiple programs under one platform. 

1. Electronic Document Management
    - Create and manage client specific transaction files and folders
    - updated notes saved to transactions
    - Import forms library from Winforms/Zipforms and our lender specific and short sale disclosure documents.
    - Ability to import scanned contracts and documents
   
   
2. Integrated Fax and Email
   
   
3. Sign Forms & Contracts using Pen-to-Paper Simulation
   This has stream-lined the way we work with clients on a short sale most of all.  A tablet computer allows us to have our clients sign directly onto our IPad computer screen. This eliminated our portable printer, the requirement for e-signatures or having the clients print, then scan e-mail or fax the paperwork back.  Besides, many of our clients do not have fax or scan capabilities.  We can get all signatures in one meeting.  The on screen signature capability allows the client to sign right then and there. The signatures look like "wet signatures" and accepted by all short sale lenders.
   
   
4. Online Collaboration and Large File Transfer System
   The system allows us to store files in client specific folders with with various permission levels for access.  This allows our Transaction Assistants and clients to retrieve docs as required without sending e-mails and files back and forth.

Marketing Platform

We have stopped using property fliers long ago (That in itself has saved countless trees).  We are now trying a more high-tech approach.

QR Codes

QR Codes are special bar-codes that can be scanned with most mobile devices. They typically contain the URL for a website. Once scanned the mobile device automatically goes to the website specified by the QR Code. This saves a user from having to manually enter a web URL into their phone's browser.

We are using these QR codes on our yard signs, business cards, brochures, and web sites.  They are often routed to a single property web site or virtual property tour site. 

Just think - A buyer can be in front of your listing, take a picture of your "For Sale" sign, and immediately begin watching your walk through video tour as they sit in front of the house!  And you can capture their phone number instantaneously.

Text Message Marketing Sign Riders

Another use of mobile devices is similar to QR codes.  Instead of or in addition to the QR code, each property is assigned a text number that can be displayed on a sign rider. Prospective buyers can text for more property information right from their car, and all of the data including the mobile website is text'd right back to their mobile phone in an instant! Most importantly, each time a buyer requests information it instantly sends us the phone number of the prospect, letting us immediately contact the buyer.

This is just a sample of the methods we are using to reduce our paperwork and become more efficient.