Tech Tip: A Big Win In a Short Way

Today was filled with wins today. One big win was getting a contract ratified on one of my listings. The win wasn't so much getting the contract completed, but how I got it done. I was out and about when the seller contacted me to sign the contract. Thankfully I already had the contract scanned and uploaded into our electronic file system (dotloop). I had already set up the signature and initials on the form and just needed to send the seller the link...

The problem was this seller does not have a computer, and he doesn't do email on his phone, but he can and does know how to text and was willing to finalize the contract on his phone. I copied and pasted the signature link into a text. It looked something like: 

http://email.dotloop.com/wf/click?upn=B-2BLAr3qowRDKvpuQCTB5FTYBLsO5JfwgE2fAdm6a6ixV4Oe11-2FgpcKv6IQ-2Fv-2BSOg4eXIHKMm0oFzVcdzzclDbXBrXPE7Xf6oawLu3P1mvghmu-2BHeG1veGHy3p1_oFgecrdC45mg6D-2B3PQE0fxgZKbh0Xm4lZDLcUmv6XKMv-2FpiBMU-3D_x0bHYb1Ps-2BX4HgTu1MeO4LwO2tp-2FtQQ0-2FmSgmxLyqEXs4LONrk9wzeL6e2LP951xTzhzcXGfjx1c0iwbPTfowyHlLRx-2FdtHlwnc7YQ9xOBPiu3-2FMkw9s4AYdtNtICz8eItZDct6VSLkSgTYvBTMgQsJhBjI-2BAjjAJcYmJjbfL9NlBN5dxa91pANO2go5uBQ.skIopsNiUh0Bcu8J17hEsxKDOp2jDJQlEveBUCFGvvQec-3D   (not the actual URL, but very close)

I pondered it for a moment and thought, that's probably going to be broken into 2-3 text messages - and that's going to break the link. So what to do? How do I shorten it? Well duh, the same tool we use to shorten URLs to make them easier to share. I prefer to use Tiny.cc because I can edit what it gets shortened to. I pasted the link into Tiny.cc and set the link to be http://tiny.cc/sellername - BAM! That will fit into a text message and it will be clickable to open up in the phone browser. 

When I did IT work I often had to come up with fast and simple solutions by thinking out of the box. I'm so glad for those experiences and the ability I have to come up with creative solutions. This allowed my seller to complete the contract with the tools he had at his disposal and get a deal done. My seller didn't have the resources to do things the "usual" way but I was able to address his limitations and come up with a slick solution, if I do say so myself!

More and more technology is helping real estate transactions happen anywhere at any time. As a  I use my background in technology to market homes and make the process of buying and selling homes even easier for my clients; helping them achieve their goals of selling or buying a home. If you are looking for a home in Richmond Virginia, homes in Glen Allen Virginia, or homes in Mechanicsville Virginia and all points in between I can help. Check out .com to begin your home search today.