New Features for Real Estate Professionals in DocuSign eSignature
Technology is playing a growing role in the day-to-day operations of real estate professionals. Modern technology simplifies common steps that have traditionally been quite cumbersome: scheduling appointments, storing documents, hosting virtual home tours, etc. These tools are also proving especially useful in streamlining the forms and documents real estate agents must complete from listing to closing. Exclusivity agreements, sales contracts and disclosures are just a few of the documents real estate professionals must process for each transaction. Completing heaps of paperwork for each transaction is time-consuming and monotonous. While electronic signature makes some parts of that process simpler, there's a lot of work before and after signature that still needs to be done. Those other agreement steps limit the amount of time real estate agents could otherwise spend generating leads and supporting the needs of their buyers or sellers. They get even more burdensome if the work is done in separate systems or involves manual work like printing, mailing or scanning. Real estate professionals can simplify transactions with DocuSign eSignature for Real Estate, an all-in-one solution for agents to do business faster. Whether using a desktop, laptop, tablet or phone, it provides the tools to access and quickly complete state/local association forms, obtain electronic signatures and organize forms in one centralized place. In this post, we'll share some exciting new capabilities that can be unlocked with eSignature for Real Estate features. These DocuSign tools are built specifically for real estate agents to help them simplify everyday work, spend more time with clients and accelerate deals. Track the end-to-end process with a dedicated transactions workspace With a transactions workspace, agents can easily view all transactions and organize all related documents from a centralized hub. This dedicated workspace connects every step (and the documents that track those steps) in a single digital location. With all these forms in a single location, agents have a simpler, more efficient way of negotiating complex series documents. Cutting-edge agents can use the transactions workspace to simplify access to current state and local association forms. They can prepopulate common data fields and use auto-fill capabilities to quickly pull data from other connected systems and reduce the amount of paperwork that has to be done. With a more uniform process and more information automatically added to forms, the transactions workspace offers real estate agencies a simpler path to compliance and reduces the amount of time spent searching for documents. Respond to time-sensitive documents faster with a robust mobile experience Real estate agents are always on the go. If they need to use a desktop or laptop computer to manage agreements, they'll sacrifice time that they could be spending with clients or on-location at their properties. When documents are time-sensitive, they have to make sacrifices to stay tethered to their computers. A powerful mobile solution is a need-to-have part of the modern agent's toolkit. The DocuSign mobile experience is exactly that; it gives agents the flexibility to work from anywhere. They can use almost any device to create or view any document that is part of any transaction. They can even make updates to envelopes that have already been sent or resume drafts of documents that were started on another device. The ability to manage documents via smartphone will shorten deal close time and improve the experience of buyers and sellers. Those faster transactions will improve client satisfaction and loyalty. They may even be a competitive edge when it comes to winning clients who expect a buying or selling experience full of modern conveniences. Streamline common real estate document actions with real estate forms Whether acquiring new clients or simplifying standard signatures throughout a sale, real estate agents can accelerate deals, reduce errors and spend more time growing their business with real estate forms. With forms for real estate, agents can easily access the following functionality: Digital form libraries give agents secure access to the most current state and local association forms Data form fill capability allows agents to enter data once and have it automatically populate across all forms in the same transaction to avoid repetitive data entry Customized form packets help agents quickly find frequently used forms based on transaction type (such as purchase or sale), which saves time and supports compliance Preplaced fields on forms save time by using forms with fields that are accurately placed, assigned to the proper recipients and ready to be completed and sent to clients From listing to sale, REALTORS® can expect to mark their signature dozens of times as well as review stacks of other documents. Common forms they frequently sign throughout the process include: Purchase and sale agreements Addendums Appraisals and disclosures Inspections Leasing or rent back contracts NDAs Furniture bill of sale Manage real estate transactions with the all-in-one solution The robust collection of DocuSign tools for Realtors is a simple way for agents to spend less time on routine paperwork and more time focused on the people and properties they represent. The newest round of updates connects all those tools in a single place to maximize visibility and enhance the mobile experience for agents. DocuSign offers several real estate-specific plans with pricing to meet your budget. And because we partner with the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) (we're their exclusive eSignature provider), we can offer special pricing for NAR members. To view the original article, visit the DocuSign blog.

4 Ways Technology Can Help Real Estate Agents Achieve Work-Life Balance
Thank you to Tech Helpline for sponsoring this article on RE Technology: Busy real estate agents often find themselves juggling a myriad of tasks and responsibilities, making it challenging to strike a balance between their work and personal lives. Long hours, ongoing deadlines, and the overall demands of the job can leave little room for relaxation and quality time with loved ones. How can agents balance their professional aspirations with their personal lives? Technology can help. Most agents today have access to innovative solutions that help them work smarter, not harder, to regain control over their schedules. Let's explore four powerful technologies that can help change how real estate agents manage their work-life balance. 1. Digital Transaction Management Systems: Increasing Efficiency A digital transaction management system like Form Simplicity is one of the most potent time-saving technologies for real estate agents. These platforms simplify the entire transaction process, and agents eliminate paper shuffling by going digital and dramatically increasing their efficiency. Today's top transaction management solutions integrate seamlessly with other essential tech tools, supercharging productivity. For instance, Form Simplicity integrates with RentSpree, making tenant screening a breeze and reducing liability. It also interfaces with Google Drive, allowing for effective team collaboration on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Moreover, its Google Contacts integration streamlines data synchronization between apps, creating powerful automated workflows. Dropbox can help organize one's files in a single, convenient location, simplifying cloud storage. To save time securing vital client reviews, Rate My Agent makes collecting them easier than ever. Earnnest facilitates the secure electronic transfer of funds, eliminating the need for agents to drive around town picking up and delivering checks. By utilizing these integrations, real estate agents can save significant time, helping to provide more opportunities for work-life balance. 2. CRM: Nurturing Relationships and Saving Time Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are a real estate agent's best friend when it comes to maintaining a productive workflow. According to the National Association of Realtors, only a quarter of agents use a CRM daily or nearly every day, yet those who do are among the most productive in the industry. A CRM system helps agents manage client relationships, track leads, and streamline promotional efforts. It automates routine tasks, such as sending follow-up emails and reminders, ensuring no opportunities slip through the cracks. With a well-implemented CRM, agents can free up valuable time by automating essential processes and improving their overall efficiency, which can translate into more personal time. 3. ChatGPT 4: Unleashing Creativity and Efficiency ChatGPT 4 is a versatile tool that can be a game-changer for real estate agents seeking to save time and enhance productivity. Beyond its capabilities in generating high-quality copy, it serves as an invaluable resource for brainstorming, ideation, and content creation. Real estate agents can use ChatGPT 4 to draft blog posts, social media updates, property descriptions, and more. Most importantly, agents can provide prompt instructions to ensure compliance with Fair Housing laws. When used correctly, agents can proofread and make changes to ensure accuracy and appropriate word usage. This AI tool can also assist in creating marketing plans, video scripts, social media schedules, and more, making it an indispensable asset for content creation and marketing strategy development. Moreover, ChatGPT 4 is a lifesaver for overcoming writer's block, offering a wealth of ideas and topics to explore. When used effectively and verified for factual accuracy, it can significantly boost an agent's efficiency and creativity, ultimately freeing up more of their schedule for personal endeavors. 4. Automate Your Marketing Most real estate agents can access automated marketing tools and platforms their brokerages provide. These tools can transform how agents promote their listings and engage with clients. Automated marketing often includes a variety of tools – from drip email campaigns and local market reports to newsletters and promotional campaigns for listings. With the ability to personalize content to users, pre-schedule social media posts, and more, agents can set much of their marketing outreach and maintain a solid online presence. Automated marketing saves agents time that they can deploy elsewhere and ensures consistency and effectiveness in their marketing strategies. Leverage all four technologies When real estate agents use all four powerful technologies – digital transaction management systems, CRM systems, ChatGPT 4, and automated marketing – they unlock more of their most valuable asset: time. These helpful tech tools enable agents to work smarter, not harder, by streamlining processes, nurturing relationships, enhancing creativity, and automating marketing efforts. As a result, agents can reclaim their work-life balance, enjoy more personal time, and create lasting memories with family and friends – and remain highly successful agents. One final timesaver If you are among the 750,000 Realtors in North America who have access to Tech Helpline – which also supports Form Simplicity – reach out for assistance to navigate these technologies or help you resolve any tech-related issue faster. By embracing technology that genuinely will save you time, it can help you achieve the life-work balance you deserve. Related reads Tech Helpline Blog: 3 Best AI Prompts for Real Estate Agents Best practices for AI in Real Estate Today Form Simplicity Blog: 6 Ways You Can Use Technology to Reduce Your Stress Don't fall for it: 4 new online + offline scams and how to protect yourself 5 Realtor safety apps to protect you and your clients Are your kids attending school from home? Safest ways to share your work computer Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns both Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.

Meet the Folks from Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity in Person as They Attend Conferences Coast-to-Coast
Team members from Tech Helpline, real estate's No. 1 tech support service, and Form Simplicity, the only Realtor association-owned digital transaction management solution, are back on the road. Throughout the rest of this year, thousands of real estate agents and brokers nationwide who use Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity will have the opportunity to meet some of the friendly folks who make the magic happen in person as these two wholly-owned Florida Realtors® operations travel to meet users. It's going to be a busy convention season this fall, so here's a list of upcoming meetings and conferences attended by Tech Helpline and/or Form Simplicity: August 16-17, 2023 – Orlando, FL. Florida Realtors Convention & Trade Expo: If you want to meet most of the team that runs Form Simplicity and Tech Helpline in person, this is the one event to attend! Florida Realtors is the largest state Realtor association, and this is its biggest event of the year. You can't miss them as their exhibit is in the main hallway of the hotel's convention center since both products are coveted benefits for Florida Realtors members. August 29-30, 2023 – Miami Beach, FL. NAR iOi Summit – Innovation, Opportunity, Investment: At the fifth annual iOi Summit, more than 700 PropTech leaders and futurists, investors, and forward-thinking real estate professionals are coming together to fuel the industry's future. PropTech is driving transformation in real estate, and iOi is all about the latest firms vying to bring industry-changing innovations to the market to tackle the most crucial issues and significant problems. The iOi Summit is the intersection of where technology and real estate meet and where you can meet the folks from both Form Simplicity and Tech Helpline! September 5-8, 2023 – Savannah, GA. Georgia Realtors® Annual Conference & Expo: Both Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity will appear at the Georgia Realtors® Annual Conference & Expo, located at the Savannah Convention Center. Tech Helpline is an included member benefit for members of some local associations, while Form Simplicity is available for a small annual fee. September 18-20, 2023 – Hot Springs, AR. 99th Annual Arkansas REALTORS® Trade Show & Convention: Form Simplicity and Tech Helpline will be present at the Arkansas REALTORS® Convention & Trade Expo, located at the Hot Springs Convention Center. Both products are included member benefits for Arkansas REALTORS®. September 19-21, 2023 – Springfield, MO. Missouri REALTORS® Fall Business Conference: Both Form Simplicity and Tech Helpline will be at the Missouri REALTORS® Fall Business Conference at the Oasis Hotel & Convention Center. For Missouri REALTORS®, Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity's Starter Edition are a member benefit. September 19-21, 2023 – Richmond, VA. Virginia REALTORS® Annual Convention: Meet team members from Tech Helpline at the Virginia REALTORS® Annual Convention at the Richmond Marriott. Tech Helpline is an included member benefit for Virginia REALTORS®. September 19-22, 2023 – Cheyenne, WY. Wyoming REALTORS® Conference & Expo: Form Simplicity and Tech Helpline will travel to the Wyoming Realtors Conference and Expo, where Form Simplicity education and training expert Kaz will be teaching three one-hour classes. His popular courses include "The Foundations of Form Simplicity" (1CE), "Optimizing Your Workflow with Form Simplicity" (1CE), and "eSign and Close!" (1CE). Both products are included benefits for Wyoming REALTORS members. September 27-29, 2023 – Manhattan, KS. Kansas Association of REALTORS® Convention: Form Simplicity and Tech Helpline will also be at the Kansas Association of REALTORS® Convention at the Hilton Garden Inn. Tech Helpline is an included member benefit for Kansas REALTORS®, while Form Simplicity is available for a small annual fee. October 3-5, 2023 – New Orleans, LA. CMLS2023: Stop by the Form Simplicity and Tech Helpline exhibit at CMLS2023, located at the Marriott in downtown New Orleans. October 10-13, 2023 – Sun Valley, ID. Idaho REALTORS® Convention: Form Simplicity and Tech Helpline also will be at the Idaho REALTORS® Convention at the Sun Valley Resort. Both products are included benefits for Idaho REALTORS members. October 16-19, 2023 – Savannah, GA. Region 4 REALTORS® Conference & Expo: Form Simplicity and Tech Helpline will then travel to the Region 4 REALTORS® Conference & Expo, where over a thousand real estate professionals from Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee come together to drive the industry forward. North Carolina, South Carolina, and some local associations from Georgia and Tennessee provide Tech Helpline as a member benefit. November 3, 2023 – Meridian, ID. Intermountain MLS Training & Tech Fair: Form Simplicity and Tech Helpline will head to the Intermountain MLS Training & Tech Fair at the Courtyard by Marriott. Both products are included benefits for Idaho REALTORS®. November 11-14, 2023 – Anaheim, CA. NAR NXT The REALTOR® Experience: Meet the Form Simplicity and Tech Helpline team at the biggest Realtor event of the year at Orange County Convention Center in Booth #510. Some local associations throughout California provide Tech Helpline as a member benefit. December 4-7, 2023 – Atlantic City, NJ. Triple Play REALTOR® Convention & Trade Expo: The Form Simplicity and Tech Helpline team wraps up its travel schedule with the Triple Play REALTOR® Convention & Trade Expo at the Atlantic City Convention Center. Hosts include the New Jersey Realtors, NYSAR, and the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors. Depending on the member's location in the tri-state area, Form Simplicity and Tech Helpline may be a member benefit. If you are planning to attend any of these events, please stop by and say "Hi" to the friendly folks from Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity! About Tech Helpline As real estate's No. 1 tech support firm, Tech Helpline began 20 years ago as a service for members of Florida Realtors. Known for its no-nonsense technical advice and warm, friendly customer service, Tech Helpline rapidly grew by offering its service to other REALTOR associations and organizations, multiple listing services (MLSs), and real estate brokerage firms. Tech Helpline is the real estate industry's No. 1 tech support service, available to nearly half the Realtors in North America – with 765,000 members, 17 state associations, and 68 local associations and organizations in the US and Canada. Form Simplicity Form Simplicity serves the real estate industry by providing real estate professionals with an end-to-end, digital real estate transaction management solution to expedite real estate transactions to create more deals and less paperwork. Form Simplicity gives real estate agents and brokers the tools to create, manage, share, and store transactions digitally in the cloud, the key to fully digital transactions. In addition, users can create and edit transactions on mobile devices. Form Simplicity's cloud-based platform is a cost-effective solution for Realtor associations, MLS systems, and brokerage firms nationwide. Remember to bring all your questions to the Tech Helpline or Form Simplicity team as they are ready to help you — or connect you with a Tech Helpline analyst or Form Simplicity expert to ensure you get the answers and support you need. We hope to see somewhere on the road — soon! Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns both Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.

On the Road Again! Meet the Folks from Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity at an Upcoming Conference
Conference and convention season has begun! Later this week, the 2023 Realtors Legislative Meetings and Trade Show will be in Washington DC, May 6-11, with Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity at Booth 515. At this conference – and throughout the year – thousands of real estate agents and brokers who use Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity will have the opportunity to meet some of the friendly folks who make the magic happen for these two Florida Realtors® wholly-owned operations in person. The schedule for the next few months includes attending or exhibiting at gatherings in Austin, Norfolk, Atlanta, Orlando, and Miami Beach. And in case you are unfamiliar with them, here's some background information about Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity. Tech Helpline As real estate's number one tech support firm, Tech Helpline began 20 years ago as a service for members of Florida Realtors. Known for its no-nonsense technical advice and warm, friendly customer service, Tech Helpline rapidly grew by offering its service to other REALTOR associations and organizations, multiple listing services (MLSs), and real estate brokerage firms. Tech Helpline is the real estate industry's No. 1 tech support service, available to nearly half the Realtors in North America – with 750,000 members, 16 state associations, and 68 local associations and organizations in the US and Canada. Form Simplicity Form Simplicity serves the real estate industry by providing real estate professionals with an end-to-end, digital real estate transaction management solution to expedite real estate transactions to create more deals and less paperwork. Form Simplicity gives real estate agents and brokers the tools to create, manage, share, and store transactions digitally in the cloud, the key to fully digital transactions. In addition, users can create and edit transactions on mobile devices. Form Simplicity's cloud-based platform is a cost-effective solution for Realtor associations, MLS systems, and brokerage firms nationwide. Opportunities to connect in person After this year's NAR Legislative Meetings and Trade Show in DC, you'll find representatives from either one or both organizations at the following upcoming events from May to August 2023: June 18 - 21, 2023 – Austin, TX. Gathering of Eagles: Gathering of Eagles brings together the nation's most elite brokerage, association, and team leaders, C-suite leaders, and top-producing agents to grow, network, and set the pace for what's next in our industry. If you're attending, you'll note that your friends from Form Simplicity make your WiFi possible! July 15 - 18, 2023 – Norfolk, VA. Regional AE Conference – RAEC 2023: The Regional Association Executives Conference is an education-packed event that brings together Association Executives from Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama, South Carolina, and Virginia. Attendees can connect with over 100 association executives and association department heads attending this three-day education and networking event. Look for the Form Simplicity and Tech Helpline exhibitor's table. August 4 – 7, 2023 – Atlanta, GA. 2023 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition: The 2023 ASAE Annual Meeting is where thousands of association professionals and industry partners gather to exchange knowledge, resources, strategies, solutions, and more. Over three days of learning, growing, and finding inspiration, attendees are equipped with a year's worth of support in their daily responsibilities as leaders in the association industry. Be on the lookout for Jessica Smith, Sales and Client Services Manager, who is attending and representing Tech Helpline. August 16 – 17, 2023 – Orlando, FL. Florida Realtors Convention & Trade Expo: If you want to meet most of the team that runs Form Simplicity and Tech Helpline in person, this is the one event to attend! Florida Realtors is the largest state Realtor Association, and this is our biggest event of the year. You can't miss us, as our exhibit is in the main hallway of the hotel's convention center. It is known as "The Premiere Event for Serious Realtors." August 29 – 30, 2023 – Miami Beach, FL. NAR iOi Summit – Innovation, Opportunity, Investment: At the fifth annual iOi Summit, more than 700 PropTech leaders and futurists, investors, and forward-thinking real estate professionals are coming together to fuel the future of the industry. PropTech is driving transformation in real estate, and, at iOi, will have all hands-on technology — talking, touching, and testing life-changing innovations that tackle the industry's critical issues and most significant problems. The iOi Summit is the intersection of where technology and real estate meet. More to come Stay tuned for a fall update on the conventions, conferences, and meetings where Form Simplicity and Tech Helpline will be in full force. Remember, if you happen to be attending one of these events, please stop by and bring your questions about Form Simplicity and Tech Helpline. The team is excited to meet you face-to-face! Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns and operates Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.

[Best of 2022] The 1 Thing You Must Do After Every Transaction
We're continuing an annual tradition of counting down our top 10 articles of the year. The following article was originally published in September and is #6 in our countdown. See #7 here. The most experienced real estate agents will tell you that they get more business from their sphere of influence than any other marketing channel. According to the National Association of Realtors, agents with 16+ years in the business say that nearly 40 percent of their business comes solely from referrals. Although research also says 90 percent of sellers and buyers say they would recommend their agents, fewer than one in five do. The challenge for agents is staying top of mind, and one of the best ways to do that is to build into your closing process this one task: provide your clients with a complete set of documents related to their transaction. Leveraging the power of transaction management It has never been easier for agents to provide their clients with a complete set of documents related to their home sale or purchase, especially when agents use a transaction management system like Form Simplicity. Agents who have gone fully digital by using Form Simplicity, or a comparable transaction management solution, find three huge benefits when it comes to this seemingly simple task: Every document is in one place: No paper search or shuffling is needed, and no chasing down missing documents is ever necessary. Every transaction step and document is tracked: No more providing duplicative documents or determining if what you are including is the "final" version or an earlier draft. It's easy to export it all at once: Because everything is together, all you need to do is export your electronic version of everything or print it out all at the same time. One thing – so far – that hasn't changed is the amount of documentation connected to a purchase and sale. It feels like we have created more, not less, documentation: more disclosures, more addendums, and more forms. That makes it doubly difficult if you are a broker or agent still living in a paper-based world. The chances of losing or misplacing a document are a genuine business hazard. Using Form Simplicity or any other leading transaction management systems removes this potential pitfall. Digital or paper? Ironically, many agents who use a transaction management solution like Form Simplicity still will provide their clients a paper version of everything. But is that a bad thing? It depends. Agents get to know their clients well during a transaction. Communications to clients will vary by what works best for each client. Some clients only want to converse through text. Others are highly active on Facebook and prefer Messenger. Many clients expect everything via email, while others like an old-fashioned phone call. Agents know they need to be chameleons and adapt to each client's communications needs. The same is true when an agent needs to decide how to give their clients a complete set of documents from their closed transaction. Today, the fallback is digital – and a physical flash (thumb) drive is cheap and easy. If the client expects a paper file, one should be provided, but be careful. It's a stereotype, but most Millennials would cringe if you gave them a folder with paper documents. If in doubt, ask your client, and confirm the format they want. Or just provide them with both automatically. Keep it secure Finally, it's essential to remember that there is often personal and confidential information on closing documents. Therefore, you will want to make sure they are secure. Fortunately, you can encrypt the entire flash drive or individual PDF files securely with a password. Then, all you need to do is provide the password to the client that is unique to them, such as the first four letters of their first or last name and their mobile number or the last five digits of their social security number. If you can, make sure you have a cover sheet with all your branding and contact info on the digital or paper version. Better yet, if you are giving clients a flash drive, add a small label with your name and number to that. A lasting impression When tax time rolls around, this will be their go-to document. Your client may find dozens of other reasons to retrieve information from this vital documentation as a homeowner. It's a small step in the scheme of every transaction, but one that can benefit an agent for many years to come. If you need a transaction management solution and would like more information about Form Simplicity, go online to formsimplicity.com. Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns and operates Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.

The All-new Authentisign: See What's Next for Transactions (zipForm Edition) Users
Lone Wolf has been working hard to make sure that this add-on, previously known as zipLogix Digital Ink 2.0 powered by Authentisign, is packed with powerful improvements. With this new Authentisign, we know how important it is for agents and signers to be able to use it easily. Here's what you can expect to see: a simpler way to collect digital signatures for transactions. But first, what is Authentisign? Trusted by 450,000 real estate professionals and counting, Authentisign is Lone Wolf's popular eSignature tool. Thanks to its connection to Transactions and our forms editor, it brings contract authoring and signing together into a single connected experience, so agents can complete signings in three easy steps and up to 60% faster (more on that later!). As part of our competitive edge, we've also added personalized email templates and signature/markup settings, and the ability to force signings as "completed" when a signature is no longer required. While we're bringing the all-new Authentisign to Transactions (zipForm Edition) throughout the next few months, it's important to highlight that it's been offered in Transactions (TransactionDesk Edition) for a couple of years now. The result? A steady all-time user rating of 4.5/5 from 1.8 million real estate professionals and clients, and a whopping 17 million signatures completed so far in this year alone. And with the new features we've brought on for Transactions (zipForms Edition), there's undoubtedly more to come. Read on to learn about the all-new Authentisign's top three improvements. 1. Easier workflows for signature creation Lone Wolf has improved signature creation workflows, so they're much easier than before. You can make, save, and select default annotation properties, which helps you save time on commonly chosen properties. We also removed the signing wizard to make for a smoother process overall. Instead, you'll find steps integrated into more natural workflows, so you can create and request signatures in just a few easy clicks. 2. Improved experience for signers The all-new Authentisign optimizes the signing design for each document to create a simpler experience for requested signers. Whether it's an agent, client, or another party who needs to sign, they'll be able to navigate an intuitive UI that looks much simpler and cleaner than before. Clients can sign at any time and on any web browser or mobile device without needing to download software or register for an account beforehand. When signing, they won't be prompted for a signature until they click on a signature block. Blocks are now color-coded for easier differentiation, too. 3. Faster performance for users With the latest performance improvements, users can now complete a signing up to 60% faster, which saves time and increases productivity for brokers, agents, and clients. Broker and agent users can now view and take signing actions in one place, as well as access real-time insights into the status of all ongoing signatures. Signers can leave feedback through a Rejected Reasons dropdown option, which helps to identify and address an issue quickly. Signers can also provide feedback after they've completed a signing to highlight any issues or positive points about the experience. Everything adds up—to a powerful all-new Authentisign Overall, the newest version of the all-new Authentisign has a modern look and feel, and the steadfast performance to match. With a simple three-step process for document signings, multiple layers of security protection for eSignatures, and more, this tool offers an easy experience for users and signers. The phased rollout for the all-new Authentisign starts on September 6 and will continue into November 2022. Stay on the lookout for in-product messages to see when it will be available in your market! To view the original article, visit the Lone Wolf blog.

How the Real Estate Transaction's Weak Link Became Its Strength
Good news: the weak link in the digital transaction chain is finally being mended. For years, real estate professionals have been able to manage transactions digitally, from start to close, with one exception: the transfer of earnest money. This creates a peculiarly analog moment in a sequence of events that otherwise occurs entirely online. That's not just inconvenient—it's less secure, too, and exposes your clients to the risk of fraud and identity theft. Fortunately, that old school method of collecting earnest money is now being digitized to match the rest of the transaction. In fact, you may have seen the headlines: major brokerages like Howard Hanna are adopting digital earnest money solutions like Earnnest. Even better, digital transaction companies like dotloop are integrating digital earnest money solutions right into their platform, so users can manage the entire transaction from one place. So how do digital earnest money solutions work, and how do they improve the transaction experience for agents, brokerages, and their clients? Let's explore. The Problem with Earnest Money Before solutions like Earnnest debuted, the process of collecting and depositing earnest money was time consuming: the buyer delivers a paper check to their agent, who gives it to the listing agent, who gives it to the Designated Trust Account Holder, who—finally—deposits it into a trust account. That's a lot of hands for a single check to pass through, and each exchange puts the check at risk of being lost or stolen. What's worse, many brokerages have been targets of earnest money scams where hackers spoof an email from the brokerage to the buyer with fraudulent wire transfer instructions. Not only does this mean missed deadlines and derailed transactions, but this can put brokerages at regulatory risk and subject them to legal liability. Fortifying the Transaction Digital earnest money solutions make the transaction more secure (and efficient) by moving the entire process online, from requesting the deposit all the way to deposit and completion. The process is simple, and can be completed in just a few steps. As an example, let's take a look at this process in Earnnest's integration with dotloop: 1. Send a payment request From within a transaction in dotloop, click Send Earnnest Request in the top right of your screen. You'll be prompted to log in to Earnnest, and once you do, information will be automatically populated into the request form. Next, add your escrow holder. If their name doesn't appear, you can invite them to join the transaction. Once they enroll, send the request. 2. Buyer receives alert and completes the process Next, the buyer receives an email and/or text prompting them to complete the earnest money request. All they need to do is confirm their identity, add a funding bank, and send the payment. Earnest then completes the process via a digital transfer with bank-level security. Once the buyer is done, the requesting agent receives an email notification. On average, according to dotloop, it takes agents less than two minutes to send the earnest money request, and 80% of buyers complete this process in under three minutes. That's potential hours saved over the traditional method of passing a paper check between multiple parties! The process is further streamlined when the earnest money solution is integrated directly into the agent's transaction management program. It promotes, as Earnnest President and Chief Operating Officer Russell Smith notes, simplicity of use. "If I'm a real estate agent or brokerage, and I'm evaluating a digital earnest money partner, a few of the things that I'd be looking for: simplicity of use," Smith says. "Is it a tool that, if I'm an agent, fits in my workflow? If I'm a brokerage, is something that I think my agents are going to be able to adopt? And really when you look at adoption … one of the ways we've seen to really increase that is making sure it's within their workflow." Learn more about dotloop's integration with Earnnest here, or watch this short webinar for a more in-depth look.

Improve Your Workflow with CRM and Transaction Management
A solid real estate customer relationship management (CRM) system should include transaction management that helps real estate agents not only manage their contacts, but also their transactions. A CRM system is vital for agents who want to strengthen and nurture relationships with clients in addition to increasing their productivity overall. In fact, there's a strong correlation between agent productivity and use of a CRM for real estate. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) confirms this trend, stating that the best way to keep your client flow steady is to develop a strategy using CRM. Five years ago, close to 40% of agents used CRM (Hubspot). And, 95% of agents considered to be "top-performing" were among that percentage — underscoring the usefulness of CRM for real estate agents. To find the most effective and budget-friendly real estate software suite for your business, you'll need to sort the "must-have" features from the features that are simply "nice-to-have." Let's look at why a real estate CRM can help you grow and manage your business more efficiently — and more profitably — than ever. Why You Need a Real Estate CRM to Keep It Together What is CRM in real estate? Quite simply, it's the best way for agents to manage contacts, transactions, and team activities to keep their business running smoothly — and producing. Realtor leads are a critical source of clients — and revenue — for agents. Because of their importance, most brokerage firms place significance on managing them. But Realtors face obstacles other marketers don't, contributing to the development of very unique lead management practices. Three lead-management challenges that are specific to the real estate industry include the facts that: Real estate agents don't get repeat business from current customers — they get it from leads generated by those customers, so longterm relationship-building is critical. Referrals and listings are the main source of Realtor leads. The sales cycle is more drawn out, with varying lead involvement over several stages. Because CRM is best when it dovetails with the unique requirements of an industry, the best CRM for real estate will be a system that provides targeted real estate agent tools. Let's look at what makes effective, business-enhancing, real estate CRM software. Real Estate CRM Software That Drives Real Results We already know it's critical to invest in real-estate-specific CRM software, but let's explore the most relevant features to your investment. Here are four features that are the backbone of any high-quality real estate CRM. 1. Contact Information and Data Tracking and Management Contact management is an integral part of most real estate CRM, offering the ability to search basic fields. But game-changing real estate software will turn functionality up a notch by offering the ability to create unique fields for your business. This will further personalize your interactions with your clients and yield your company far better results. Examples of custom fields include: Rank Status Other addresses Spouse/partner info Kids' birthdays Pets' names Having this personal information at your fingertips — and being able to review it quickly before a client meeting — can result in a stronger relationship that leads to more referrals down the line.And any Realtor knows that referrals are the life-blood of the industry. This means that best CRM for real estate will feature a component that allows you to see the number of leads referred by each contact within the system. It also should track detailed notes and critical dates for every contact and transaction. And, while reviewing this information in-office at the start of your day is an excellent way to stay on top of things, most agents are on-the-go from morning 'til evening. This means that if your CRM software has the ability to travel with you, it will be an incredible benefit! If you want to be able to manage your real estate business anywhere, then you'll need a real estate CRM that offers an integrated mobile app. A good mobile app will allow you to: Access your contacts and vendors Access and update your planner, call, and task lists View, add, or update information to your CRM Work on any mobile device — from smartphone, to laptop, to tablet Does your real estate CRM offer contact management with unique fields and a mobile app for on-the-go information retrieval and input? If it doesn't, then it's not going to give you the integration you need to stay ahead of the competition. In conjunction with those critical features, your CRM must have a refined and detailed call list. 2. Highly Integrated Call Functions Real estate agents are always on their phones, making it an important part of managing daily business and growing revenue. Focused real estate CRM software will put emphasis on having an interactive call list for agents. This call list should allow them to immediately access the information of everyone that needs to be contacted, whenever they need it. Besides providing a contact's information, your CRM should allow you to view notes on previous calls. You should also be able to add notes after the current call, and schedule a follow-up call. If you're working with a team, it's important that you're able to see which calls are assigned to a team member, whether they were completed, and if they were reassigned. For teams that do mass calling, it's best to choose a real estate software that provides seamless integration with an auto dialing system for convenience. 3. Document Transactions for Easy Referrals and Increased Productivity Transactions in real estate are incredibly complex, requiring an agent to have outstanding attention to detail, accountability, and organizational skills. That's why a good real estate CRM helps agents manage everything they need through powerful software that simplified tasks and collects all data in an accessible, easily managed, digital forum. Intelligent real estate transaction management tools allow agents to: Customize listing or buyer templates Turn the templates into a transaction management checklist Record each action taken on the checklist as it is completed Show due dates, other team members involved in each action, and date/time-stamped notes Save digitally-signed transaction forms Not only does this keep agents extremely organized and up-to-date with tasks, it allows them to easily find critical information at the click of a button. Being able to instantly search for an appraiser's name on a specific contract or determine the closing date of another deal saves time and money. 4. Game-Changing Benefits for Teams Creating a real estate team can allow diverse agents to combine skill sets for increased sales and revenue. But sometimes it's difficult to coordinate the transaction activities of several members, resulting in errors and lost productivity. Good real estate CRM software will allow an administrator to add any number of team members and assign permissions for each, according to need — or strategy. The team leader can oversee processes, assign full or limited access, and change access in a flash. Each team member should be able to have access customized to their role on the team. An assistant, for example, might be able to follow everyone's transactions, while a buyer's agent might be allowed access to only their specific tasks, calendar, and leads. The best CRM for real estate will always be able to work for teams structured in various ways. When the entire team is on the same page, fewer errors are made and more sales close! You already know that the most successful agents are using real estate CRM software to get ahead of the game. If you want to join them, it's time to invest in the most impactful career decision you can make — purchasing a real estate CRM. To view the original article, visit the Wise Agent blog.

Which of These 3 Reasons Convinced You to Use THE Software Tool Brokers Encourage Most?
When the National Association of Realtors asked real estate agents last year to rank the technology tools their brokers offer that they were most satisfied with, electronic signatures or esigning technology was at the top. Moreover, NAR found the number one software tool that brokerages most often encourage their agents to use is esigning (83%), ranking higher than Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) software (82%), electronic contracts/forms (80%), or even the Multiple Listing Services (79%). According to NAR research, in 2016, esigning wasn't even a top-five technology. However, today, one in three agents (33%) collect esignatures daily or nearly every day – another 44% use esigning at least a few times a month. Why has esigning emerged as an agent's go-to tech? Three reasons have helped propel esigning to the top. 1. It's a time-saver, eliminating waste: "Time is money," Benjamin Franklin wrote in 1748, and this adage still rings true. Before esigning, agents wasted enormous time and productivity chasing down physical or "wet" versus "digital" signatures. Before esigning, think about the total waste caused by missing signatures. With 5-6 million home sales transactions a year, there are 10-12 million "sides." If a single signature was needed in only one in 10 transaction sides, more than 1 million clients would need to be tracked down. That's likely tens of millions of miles agents spent in their cars chasing down clients for signatures, a waste of time. The negative impact on the environment? The EPA says the average car emits about 404 grams of CO2 per mile. So, one million miles would generate over 445 tons of CO2. And the total time wasted? At least hundreds of thousands, if not millions of hours, collectively. Clients must sign and initial dozens of documents during a real estate transaction. It was easy, before esigning, to miss an initial or signature. But esigning with smart documents means never having to miss a signature or initial again. Agents use esigning because it saves them and their clients time as the tech is incredibly accurate. Franklin was right: time is money. 2. It's ultra-convenient: The pandemic and working remotely accelerated real estate agents' learning curve to embrace digital transactions fully. Offering esigning was no longer a luxury that gave clients flexibility. It became a necessity. Every client could now remotely sign when and from where they wanted. Offering the convenience of esignature technology means they also could sign on any device: their mobile phones, a tablet or a laptop or desktop computer – from just about any place a client could get an internet connection. Agents use esigning because it is convenient for them and their clients, and agents never have to worry again about their clients taking a last-minute vacation or being in two different places simultaneously. 3. It's safer: In the early days of esigning, many agents didn't trust digital signatures. Conventional wisdom was that somehow, digital signatures were not as secure as wet signatures. However, just the opposite was true. It's much easier to forge paper documentation and signatures than to hack digital documents or alter esignatures. With reputable providers like Form Simplicity, bank-level security is built into esignature software, on par with what the Federal Reserve uses for cybersecurity. Digital files for real estate transactions are incredibly well encrypted. That protects the seller, the buyer, their agents, and everyone else with an interest in the transaction, from the title company and the insurance firm to the bank providing the financing. Agents use esigning because it is safer and protects them, their brokerage, and their clients by preventing fraud and keeping all signed documents completely secure and unalterable. The bottom line is that esigning is better for everyone – including our planet. Agents today are more productive than ever because of esigning and the digitalization of the real estate transaction process. Agents also are using the safest technology to protect themselves and their clients. Using technology like esigning isn't just a better way to do business. It's the right way. Related articles: 3 Easy Ways to Help Your Clients Get Comfortable with eSigning Understanding the advantages of digital signatures Top 5 things you may not know about Form Simplicity's esign Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors® and manages both Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.

4 Ways a Digital Transaction Management Solution Can Help Agents Close Faster
It's 5:00 pm on a Thursday. There's an accident on the road outside your office, and traffic is a mess. As you are going through client documentation sent to you earlier, you discovered a missing signature and two initials. You realize your sellers told you they were leaving town today for a three-day weekend. You need the form tonight. Do you panic? Not if you are one of the tens of thousands of real estate agents who have embraced a digital transaction management solution. If you aren't, you probably are panicking! Technology today gives you the ability to fix a problem like this quickly. Digital transaction management software, while not yet ubiquitous, is an essential tool in an agent's tech toolbox. Here are four ways a digital transaction management solution can help agents close faster. 1. No more driving to a client to get a missed signature or initial. We have all been there. A last-minute rush to track down a client, hop in your car, and get a missing signature on a vital document. It always seems to happen when there is a tight deadline. It can wreck a schedule and cause stress. But digital transaction management software has electronic signature capabilities for remote e-signing. That means no more wasted gas to get a signature. According to the National Association of Realtors, nearly one-in-three Realtors (31%) use electronic signatures. The best digital transaction management solutions also feature smart, dynamic forms. This built-in intelligence makes sure that your clients sign every page that needs a signature – and provides an initial in every place it is required. 2. No more paper shuffle. Have you ever started searching for a file on your desk and said to yourself, "It must be somewhere here?" Think about how much time you may have spent over the course of a year hunting for a misplaced document or file. According to NAR research, that's another reason digital transaction management solutions are the go-to tech tool for one-in-four agents. But that also may mean that three-in-four agents are still doing the paper shuffle! Fortunately, as more agents work remotely, digital transaction management grows in popularity. One primary reason is that when you use a digital transaction management solution, all documentation related to a particular transaction is digitally stored in the same electronic folder. Every email and document related to each transaction is in one place. Because you can find anything related to any one of your transactions with a quick digital search, you eliminate the paper shuffle. 3. No more entering the same info again and again. When you sit down to prepare documents for a buyer or seller, you know how frustrating it can be to enter the address of the property over and over again. If only you could enter the address just once, it would magically populate every field in every form that requires that address. That's what the right digital transaction management solution that uses smart, dynamic forms can offer. You enter the information just once. Then, the built-in intelligence does the rest. Can you imagine the cumulative time you can save if you don't have to re-enter the same information multiple times? How much time – and angst – can you save if you never make a mistake in an address or a name on a form? Smart forms make sure the correct address – or client's name – is repopulated throughout every form in the transaction that needs this information. 4. Searching for an email related to the transaction. Gmail and other email programs are great – until they are not. When you receive dozens of unsolicited emails every day, it can be challenging to keep them organized. If you don't sort every email you receive into folders to stay organized or make sure you are at a "zero inbox" every day, you are in the majority. Active agents often don't have time to maintain and manage their emails. Unfortunately, emails can be like socks in a dryer. Somehow, they seem to disappear. If you have found yourself spending an unreasonable amount of time searching for a crucial client email related to a transaction, you know it can be frustrating and time-consuming. A digital transaction management solution eliminates time wasted searching for a transaction-related email. Automatically, every email goes to the same digital folder. Everything is in one place and stays in one place. At Form Simplicity, we know the frustration agents and brokers experience when they don't have a digital transaction management solution. We also know that agents and brokers who move from pushing papers to going digital close deals faster. It can be life-changing when they discover all the timesaving benefits a digital transaction management solution like Form Simplicity can provide. Learn how to go paperless and make a digital transaction management solution the cornerstone of your technology at formsimplicity.com. Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns and operates Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.

What Does a Contract to Close Coordinator Do?
You know better than anyone that real estate involves a ton of intricate paperwork. All that paperwork can become overwhelming and exhausting quickly. Not to mention that doing hours upon hours of paperwork was not the reason you became a real estate agent. That is why many real estate agents have invested in the help of a contract-to-close coordinator. A contract-to-close coordinator takes all that paperwork off your plate in a timely and efficient manner. These individuals are prepared for any paperwork nightmare that may come along during your transactions so you can always count on them to get the job done. What Exactly Does a Contract-to-Close Coordinator Do? This may be surprising given how much is involved in the process, but a transaction coordinator handles everything from contract to close when you make a new deal. That includes, but is not limited to: Opening escrow Verifying all title work is complete Scheduling all inspections Ensuring all documents are submitted correctly and on time Coordinating the closing process Keeping the buyer and seller informed on the progress of the transaction As you can see, contract-to-close coordinators handle a wide variety of tasks. These team members essentially take over all the administrative duties involved in a real estate transaction. Check out our transaction coordinator checklist to truly get a comprehensive idea of what these assistants can do for you. Signs You Need a Contract-to-Close Coordinator You're drowning in mundane paperwork. You just want to get back to the work you love doing. Well, you may have just found the solution to your problems. Contract-to-close coordinators do all the work you don't want to, so you can focus on the aspects of being a real estate agent that you love. If any of these signs sound like you, it may be time to consider how hiring a transaction coordinator could change the way you do business for the better. Small Details Have Slipped Past You Here and There Everyone makes mistakes. We are all human, and it is completely expected for one or two details to have slipped your mind. Maybe you were doing 12 things at once and one tedious form wasn't filled out completely correct. Or maybe you forgot Mrs. Smith's home inspection time when you were prospecting for new clients. While these scenarios are likely to happen, they easily upset you and your clients. The good news is that they can be entirely avoided with the help of a transaction coordinator. You Don't Have a Foolproof Closing System Having and maintaining a foolproof closing system can be challenging for any Realtor. Yet it is entirely necessary to have in the real estate industry. Without a well equipped and efficient closing system, you will be faced with unnecessary paperwork stress. This negatively affects you and your client at the end of an already long real estate process. A transaction coordinator can ensure that closing will run smoothly even if complications arise. So if you may not have the most solid closing system, or maybe you want to dedicate your time to other tasks instead of closing duties, then a transaction coordinator is definitely someone you want to invest in. You Haven't Taken a Vacation in Years You are probably thinking, Real estate agents don't get to take vacations. Well, you might be pleased to find out then that you do, in fact, have time to vacation when you have the help of a contract-to-close coordinator. Our transaction coordinators, on average, save you about 16 hours of work per deal. That is a lot of time that you could have back on your hands. While you may be excited to dedicate that time back to revenue generating tasks, it is also a good to use it for some much needed rest and relaxation. Getting Back to the Things You Love At the end of the day, a contract-to-close coordinator is simply just someone that is able to help you out in the complicated real estate process without stepping on your toes. You are still running the show, just with a little backstage help now. When you hire a transaction coordinator, you will always have someone on your side. You will be able to trust in the fact that someone with valued experience will constantly be looking out for you, your business and your clients. Investing in a transaction coordinator allows you to spend more time doing the work you love and spend more time with the people you love. So what do you have to lose? To view the original article, visit the Transactly blog.

Blockchain and Real Estate: What's All the Buzz About?
Have you heard the term blockchain and immediately thought of cryptocurrency and Bitcoin? Perhaps you think, why should I care about blockchain? Blockchain technology and real estate are currently being considered for a variety of real-world transactions. Though the technology itself is not new, according to a recent NAR report, it will likely be years before you will see the effects in mainstream real estate transactions. But regardless of when blockchain becomes instrumental in your daily life, it is something to take notice of and form a basic understanding of. What are blockchain and cryptocurrency? Are blockchain and cryptocurrency the same thing? The simple answer is no. When you realize all these terms are not synonymous, you can ponder what the future benefits of real estate and blockchain are. Blockchain is a digitalized system of storing important coded data in specific "blocks." In real estate, that data might include information about property titles, specifics regarding accurate measurements, 3D tours, floor plans, financing and taxes. Once information is entered into a block, it is immutable, meaning it cannot be altered. Updating the particulars requires entering in additional information, but without removing the original data, thus forming a chain of information for every transaction. This essentially forms a digital trail of everything entered into the block or ledger in chronological order. Cryptocurrency is digital money that has no physical form, existing only on computer systems. It uses blockchain technology as a way to record, encrypt and transfer transactions controlled solely by its users and the algorithms of the computer. Though cryptocurrency may play a role in blockchain technology and real estate at some point, the industry will likely use blockchain initially for smart contracts, improving the liquidity of real estate assets and speeding up transactions. Accounting and blockchain How many times have you made a mistake on a contract or have noticed some discrepancy in a property's accurate measurements? To consider what the future benefits of real estate and blockchain are is to consider limiting errors for all future transactions. The technology exists to enable the entire real estate transaction, both past and current, to be held on a blockchain. Because blockchains are themselves immutable, every piece of information about a property is accounted for and can be verified by all users with access to the chain. This provides transparency, accountability, and the ability to audit the information quickly and easily. Access to titles and deeds can happen in an instant from anywhere in the world. You won't have to wait for a centralized government database to provide information or proof of ownership. Tokenization and liquidity Real estate investing is becoming more difficult due to the rising prices of both residential and commercial property. But tokenization may open the doors for investors to stay in the real estate market and possibly diversify their investments throughout a variety of sectors. This can be done through blockchain technology and real estate tokenization. Tokenization allows fractional ownership by the creation of tokens as a means of attracting investors like what this Aspen ski resort recently accomplished through "Aspencoin," thus making the entire property more liquid. An owner can sell all or part of the equity and allow a buyer immediate ownership all through the blockchain platform. Smart contracts What are the future benefits of real estate and blockchain when it comes to day-to-day transactions? The smart contract may be the answer to speeding up everything from due diligence to closing of a sale or lease. With all the property's information stored in a digital ledger within the block, verification of things like profit and loss, income statements, buyer and seller identity, and credit checks can all happen in real-time. This can lead to a reduction of time necessary to complete the deal, eliminate the likelihood of fraudulent transactions, and provide authentication every step of the way. The smart contract can, as a recent NAR article explains, have triggers to release the payment of funds when everything in the transaction is complete. Blockchain: What could go wrong? Though at its core, blockchain technology and real estate appear to go hand-in-hand as the next best technology to make transactions easier, faster and without issue. But although blockchain technology can provide the means for cryptocurrency investors to make or lose millions in an instant, it is not without some pause when it comes to implementation for real estate. You are comfortable using proptech like 3D tours in your daily schedule; however, blockchain technology is a whole different thing. For starters, the computers that run the blockchains require a substantial amount of electricity to operate smoothly, thus negatively impacting the environment as recently uncovered in an MSNBC article. Also, the use of blockchain in real estate would involve changing systems, rewriting laws, providing protection of privacy and, of course, jurisdictional rights. At some point in the blockchain, the information has to come in contact with human users and that can open up the data to security risks and hackers. Keeping an open mind helps to determine what the future benefits of real estate and blockchain are for you. The industry is evolving, technology is advancing, and the way you do business is changing. It is important to maintain a healthy interest in proptech and blockchain so you don't become the weakest link in your own profession.

4 Things to Look for When Selecting a New Transaction Management Platform
If you are following my articles, you may have noticed a theme here. I have talked generally about Strategies to Running Your Real Estate Business, how to find a Technology Solution that Works for You, and most recently, how to find training for technology tools. Now I am going to be a bit more specific: four things to look for when selecting a new transaction management (TM) platform. I choose the word "platform" instead of "software" for a very specific reason. A TM platform is a tool that should be way more than just e-signing documents. I digress. But first, what is a transaction management platform (transaction management platform)? And why should you care? Before talking about what you should be looking for, let's discuss the why. Why should you care about finding a new transaction management platform? For the simple reason that at the end of the year, the National Association of Realtors® member benefit, zipLogix, is going away. There is no time like the present to be looking for its replacement. What Is a Transaction Management Platform? To keep things simple, I am going to use dotloop throughout this article. A transaction management platform is way more than just a place to get signatures. A transaction management platform is a piece of software that should enable the entire team, from the broker and the agent to the admins and transaction coordinators, to know where each and every transaction is in the process. It should be connected to whichever CRM you are using to save time for everyone involved. And it should be usable from the field (i.e., mobile-friendly). Now that you have a general idea of what a transaction management platform should do, let's discuss the four things that you should be looking for in a transaction management platform: training, if the software is right for your business, functionality, and third-party reviews and ratings. Training In the article 4 Places to Find Training for Your Technology Tools, the first place that you should look for training is on the technology company's website. There should be options for live training, articles, videos, and much more. Having such options are key when selecting any new piece of software. You should feel confident that any and all questions that you need an answer to are readily available. Keeping with dotloop as the example, they do all of these and much more. They provide online training, private training, and videos, all of which you would expect from a technology partner. But, they also provide certification, templates, and even CE courses (in most of the 50 states). Is the Software Right for Your Business? Asking yourself the hard questions should be the first step in determining if a piece of software is right for you and your business. Figuring out the problems you are trying to solve is a key first step in determining whether a piece of software is right for you. From experience, this is the hardest step in the process to determine if the software is right for your business. The second step is to determine your options. There are many great transaction management platforms out there, but they are not for everyone. Each has its own specialties. What each transaction management platform specialties are is outside of the scope of this article, but it might be something we write about in the future. Only you can determine what is right for you. Step 3 is to narrow down your options. Pick a top three and demo each and every one. While checking out the software, ask yourself three questions: Does this product help me today? Will this product still work for me in three to five years? And will the time and money investment for this product help grow my business? The last step in finding the right software for your business is to use it! Functionality There are three key benefits of a good transaction management platform: connectivity, mobility, collaboration. You will find each of these features in dotloop along with other transaction management platforms. A good transaction management platform should be connected with any Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software that you are using. When it is time to start the process of buying or selling a home, the information you have on that client should automatically populate the forms in your transaction management platform, allowing for more transactions to be processed in less time. We live in the smartphone era. Just about anything and everything can be done from a mobile phone or tablet. This means a good transaction management platform should also work on a mobile device. Nothing is more frustrating than being limited by the software we are using to conduct business. Our clients expect that we should be able to easily conduct business from our phones. Collaboration—this word is used a lot when talking about software these days, be it Slack, teams, or transaction management platform. There is an expectation that our software will make it easier for agents, admins, brokers, TC, and team leads to work together. The transaction management platform should tell its users when there is a new task for them to complete instead of having to wait for an email from the agent. Third-party Reviews and Ratings Once you evaluate a TM solution according to the three criteria above, the final step is to find out what impartial third parties think of a solution. These metrics act as health indicators that a transaction management software is not only a good platform but also a good long-term partner. Here are some metrics to look at: Customer retention rate: When evaluating a TM platform, ask the sales team what their customer retention rate is. The higher the rate, the happier their users are with the solution. Dotloop's retention rate, for example, is 98%. If a company hesitates to answer this directly, they may be trying to conceal an unfavorable retention rate. Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) score: Another metric to inquire about is the Customer Satisfaction Score. This score is typically determined by an internal survey of a company's customers. According to dotloop, their CSAT score is 93%. Again, if a company fails to give you a clear answer to this question, be wary! Online reviews and ratings: Finally, find out what a platform's customers have to say for an unbiased look at what the user experience is like. A good place to start is at review sites like Capterra. If a TM program has a mobile app, be sure to check out the reviews on the Google or Apple app stores. It's Your Turn It's your turn to schedule time on your calendar during the next couple of weeks to determine what your transaction management needs are going to be going into 2022. This is the time of year to plan ahead so you can grow your business, and there is no better software for you to be reviewing than your transaction management tools. If you have any questions about what to look for in a transaction management platform or have suggestions for other articles, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] or on LinkedIn.

Optimizing Your Workflow with Form Simplicity
Thursday, September 9, 2021 at 11:00 PDT This webinar will cover how to improve your Form Simplicity experience on the new and improved interface with time saving tips such as: Setting up Preferences Adding, Editing and Importing Contacts Adding, Editing, and Previewing Clauses Creating Forms Packages Creating Transactions Importing MLS/TAX Data into Transactions Inserting Clauses Tasks E-sign Archiving Completed Transactions Register now!

RPR Zips You through zipForm Integration
RPR's integration with zipForm offers yet another time-saving benefit for Realtors. With it, there's no need to jump from one platform to another when creating sales forms. Simply go directly to RPR's Property Details page from zipForm, and vice versa, with one simple click. The integration also allows Realtors to create new zipForm transactions using public records information from RPR. Take advantage of the RPR-zipForms interaction by: Logging in, selecting your photo, and accessing your RPR profile Clicking on "Connected Apps" (scroll down and it's on the right) Activating the RPR-zipForms connection, which you can now find in the "Additional Resources" box on the right Watch this under one minute video to see all of the above in action: To view the original article, visit the RPR blog.

The Unexpected Benefits of Form Simplicity for Agents
When America locked down, real estate agents already using a digital transaction management program had an immediate advantage. As working remotely became the new normal for months, having every document, every email, and every text associated with each transaction located in one place, online and accessible 24-7, was a priceless timesaver. Overnight, transaction management software became the new "must-have" for every active real estate agent. For Form Simplicity from the Florida Realtors®, product training classes went online and were packed. As a result, a record number of agents attended training provided virtually by Form Simplicity in 2020. By mid-year, attendance exceeded all training provided the entire prior year. These were some of the unexpected consequences of the pandemic. As agents clamored to solutions that helped them work better remotely, real estate technology software saw record adoption rates as more agents went digital and paperless. Form Simplicity's growth accelerated over the last 18 months. From Alabama to Oregon, Georgia to Missouri, Form Simplicity continues to expand its presence nationwide. As one of the real estate industry's most popular and advanced digital transaction management solutions, Form Simplicity recently began providing services to nearly 100,000 Realtor members, including Missouri REALTORS, Georgia REALTORS, and Alabama REALTORS, and subscribers of Oregon Real Estate Forms (owned by the Eugene Association of Realtors and the Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors). Unexpected agent benefits Support When real estate agents begin using Form Simplicity, they discover benefits they were unaware of before going digital. At the top of the list is the unparalleled support they receive from Tech Helpline, the No. 1 tech support service in real estate, with the exceptional customer service and rapid response times provided by all departments. Training Since its redesign, Form Simplicity has become one of the most intuitive, easy-to-use transaction management solutions that new agents pick up instantly. That reduces agent workflow disruption as brokers need to provide less training and avoid pulling agents out of their sales cycle. For agents who need extra help, Form Simplicity also offers outstanding training support for association staff and members to help maximize all the features it provides. Specialized Smart Forms Smart forms are at the heart of Form Simplicity – forms that allows agents to enter property data once and then automatically populate that information wherever it appears on other forms. The power of autofill in Form Simplicity is something agents covet as it reduces risk. Forms are programmed to perform calculations, conditional fields, custom mapping and more. In addition, agents no longer have to enter the same information repeatedly, which is a waste of their time and talents. It's why Form Simplicity spends so much time behind the scenes refining its technology to make sure its streamlined form programming process is unmatched in the industry. As a result, we can take custom forms an association has and turn them into Specialized Smart Forms, offering them as part of Form Simplicity – another huge benefit for agents. More than just convenient Security Turning a paper-intensive business into a digitally-driven process creates more than convenience. Having safe and highly secure (bank-grade) access to all your files in a single place online increases the productivity of every agent. Collaboration Collaboration is key to success in real estate. Unique to our business, competing agents must rely on each other to create a successful transaction. Embedded into Form Simplicity are features that enable a highly collaborative process – in real-time. Some agents want a clean document and to make sure everything is in place before sending it out for signatures. Form Simplicity's built-in collaboration feature allows an agent to share a form with another agent involved in the transaction to capture negotiated points accurately before sending out for signing. Customizable Email Signatures Another unexpected benefit Form Simplicity offers agents is offering an email signature that automatically populates. It takes just a few seconds to set up, and the agent's name and contact information are at the end of every email sent from within Form Simplicity. FREE Assistant Accounts Brokers benefit from the ability to create an "Assistant" account to help them manage forms. Also, Form Simplicity allows brokers to set specific permissions, giving them the ability to designate access for an office or a particular agent. Switch User The "switch user" feature that Form Simplicity offers helps keep busy brokers on task. For example, suppose a broker or their designated office assistant needs to take a quick look at an agent's transaction. In that case, the switch user function allows them to access the transaction, assist or provide an answer to the agent, and switch back to their Broker View. This feature is in addition to the more comprehensive Broker Review process, designed solely to allow brokers to respond quickly to urgent questions or agent needs. Is Form Simplicity for you? The final "unexpected benefit" that Form Simplicity offers both agents and brokers is an invisible feature. Form Simplicity is industry-run, operated by the Florida Realtors, the nation's largest state association. Unlike other leading transaction management software offerings, there is no influence from Wall Street or venture capital investors. At Florida Realtors, serving the needs of the real estate community and homeowners comes first, period. Associations/MLSs/brokerages can rest assured that our pricing model is fair and not inflated. Our pricing is also very straight forward unlike other companies on the market, making it easier for clients to get a very clear picture of what the pricing is, without having to account for multiple add-ons. Mobile compatibility, broker tools, and support are examples of this. Some 68 brokers from 16 Florida communities came together in 1916 to mark the beginning of the Florida Realtors. Today, Florida Realtors, now more than 205,000 members strong, continues unaltered in its mission to meet the needs of its members. That's why Form Simplicity and its sister firm Tech Helpline offer agents and brokers additional peace of mind, knowing that agents, brokers, and the Florida Realtor are always working together. To learn more about Form Simplicity, go to formsimplicity.com. Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns and operates Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.

Top Five Features Agents Want in a Transaction Management Solution: How does Form Simplicity stack up?
During the pandemic, brokers and agents pivoted to embrace technology swiftly. Digital tools for agents made working not only safe but also easier. It's one reason that real estate remains one of the few silver linings in the U.S. economy. After a record-setting year, it's clear that transaction management solutions have become a "must-have" digital tool for brokers and agents. Brokers and agents using transaction management solutions can work from home or just about anywhere else, saving time, increasing productivity, and making sure closings happen on time. For agents, it is the little things that count when working remotely. The ability to offer electronic signings instead of having to be there in person saves a tremendous amount of time while removing the hassle of coordinating everyone's schedule. It also means no more hunting down clients for initials and "wet" signatures in blue ink, then driving back to the office to scan and copy the documents, and then distribute them to all the other parties involved in the transaction. But we also have learned that agents need a transaction management solution to do more than provide electronic signatures. What do agents want – and need – from their transaction management solutions? From candid conversations with real estate agents across the nation, real estate agent Janice Zaltman assembled a list of what agents want from a transaction management solution. Here are the agents' top five features and how Form Simplicity – a leading transaction management software from the Florida Realtors – meets those needs. 1. Ease of Use Many agents complain that the programs they are using are cumbersome. When asked about what they mean about cumbersome, agents said there are so many features, and they lack the knowledge about how to use them in the best way. Every agent learns differently. Some are okay with video training, while others prefer live training where they can ask questions. Many agents prefer step-by-step guides along with videos and/or live training. Others wish their system was more intuitive. Form Simplicity meets these needs in various ways. First, Form Simplicity is now more intuitive. In 2019, Form Simplicity underwent a complete overhaul of its layout to update the user experience both on desktop and mobile devices and continues to make improvements. Second, Form Simplicity offers live training on-site and via webinars. Both options provide agents and brokers the opportunity to ask questions. In fact, in 2020, over 18,000 individuals took advantage of our live webinar training because it was an excellent opportunity to learn and learn safely. Finally, Form Simplicity's Help Center is available 24/7. In it, users may find short video tutorials, step-by-step instructions, and recorded full webinars to access on demand. Go to helpcenter.formsimplicity.com for more information. 2. Live Tech Support When preparing transactions, time is of the essence. Having a live support staff available to answer any problems or concerns can be an enormous help. It could be to resolve an issue with the transaction management program, a question about using it on a computer, tablet, or smartphone, or a problem with their computer, laptop, or smartphone itself. Does the brokerage's transaction management solution provide customer support that understands the questions agents are asking? Real estate agents do not want answers from a bot or read from a script by a customer service agent. That approach hurts the provider and leaves agents feeling frustrated. Form Simplicity offers stellar support via the Tech Helpline team. Tech Helpline, owned and operated by Florida Realtors, is the No. 1 tech support service for real estate, uniquely experienced to support agents. Because Tech Helpline is fully immersed in the real estate industry, its friendly analysts can quickly understand agents' questions. With Tech Helpline, you don't get a robot. You get someone, live, who is familiar with real estate transactions. See for yourself at techhelpline.com. 3. Fillable Forms That Can Be Completed Before Signing the Contract Some forms, such as applications to the HOA or Property Disclosures, need to be sent for clients to complete. These forms can often be quite lengthy and may require giving the client the ability to review them carefully over a couple of days. Can the documents be sent to a prospective buyer or tenant for completion without requiring a signature? Can these forms be partially worked on, saved, and then completed at a later time? With Form Simplicity's Ultimate Edition, the answer is yes. Fillable forms can be sent to clients via the eSign feature (even if they do not need to sign it). And the clients can save the form and come back to it as necessary to complete it. Once the client completes the form, PDF copies can go to both agents automatically (when set up to do so within the system) for their records. 4. Ability to Be Reviewed by Outside Party Before Client's Signing Does the platform allow documents to be sent to an outside party, such as an attorney or family member, for review before signing? Form Simplicity's built-in collaboration features allow agents to give outside parties and clients permission to review and add comments in real-time to forms and files before sending the final document for signatures. It's the easiest way to track negotiation comments from all parties and keep all the information together in your transaction. Others can't make changes to the forms or files themselves. Their comments will be logged separately and visible simultaneously. Once everyone agrees on the language, you can then make any necessary changes to the final forms/files so that what the clients sign accurately reflects what all parties agreed to. Users may learn more here and at this link. 5. Total Document Storage with Downloads Available Having all documents in one place for each transaction is essential. It creates an aptitude for being organized in a fast-paced real estate environment. It eliminates the need to look through multiple files for each document or on your computer. All of your work is in a single place – in the cloud and protected. As an additional crucial feature, real estate agents also want to download all the documents once the transaction is complete (as a zip file or single PDF) so they can store a copy of it on their external hard drive or computer. Form Simplicity allows you to keep all your transaction documents in a single location. It's easy to find and safely stored digitally. Form Simplicity also enables you to select all or specific files within a transaction you wish to download. The file is download as a .zip file to your computer. More information for users is here. Do you have a suggestion? Form Simplicity continues to solicit input from agents and brokers on ways to make improvements. By listening, Form Simplicity can make improvements that are needed in the real world – not features created by developers who never sold a home. If you are an agent or broker who uses Form Simplicity and has feedback to share, we're listening! Please send us an email with your suggestions to [email protected] Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns and operates Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity. Janice Zaltman is a Realtor, LEED AP, marketing coach and writer with more than 20 years of experience in the sales, marketing and media fields.

How to Build a Successful Partnership with Your Transaction Coordinator
When growing your real estate business, one of the first set of tasks that you'll likely want to delegate is transaction coordination. This is an awesome strategy for leveraging your time and creating space to focus on making more sales. However, it's not as easy as just handing over the file and collecting a check at the end of the deal. While your transaction coordinator (TC) is there to handle the heavy lifting and help move the deal to closing, they still need your help to be successful. There's nothing more important than learning how to build a successful partnership with your transaction coordinator.

3 Must-have Hacks to Save Time Using Form Simplicity
One of the most popular transaction management programs, Form Simplicity, is the only transaction management program owned by a Realtor Association -- Florida Realtors. Used by associations and brokerages across Florida and throughout the nation, Form Simplicity is also one of the most intuitive software programs helping brokers and agents manage all their transactions digitally. Whether you are new to Form Simplicity or an experienced user, you'll quickly appreciate both the ease and the power of its robust features, making working from home easier than ever. For agents and brokers who want to save even more time using Form Simplicity, we reached out to our own Kaz Cisowski, Technology Training Manager at Florida Realtors, for his best shortcuts. Since the pandemic, Kaz has been extra busy, holding virtual Form Simplicity training sessions for thousands of agents and brokers. In fact, the number of agents he's been training throughout 2020 has set a new total annual attendance record. Here are three of his best hacks to save time when using Form Simplicity, including step-by-step instructions and screenshots: Hack 1: Email Notifications Put Form Simplicity to do some of your transaction management work for you by having email notifications sent to the email address listed in the Account Information section. You can activate push notifications to your email address when using Form Simplicity's Email Notifications. Push notifications are email reminders that arrive in your inbox for events such as task reminders, collaboration comments with customers or participating third-party vendors, or broker review notifications. The notifications help to keep you on top of the paperwork and routine tasks related to your deals, giving you more time to focus on other vital work. 1. Once you log into Form Simplicity, go to the upper right side of the home page, locate, and click on the "Preferences" link. 2. Select the email notifications that you would like to receive by using the slider next to the various Notification options in the Email Notifications section. Note: Email notifications are sent to your email address that is on file with your association. If you would like to have your notifications sent to a different email address, type it in the Alternate Notification Email Address field and click the "Save Email" button. Hack 2: Create a Forms Package A forms package is comprised of a standard set of forms and files that are grouped together to simplify creating future transactions. Think of it as a template for future transactions of a particular type of deal. Group these forms together so you don't have to spend time searching for them over and over every time you want to create the same type of transaction. For example, you can create a forms package for Residential Listings. And when you have a new client for a residential listing, you can use your package to quickly add into your new transaction all of the forms and files you need. 1. The quickest way to create a forms package is to log in and click on the "Create a Forms Package" icon on the bottom of the Form Simplicity home page. 2. Name the package (i.e., Residential Listing Package), and click "Create Forms Package." Note: At this point, your folder will be empty. Add forms and files to your package next. 3. In the Forms Packages section, you will need to "Add a Form" and "Upload a File." Add and upload the Forms and Files that are customary for you to use in this type of transaction. Add Blank Forms to the Package 4. Click on "Add a Form" located below the Forms section. 5. When the Blank Forms Library window opens, click on the "Select a Library" drop-down arrow to select a library of forms, e.g., Office, State Association or Local Association. Place a checkmark next to the forms to be added, then click the "Add To Package" button. The forms you selected will now be available in your package. Upload Files to the Forms Package 6. After adding your forms to the Forms section of the package, then under the Files section, click "Upload a File." 7. You can access your files from your computer by using the "Click here to browse for files" button, then drag and drop your files in the File Upload window. Finally, give the file a description if you wish and click the "Save Files" button. Click on the "X" to remove a specific file. If you want to remove all the files, then click on the "Clear Files" button. 8. The file you uploaded will now be listed under the "FILES" section of your package. Note: Files you upload are static, i.e., not editable and will not auto-populate data. Now that you have created your Residential Listing Package, you may import this package of forms and files to your future Residential Listing transactions. For step-by-step instructions, visit the Help Center by simply logging into Form Simplicity and clicking the Help link on the navigation menu at the top right of the page. Hack 3: Create a New Clause Creating clauses will save you time by keeping the standard phrases or wording you use for your transactions within Form Simplicity. Once saved, these phrases can be accessed and used in multiple forms. The agents can create clauses for their personal use, or the broker can create clauses for all the agents in the office to use. And it's easy to apply the clauses to forms. 1. The quickest way to create a clause is to click on the "Create a New Clause" icon under the Useful Tools section on the bottom of the Form Simplicity home page. 2. This method will take you directly to the "Add New Clause" screen. Enter the name, the text of the clause, and click "Save New Clause." Note: You may repeat the process and create as many clauses as you need. 3. After creating a clause, agents will find them stored under the Personal section of the Clauses page. Clauses created by the broker will be listed under the Brokerage Wide section. As you can see, there are many ways to save time using Form Simplicity. By doing a little bit of extra work up front, you'll save time across many other transactions in the future. Kaz has even more time-saving tips that we'll share in the future. Email us your favorite at [email protected]. Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns and operates Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.

Do You Have a Transaction Management Solution? 1 in 3 Agents Don't!
What's the number one way to successfully manage your business during a pandemic? Making sure you are as digital as possible. Going digital allows you to stay connected to clients while managing all the activities associated with a sale or purchase. To accomplish this, you must have a transaction management program. Yet, according to research by the National Association of Realtors, one in three agents don't have one. Let's look at all the benefits of a leading transaction management solution, Form Simplicity, to see why you need one now more than ever. 1. Works remotely, like you do Access everything related to your transactions 24/7, as everything is in the cloud. That means wherever you can connect to the internet, you can access and control your transaction. 2. Collaborate with others You can manage all your forms online and share them with your clients. You can give them access to review the forms they need to fill out and make comments on them, which you can see in real time. This allows you to stay on schedule and meet deadlines. You can also collaborate with other agents involved in the transaction and closing agents, title companies, lenders, and others. Everyone can add comments in real-time, eliminating back and forth emails. Everything is tracked—and retrievable at any time—online. 3. On any device Form Simplicity is mobile-enabled, allowing you to fill out forms, add to files, share documents with others, check your status and more—just about everything you can do on your laptop or desktop, you can do on your smartphone or other mobile devices. 4. One place for everything No more hunting for a missing document or paper client folder, as each document, email, comment, and notes are linked to the transaction, and it's all stored in a digital folder. You know exactly where everything is. 5. Work faster Smart form technology means you only have to enter data in a field once, and then it automatically populates into all other common fields throughout the transaction. You can easily import data from the MLS, reducing time spent typing and filling out repetitive data. You can get more work done in a lot less time. 6. Work smarter with digital signatures A transaction management solution would not be entirely digital without esigning. Digitally signing is a benefit your clients are going to love, and you will cherish. Intelligent forms mean no more missed signatures or initials—it automatically makes sure you won't miss a box or a line to sign. If a new form is required, that means no more chasing around trying to track down a client for a wet signature—they can do it remotely wherever they are. You don't have to leave your desk. And with bank-grade security encryption and tracking, it's the most secure way to sign. 7. Safer for you, your clients, and your broker With Form Simplicity, your library of forms always has the most current version available from your MLS, brokerage, or association. Using the most up-to-date forms protects you, your clients, and your broker from unnecessary risks. Brokers love Form Simplicity because it provides long-term storage and legal compliance. Brokers can track every stage of the transaction and sign off whenever required, instantly. And since everything is time-stamped, digitized, and well organized, it removes the fear of the work it takes to go through an audit, if one should ever occur. Going digital by adopting a transaction management solution like Form Simplicity makes your work life more manageable at a time when we all want predictability. With features like simple, intuitive navigation, built-in contacts and email, and reminders to keep everything—and everyone—on track, now is the time for everyone to use a transaction management program like Form Simplicity. If you or your broker wants to learn more about Form Simplicity, go to formsimplicity.com. Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns and operates Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.

Worth the Upgrade: How to go fully digital with the Ultimate Edition of Form Simplicity
When the vast majority of agents in America found themselves working exclusively from home, a new reality took hold. The more you could do digitally, the more likely you would remain successful throughout our health crisis. Agents and brokers who had been using a transaction management solution like Form Simplicity have stayed on top. They've been able to keep their business going by managing their transactions digitally, from listing to closing. As real estate begins its rebound, agents and brokers are looking for ways to work better remotely. For top producing brokers and agents, that means a robust, digital transaction management program. It also means using it every day. The Form Simplicity solution A transaction management program needs to be the cornerstone of going digital. But you also need to make sure you exploit all the benefits that it can provide you and your clients remotely. Form Simplicity, a leading digital transaction management solution owned and operated by Florida Realtors, is used nationwide by associations, MLSs, and brokerages. Beyond the ability to help you fully manage transactions remotely, Form Simplicity is the only leading transaction management solution created for real estate pros by real estate pros. Knowing what you need to improve your workflow and offer more remote services to your clients is what Form Simplicity does best. Every version of Form Simplicity – Starter, Professional, and Ultimate – provides these core features to help every agent work better – and faster – remotely: Everything is in the cloud and mobile-friendly: You can create, edit and store transactions online, on any device, and access anytime. Auto-populate feature – enter once: You no longer have to input the same information repeatedly on multiple forms. Get rid of clutter: Stop searching through stacks of paper files. You can find every transaction form instantly. Ditch your calculator: Eliminate math mistakes, as these smart forms do the calculations for you. Reduce your risk: All forms are always up to date, approved by the association, and are technically accurate. You won't make the mistake of using the wrong form. Do everything on your mobile phone: The newest update allows you to create and edit transactions on your smartphone or tablet, giving you total control from anywhere you are. Unmatched training and tech support: You get free and unlimited access to live and on-demand webinars along with an online library of how-to videos that walk you step-by-step through the most common tasks. If you ever need help, tech support is provided by the best in the business: Tech Helpline, also owned and operated by Florida Realtors. Tech Helpline is real estate's No. 1 tech support service, staffed by a team of the industry's most friendly, patient, and knowledgeable tech analysts who work with agents and brokers every day. The Professional Edition of Form Simplicity helps busy agents manage even more transactions remotely, providing them with up to 50 MB of online storage. And both the Professional and Ultimate Editions allow agents and brokers to do more with these additional features: Organizes even the disorganized: No more searching through countless emails and sticky notes for transaction details. Find what you need immediately. No more time spent downloading and uploading documents: Every email, text, and attachment goes directly to the right transaction, ready to view at any time. Collaborate online: You can engage clients and third parties in real-time, with comments online, again, all organized within the right transaction folder. Work in teams by giving read/write access to specific transactions to people you choose in your office. Tools for Brokers: Includes Broker Review—the ability to review, comment on and approve all forms digitally submitted by your agents. Create customizable checklists for agents to use when submitting their transactions' documentation for review. This allows your team to remain compliant. Visibility into each agent's transaction activity including email and SMS history. Ability to showcase your brand by adding your company logo to the forms your agents use in your transactions. And much more. But to go fully digital, you need the Ultimate Edition of Form Simplicity. The Ultimate Edition gives you unlimited electronic signing and unlimited online storage. For most agents, this upgrade is less than 20 cents a day. The Ultimate Edition of Form Simplicity: Solves your signature problems: No more driving around or hunting someone down to sign. Electronic signatures mean signing remotely, from anywhere, helping you close your deals on time. Bank-grade electronics signature features: It has all the security bells and whistles that makes digital signing safe. It uses advanced password protection, uses a Certificate of Authenticity (tracks date, time, email, and IP address), creates an Audit Log, and ensures every signature is legal and binding. Never worry about running out of space: Because every electronic signature session you send comes back as files that you need to store; you get unlimited storage. You also won't have to delete files to make way for new ones with unlimited document storage. You can retrieve any older file at any time. The popularity of esigning has never been higher. By investing a little more with an upgrade to Form Simplicity Ultimate Edition, agents can solve one of their most significant challenges – and time killers – when working remotely. Upgrading to the Ultimate Edition is the easiest way to go fully digital. Going digital is no longer an option; it's what your clients need – and expect. If your association, MLS or brokerage does not offer a transaction management solution, ask them to contact Form Simplicity today through our website at formsimplicity.com. Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns and operates Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.

Get Your Commission Check Faster by Transitioning to Virtual Transaction Management
Wes Womack from DocuSign joined us for a Coffee Chat on Monday to share some great life lessons, as well as the most compelling ways that moving to digital transaction management can help you be successful and GET PAID FASTER! Transitioning all elements of your transaction online not only simplifies the process for you AND your client, it also helps ensure that every one of your transaction folders is complete so you will not get in any trouble with your broker—or worse. Key takeaways: 1. Moving to digital transaction management will help you get paid more quickly! If you provide all of the necessary online paperwork to your brokerage, they can cut your commission check faster! 2. Free up time to spend time counseling your clients, not signing documents If you make it easier for your clients to sign documents remotely, you can spend time explaining the meaning and relevance of each form, helping to deepen the trust relationship with your client. With Zoom, GoToMeeting and other tools, you don't need to be sitting across the table from them to provide solid advice and feedback. 3. Write offers more quickly, win more deals! Even in today's uncertain times, there are still homes that are receiving multiple offers, believe it or not. Be the first to the table with a thorough, well-documented offer using digital transaction management tools. 4. Make it easier to expand your business in leasing In tough times, where residential real estate sales are slower than normal, many agents turn to rentals to provide an alternative revenue source. Upload your rental application forms and credit check forms and make it really easy for someone to rent one of your properties. Here's the recording. It's well worth the 35 minutes! FREE Digital Transaction Management Resources Still not sure about digital transaction management? Check out the links below to get started: FREE DocuSign Trial Offer 25% Discount from DocuSign FREE Training from DocuSign Don't Miss These Upcoming Coffee Chats! Thursday, April 23 How Your Digital Marketing Strategy Can Help Your Real Estate Business During COVID-19 and Beyond with Grier Allen, CEO of BoomTown Friday, April 24 Two Powerful and Effective Ways to Sell Homes with Virtual Open Houses with Kristi Kennelly, National Speaker at realtor.com, Richard McDonald, Senior Director at Matterport, and Andrew Dorn, National Speaker at realtor.com Monday, April 27 Digital Strategies for Success in Uncertain Times with Jed Carlson, CEO of Adwerx If you would like us to sign you up for all upcoming coffee chats, email [email protected] and he will get you signed up. If you would like to get notifications every time a Coffee Chat recording is published, subscribe to our YouTube channel, RETechnologyInc. Then hit the bell next to the Subscribe button and receive notifications every time we publish new educational videos. Get Recordings of All Coffee Chats If you would like to binge watch all of the Coffee Chat recordings, click here. If you would like a FREE 3-month trial of RE Technology, go to retechnology.com, click Create Account and then use one of these coupon codes: COVID-19A COVID-19B COVID-19M

The Pros and Cons of Using a Virtual Real Estate Transaction Coordinator
Utilizing virtual real estate transaction coordinators has become increasingly more popular in the real estate industry. Many agents find their services to be extremely helpful, and will often invest in the help of one during busy months. The decision to outsource business activities is a tough one to make, though. Releasing some control over your business practices is never something that should be considered lightly. That is why we have prepared a list of pros and cons for you to review when considering hiring a virtual transaction coordinator. Hopefully, this list sets you on the right track to make the best decision for your business.

Transaction Management Update: Form Simplicity gets a brand new look
One of the real estate industry's most popular and advanced paperless transaction management solutions, Form Simplicity, recently released its newly redesigned application to more than 200,000 REALTORS nationwide. The update to Form Simplicity is more than just a designed facelift. The changes improve transaction productivity and speed up agent and broker workflow. Florida Realtors®, the nation's second-largest Realtor state association that owns and operates Form Simplicity, rolled out the newest version in stages between April and July. Today, 187,000 Realtor members in Florida, 8,300 members of Arkansas Realtors Association, 2,300 members of Wyoming Association of Realtors, 7,300 members of Iowa Association of Realtors, and 10,300 members of Idaho Association of Realtors all have access to the newest version. A robust transaction management platform, Form Simplicity's Ultimate Edition includes unlimited access to eSign, its highly-secure electronic signature feature, an expanded set of broker management tools to simplify compliance and improve agent-broker workflow, and unlimited document storage. Form Simplicity's new, uncluttered look includes four key sections in the home page: Menu, Recent Transactions, Upcoming Tasks, and Useful Tools. Among the improvements: Menu: The navigation menu has been grouped so that there are fewer tabs while retaining access to all the features. Recent Transactions: A professional's most recent transactions are visible and accessible from the home page. He or she can also create a new transaction from the home page. Moreover, the flow to creating a transaction will be smoother, with colorful buttons that are easy to identify, and an expanding page to view all information together instead of toggling through tabs. Upcoming Tasks: All future tasks are color-coded and available on the home page for easy access. Useful Tools: Professionals can quickly locate the button to add a new contact, create clauses and more—right from the home page. The initial launch has generated an avalanche of positive comments, as it is being incredibly well-received by agents and brokers across the country. The most common observation: it's faster than ever. That's because Form Simplicity is running on a new and modern application architecture, from hardware to software. Change is never easy, especially when making major changes to something tens of thousands of agents and brokers use every day as the backbone of their business. But rank-in-file agents are expressing their support – and delight. Matthew Lemons, a South Florida real estate broker, notes that the new Form Simplicity has been a welcome change. "I just tried out the new Form Simplicity style now, and I have to say it is amazing. Love how convenient the new layout is. Extremely professional. I'll be sticking with you guys for a long time," Lemons said. Satellite Beach, Florida agent Peggy Hall added, "I began using the new and improved Form Simplicity...(it's a) super easy transition!" And Shermeka McSwain, a Cutler Bay, Florida agent said, "The recently updated changes are extremely great. Using the navigation, location of information and the program structure is very user-friendly." Real estate agents also appreciate what hasn't changed with the new Form Simplicity redesign. All the great features agents and brokers already love remains the same, and the new redesign is giving added attention to how important transaction management is today. Transaction management is no longer a nice to have but a must-have for real estate agents and brokers. For any transaction management solution to effectively serve the greatest number of agents and brokers possible, it needs to be easy to use and inviting. The redesign of Form Simplicity is all about making it easier to navigate, and making sure that it works on any device, because that's what agents and brokers tell us they want. Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns both Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.

Fixing the Last Mile in the Real Estate Transaction
Leading research firm Gartner conducted one of the most exhaustive studies into customer service to better understand what exceptional customer service meant to consumers. What they discovered was what consumers are truly looking for is an "effortless experience." The best real estate agents already know this. It's their differentiating factor. It is what drives their referral business model. It is what puts them on the REAL Trends and T3 Sixty lists of best agents. The last thing these top real estate agents want to do is jeopardize their stellar reputation for providing extraordinary customer service. The vast majority of them, ironically, do it almost every day. That's because real estate brokerages across the nation typically leave the "last mile of the real estate transaction" – when someone moves into their new home – to someone else. In effect, top agents are jeopardizing their 5-star ratings if their customer ends up with a 1-star moving experience. How can brokers fix the last mile of the real estate transaction? A new Concierge service A move is a lot more complicated than picking up the phone or going online and hiring a moving company. It involves dozens of tasks. For the average consumer, moving can often become a logistical nightmare. Many research studies in the U.S. and abroad note that moving can be one of the most stressful events in a person's life. It also can be a painful process. And because moving has so many different pieces in motion, things can go wrong; very wrong. MoveEasy fuses advanced technology with a human touch. It's a free Concierge service that real estate brokerages can offer their clients. A client can text or make a single call and change all of their utility and digital amenities, from internet to cable or satellite TV services. MoveEasy can handle anything moving related, from cleaners to painters. Heck, we even helped a client with a golf cart purchase and another one with a tzatziki recipe! Agents and teams don't have to lift a finger because the MoveEasy Concierge handles it all. White labeled to a Broker's brand Throughout the process, what the consumer sees is the broker's brand. Brokerages can add their affiliates and partners. If they own a mortgage company, title or escrow firm – they can add them all to a white-labeled MoveEasy platform. One of the principal motivations that have driven real estate firms to become a one-stop shop is to control the customer experience. By offering sales, mortgage, title, closing, insurance, and other home services, a brokerage can deliver exceptional customer service end-to-end. Remember, that's what consumers say they want: an effortless experience, before during and after a move. Making your agents and teams heroes Offering MoveEasy is how a broker can make their agents and teams a hero in the eyes of their clients. For the last mile of the transaction – the move (and beyond) – a broker can finally gain control. They ensure their agents' clients enjoy a five-star customer service experience until their real estate transaction is truly complete. After all, if you deliver 5-star customer service to your clients for three-quarters of a transaction, and then they get 1-star service at the end, it's pretty impossible to get a 5-star rating. Venkatesh "Ven" Ganapathy, Founder & CEO of MoveEasy, moving made simple by people+tech, at moveeasy.com.    

The Secret to Client Satisfaction (and More Referrals)
The road to a closed real estate transaction is full of starts and stops. Real estate attorney Scott Gartner knows this better than most. He's based in the Chicago metropolitan area, where lawyers participate in transactions nearly 100 percent of the time. Behind the scenes, he mostly acts as transaction coordinator, "so I have the perspective of somebody who's trying to coordinate all parties in the transaction. I found the process frustrating." Missed deadlines and lack of communication are the most frequent roadblocks that Gartner says slow down a transaction. But the biggest obstacle, he says, is how "buyers and sellers feel left out of the transaction and uninformed. For most people, this is the biggest transaction of their lives, and they have no idea what's going on behind the scenes." Overcoming this obstacle is a matter of improving both customer service and communication. This, in turn, results in happier clients as well as increased referrals and repeat business.

How to Take Advantage of the RPR and zipLogix Integration
Big things do come in small packages. And when those simple, lightbulb kind of innovations do come our way, they are likely welcome changes to the ways in which we conduct business. Such is the case with one of the more popular features offered by Realtors Property Resource® (RPR®)––with notable regard for listing agents. Through a partnership with zipForm®, the nation's leading online real estate forms provider, REALTORS® who use zipForm® and RPR can easily jump between the two platforms via one simple click, providing instant access to forms and property data needed to complete your transaction. Moreso, the integration allows REALTORS® to create new zipForm transactions using auto-populated public records from RPR. The partnership is a neatly packaged bundle of benefits that not only saves time but alleviates the pain points of having to use two of real estate's most powerful platforms independent of one another. Here's how to maximize the integration to your advantage in two minutes or less... Set up the Integration Sign onto RPR at narrpr.com. Search for your subject property. Then, from the RPR Property Details page, most REALTORS® using zipForm will automatically see the zipForm Transactions button. If not, connect by way of your RPR User Profile. Choose Link Accounts and a series of simple prompts will help begin the process. Once complete, the zipForm Transactions button will display on the RPR Property Details page. You will then have the option to: Go to specific transactions for that property address in zipForm® Start a new transaction for the street address pulled up in RPR Go to the RPR homepage

Keep Yourself Trending with the NEW zipForm® Mobile
Monday, March 13, 2017 at 8:00 AM PST Start a Transaction on the Go with the Mobile device of your choice. The new zipForm® Mobile brings many of the zipForm® Plus functions directly to your phone or tablet. Create a New Transaction Add a Template Add Property information Add Parties information Fill in additional information using MLS-Connect (optional) Start a digital signing with both TouchSign® and zipLogix Digital Ink® Register now!

Going Green in 2017
Real estate agents and brokers know that having a transaction management program today is a must-have to remain competitive, compliant and become more productive. But there's another huge benefit to a paperless transaction that is often overlooked: it's remarkably Earth-friendly. Being more eco-friendly remains important to a vast majority of Americans. In fact, 79 percent of Americans "agree that they consider themselves an environmentally conscious person," while only 6 percent strongly disagree, according to a Harris Poll conducted last year. The impact of paper Consider for a moment the amount of paper the average real estate agent handles during a single typical transaction—from the marketing materials and often hardcopy of a CMA at a listing presentation, to the contract, addendums, title, appraisal and documents at the closing table—the stack of paper would likely be as thick as an old telephone book for a major city! Now think about the fact that there are typically 5-6 million new and existing homes sales each year, and the fact that the typical sales transaction still provides multiple sets of paper documents for all the parties involved, and we are talking a huge negative impact on our environment. Now according to experts, it takes a little more than half a tree to make 10 reams of 100 percent, non-recycled 20-lb. copier paper. One ream of 500 sheets of paper uses about 6 percent of a tree. The bottom line is that if every real estate agent went paperless, we could potentially save millions of trees each year.

The Power of Automation: Sync your transactions to QuickBooks
Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 10:00 AM PST In real estate we know how important it is to keep your business and accounting streamlined, so we have a fantastic solution that we built based on our own customer's needs and feedback for just that purpose! Connect Brokermint transaction management to Quickbooks and pay agents, invoice customers and send all receivables and payables, eliminating double entry and allowing you to keep your books straight, seamlessly. In a few days, on January 18 at 10am PT, our team will be hosting a webinar to share best practices with you: Why QuickBooks is a perfect fit for thousands of businesses How to sync your transaction data to QuickBooksHow to cut checks and pay your agents How to setup recurring/monthly billing How to do direct deposits and much more... All attendees get 25% off the first 3 months of their Brokermint subscription. Register now!

Tired of manually managing transactions? (10/26)
Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at 11:00 AM PDT Our weekly 15-minute webinar covers all the basic functions of the Brokermint system, starting with document upload, task management to more advanced functions like e-signature, pdf split-merge and Google Calendar. How to use Checklists that provide consistency for all users. Create Custom Fields – it's your business – make it personal. Set automatic Reminders for the items that matter most. Tasks – allow the system to prompt you for the necessary items needed to complete a file. No thinking, just doing! Register now!

How Digital Signatures Will Speed Up Your Business
In Part One of this two-part series in looking at how electronic signatures work inside a transaction management solution, Tricia Stamper of Florida Realtors shows what the experience looks like from an agent's point of view. In Part Two, Stamper will show what the signature experience looks like from a clients' point-of-view. Going paperless is the fastest way for agents and brokers to improve their businesses, increase their profitability and give clients a better experience. Real estate is a mobile industry and agents are always on the go: in their home office, in their car, or meeting with clients at their home. Today, by using a transaction management program such as Realtor-created and supported Form Simplicity, agents and brokers have the mobile tools to put contracts together anywhere. Agents are no longer chained to their desk, and with Form Simplicity's integration with eSign, electronic signatures can save every agent literally hours per transaction. That translates into increased profitability and productivity for agents. Let's first take a look at how easy and fast it is for an agent to use eSign technology, as shown inside Form Simplicity: First, an agent can create an eSign session and quickly auto-populate their client information from the transaction contacts already inside Form Simplicity: (If the contact is not already in Form Simplicity, the agent can manually add them later in the process.)

zipForm Plus Timely Tips and Tricks (9/14)
Wednesday, September 14, 2016 at 12:00 PM PDT Use zipForm® Plus and its time-saving features to get you up and running for your next deal! Enhanced User Interface, E-Signature Integration, Notifications, and Advanced Search Tools are all available to help create a smooth transaction process. Build consistency with time-saving templates Complete forms with Cloud Integration capabilities Quickly search and filter transactions and Save results Register now!

How to take your Office Paperless! The 'Qualifying' Broker Dashboard, Document Review and TransactionDesk (9/6)
Tuesday, September 6, 2016 at 1:00 PM PDT Find out how to take your office paperless with TransactionDesk--transaction files and document checklists! We will cover all of the tools and tricks to create content for the agents to use as well as the reporting and document management functions that offer you the visibility into all of the office files. Register now!

Learn Simple Paperless Transaction Processes with zipForm® Plus (8/29)
Monday, August 29, 2016 at 11:00 AM PDT Use zipForm® Plus and it's time-saving features to get you up and running for your next deal! Enhanced User Interface, E-Signature Integration, Notifications, and Advanced Search Tools are all available to help create a smooth transaction process. Build consistency with time-saving templates Complete forms with Cloud Integration capabilities Capture contact information from popular integration providers Register now!

Transaction Management made easy: NAR & zipLogix New Member Benefit (8/22)
Monday, August 22, 2016 at 11:00 AM PDT In 2016, National Association of REALTORS® and zipLogix™ offer REALTORS zipTMS™ as a nationwide benefit. Each member will have access to technology that has been shaped from over 20 years of industry expertise and feedback from REALTORS® across the nation. See how zipTMS™ Transaction Management System allows you to optimize workflow offering a comprehensive set of tools that provide the essential online workplace for real estate professionals. Features of zipTMS™ include: Managing transactions with task checklists; Create checklist templates; Adjust the task view with calendar or list mode; zipForm® Plus notifications for tasks; Transaction history records all tasks and more! Register now!

AuthentiSign and the Counter Offer (8/3)
Wednesday, August 3, 2016 at 10:30 AM PDT AuthentiSign and the Counter Offer will show the steps to Prepare a Counter Offer Form, Upload a 'Buyer Signed' Purchase Offer and prepare both for e-signing. We will highlight the signing participants steps to access and accept the prepared contract packet. AuthentiSign is e-Sign and UETA compliant as well as FHA approved! We look forward to 'seeing' you there!! Register now!

Learn simple Paperless Transaction processes with zipForm® Plus (8/15)
Monday, August 15, 2016 at 9:00 AM PDT Use zipForm® Plus and it's time-saving features to get you up and running for your next deal! Enhanced User Interface, E-Signature Integration, Notifications, and Advanced Search Tools are all available to help create a smooth transaction process. Build consistency with time-saving templates Complete forms with Cloud Integration capabilities Capture contact information from popular integration providers Register now!

DocuSign Transaction Rooms for Real Estate (7/20)
Wednesday, July 20, 2016 at 1:00 PM PDT This webinar will cover the basics of how to use DocuSign Transaction Rooms for Real Estate so you can get started and accelerate your business! Register now!

How to take your Office Paperless! The 'Qualifying' Broker Dashboard, Document Review and TransactionDesk (7/8)
Friday, July 8, 2016 at 7:00 AM PDT Find out how to take your office paperless with TransactionDesk--transaction files and document checklists! We will cover all of the tools and tricks to create content for the agents to use as well as the reporting and document management functions that offer you the visibility into all of the office files. Register now!

Transaction Management made easy: NAR & zipLogix New Member Benefit (7/5)
Tuesday, July 5, 2016 at 11:00 AM PDT In 2016, National Association of REALTORS® and zipLogix™ offer REALTORS zipTMS™ as a nationwide benefit. Each member will have access to technology that has been shaped from over 20 years of industry expertise and feedback from REALTORS® across the nation. See how zipTMS™ Transaction Management System allows you to optimize workflow offering a comprehensive set of tools that provide the essential online workplace for real estate professionals. Features of zipTMS™ include: Managing transactions with task checklists; Create checklist templates; Adjust the task view with calendar or list mode; zipForm® Plus notifications for tasks; Transaction history records all tasks and more! Register now!

DocuSign Transaction Rooms for Real Estate (6/15)
Wednesday, June 15, 2016 at 1:00 PM PDT This webinar will cover the basics of how to use DocuSign Transaction Rooms for Real Estate so you can get started and accelerate your business! Register now!

zipForm® Plus and Paperless Transactions (6/15)
Wednesday, June 15, 2016 at 10:00 AM PDT Use zipForm® Plus and it's time-saving features to get you up and running for your next deal! Enhanced User Interface, E-Signature Integration, Notifications, and Advanced Search Tools are all available to help create a smooth transaction process. Create Templates Complete Forms Capture Contact information Register now!

Instanet Advanced: Faster Files with Form Templates, Documents in the Cloud (6/13)
Monday, June 13, 2016 at 11:00 AM PDT This session will cover how to set up transaction templates and start a new transaction file while automatically associating forms and features to have more efficient and consistent files. We will also cover: Documents Unlimited Online Document Storage in a Transaction File Authentisign Email Scan/Upload Print Drive or Fax documents Back into online files Pro View: The 'more is better' approach to file management, more functions, more features, more fun! Register now!

TransactionDesk Essentials (6/1)
Wednesday, June 1, 2016 at 8:00 AM PDT Join us for an essentials overview: MLS Integrations (how to access) Creating a Transaction File Using Integrated Authentisign for e-signatures Receiving signed documents back into the transaction file How to manage client files online with our web-based services Register now!

TransactionDesk Essentials (5/19)
Thursday, May 19, 2016 at 12:30 PM PDT Join us for an essentials overview: MLS Integrations (how to access) Creating a Transaction File Using Integrated Authentisign for e-signatures Receiving signed documents back into the transaction file How to manage client files online with our web-based services Register now!

Top 5 Secret DocuSign Mobile Features That You Don’t Know About
For those of you who are closing deals on the road--which if you aren't, you should be--here are the top five features that DocuSign Transaction Rooms users don't know are available with the mobile application. 5. Bulk Actions Bulk actions allow you to choose one or more documents and take an action on those items, like email, copy or delete. To use bulk actions, touch the bulk action icon circled below, and then touch the circle next to the corresponding items you'd like to take an action on. Touch the same bulk actions icon in the bottom left to select all or none of the documents. Touch either email, copy, or delete from the bottom right. Touch Done to leave the bulk action options.

Introducing DocuSign for REALTORS® PLUS
When DocuSign acquired Cartavi, it was easy to imagine great things as a result. We waited eagerly to see what DocuSign would do with this powerful new tool in its arsenal, and we were excited to see DocuSign for REALTORS® PLUS unveiled earlier this year. This week, we took a closer look with a guided tour—and we were not disappointed. So let me show you what DocuSign for REALTORS® PLUS can do for your business. Dashboard The DocuSign for REALTORS® PLUS dashboard is your cockpit for viewing and managing your transactions. From this home screen, you can see a quick snapshot of the latest activity related to your transactions, envelopes, and documents.

The Plus Side of Auto-Populating Forms (and the pitfalls!)
Here at RE Technology, we're huge advocates of anything that saves time for real estate agents. After all, saving time is one of the key benefits of real estate technology! If a tool is creating work for you, you need to take a hard look at the cost-benefit analysis. Today, I'm going to focus on just one timesaving tool, auto-populating forms, and the pitfalls you should be aware of in order to be successful with them. The Plus Side State real estate associations and the National Association of REALTORS® have worked with legislators to create forms that protect all the parties to a transaction. This is a huge leap from the days when real estate agents had to lawyer every document for every transaction. But forms are just the beginning. Modern technology has taken it a step further with the ability to auto-populate these forms. Depending on the complexity of a transaction, the total number of pages of documents can exceed 300. Some forms providers have replaced "dumb forms" with "smart forms." To clarify, dumb forms require you to enter the buyer's name every single time it is required – which is often as many as 20 forms in a transaction. Smart fields, however, allow you to enter the information just once and it populates everywhere else in the documents that that information is required.

7 Tools For Working With Clients Remotely
Have you ever had to work with an out-of-town client? If you have, no doubt you've thanked your lucky stars for digital tools like digital signatures and transaction management software. Sometimes, however, your buyer or seller may need a more personal touch. So what's a far-away agent to do? Consider looking into web meeting applications. Most solutions will let you share your computer screen with clients, or chat face-to-face using a webcam. You can use these programs to review documents in real-time with clients, or simply to add a human touch that remote digital transactions can sometimes lack. There are a variety of different web meeting apps on the market, both free and paid. We've rounded up a few of our favorites below. To Download or Not to Download? That is the question and, next to price, it's probably the biggest consideration when choosing the right meeting app for you. Web meeting apps come in two flavors: those that require you to download and install software before joining or hosting a meeting, and those that work right in your browser, no installation required. Those that require installation typically offer more robust features, like the ability to record a session. However, if those features are not important to you, browser-based apps may be the way to go. GoToMeeting - If you've ever attended one of RE Technology's webinars (or most of these), you're already familiar with this program. GoToMeeting is one of the most widely used online collaboration tools. It offers desktop sharing, high-def video conferencing, the ability to record sessions, and more. The program requires software installation and a monthly subscription fee. However, there is a new free version with fewer features and no installation required. This version only works in Google Chrome for up to three participants.