Paperless Office

I currently run my office totally paperless, through the use of innovative tools that allow me to keep my files secure and backed-up digitally.  When we receive hard copies of documents we immediately scan the documents and send them through email so they can be electronically filed in our system.  In addition to this I have an e-fax account so all fax messages that are directed to my fax number arrive in my email inbox so they can be easily filed.  The program we use to keep our files is Dropbox this is a free service that allows for easy online storage of up to 8gb.  If you are interested in this feature if you comment below I will send you a referral and when you sign up we will both gain additional space in our folder.  Also, a great tool used in our paperless office is the combination of Zip Forms and Docusign which gives us the opportunity to create documents and allow our clients to sign them electronically saving both time and paper.  These documents can then be downloaded and sent anywhere they are needed.  The advantage to a paperless office is seen in the efficiency gained through the easy access of our files anywhere either in the office on the road or at home.

Google Tools

I also am a great proponent of the free tools offered by Google, including Google Docs, Google Voice, Google Calendar and Google Analytics.  If you are unfamiliar with these tools they provide a great service to tech savvy business person.  Google Docs is an online office service that allows for word processing, spreadsheets, and other office programs online.  In addition, Google Docs allows for sharing of these files with other users, there for this allows me to share information with my fellow agents and also is a great way to collaborate on documents.  Google Voice is free phone and voice mail service that is provided by Google.  With Google Voice you are able to get a new phone number for free that allows you to forward calls to and from you cell phone.  Google Voice also has voice mail that will transcribe the message and text you with the transcription or email you the message. The advantage of Google voice is the ability to have a separate phone number with out a different phone and gives you the opportunity to separate your business and personal calls and stay organized.  Google Calendar is a fantastic program that can sync your calendar events to both a phone or outlook keeping your business organized and on schedule.  In addition, you are allowed multiple calendars and therefore can keep different types of events in their own calendar.  Finally, Google Analytics is a powerful website analytics program that keeps the user informed about the amount and path of website visitors.  This information is used to make marketing and navigation changes to keep visitors returning and improve the frequency and quality of the leads from your website.  These four tools free from Google have improved my efficiency and productivity vastly and continue to keep my business on track.

Wiseagent

Wiseagent is a fantastic website for database and work flow management. This site allows for great CRM through emails and marketing campaigns that are totally customizable down to the HTML code for the automatic email templates.  This level of customization gives us the ability to brand out messages better than any other system we have found so far.  In addition to the marketing features Wiseagent has a great checklist functionality permitting us to designate tasks to each team member when running short sales and with the ability to create items on the checklist that are activated according to important dates we are able to continue the short sale process with out the need to directly communicate what has been completed and what has not yet been accomplished.  All in all Wiseagent is an invaluable tool in our short sale and CRM system.

Use of Websites

Our websites are used as an integral part of both our lead generation and short sale systems. First, in combination with Craigslist and other marketing campaigns we use our WordPress websites and Flex IDX pages to draw in leads and give us the opportunity to contact the interested client and make sure they consider using us for their real estate transaction.  On the Short Sale side of the business we use our Websites to collect and distribute information to our clients.  First, we provide a great section of FAQ’s to answer some of the common questions that arise from the short sale process.  We then direct our clients to our short sale request form which collects all of the most important information about their specific sale once the form is completed they are directed to the downloads page to obtain our short sale packet.  Once the packet with all of the appropriate documents are sent in we initiate the short sale in our system and continue to complete the sale.

Marketing/Craigslist

Our email marketing and Craigslist ads are another crucial tool used in our business.  We strategically use out Craigslist template that matches our website and at specific intervals to provide us with the best possible results.  We have also developed at spreadsheet that creates an efficient use of time when posting ads allowing us to post in the most effective way possible.  In addition to this we use a similar email template to brand our team in the best way, we send automatic updates thorough the MLS system as well as marketing emails though Wiseagent.  Both of these campaigns provide our clients with great information either about the real estate market or also the houses in which they are interested.

If you would like more information on any of these systems and tools feel free to leave a comment and I will respond as soon as possible, Thank You.