By now, there's a good chance you know all about the technology options available to real estate professionals.
You can leverage 3D imaging to create interactive home tours.
You can use mobile apps to respond to new leads in seconds.
You can even get set up with customer relationship software designed especially for your industry.
So why do so many agents and brokers still spend so much time on tedious, time-consuming tasks—rather than exploring the latest innovations?
Despite the explosion of real estate technology in recent years, there's still a surprising amount of manual work to be done each day. And usually, overwhelm is to blame. According to the National Association of Realtors, keeping up with technology is a top challenge for a growing number of real estate firms. Which is concerning, since 44% of agencies also expect competition from virtual firms to increase over the next year.
The more comfortable you can become with technology solutions, the better positioned you'll be to meet client expectations and stay ahead of your competitors.
However, the sheer volume of options available today can make it difficult to determine where to begin. To help, we’ve pulled together a quick list of the most common real estate processes that easily can be put on autopilot.
Generate real estate documents digitally
From initial listing agreements to creating contracts, you have a lot of documents to juggle. Believe it or not, managing them all doesn’t have to be a complex process.
Rather than contending with piles of paperwork or a complicated web of emails and attachments, an increasing number of real estate professionals are turning to automated document generation. With this technology, you simply collect the right data and feed it into a document creator. The system will transform your information into the exact files you need, based on the parameters you set.
Not sure where to get the data, or which information you'll need? By setting up a series of simple online real estate forms, you can create a system where all the work is done for you. It’s an easy, fast way to build reusable templates and create contracts—without having to start them from scratch each and every time.
Quickly collect electronic signatures
Do you frequently schedule meetings to collect signatures in person? Are you still spending a lot of time scanning, saving, and sharing signed documents? If so, it's time to discover the power of the electronic signature.
Contrary to what you may have heard elsewhere, eSignatures are just as legally valid as their pen-and-paper counterparts—and are remarkably easy to collect.
When you automate the process of generating real estate documents, those files can be easily set to capture signatures as well. You can add a signature field to your online form, or have digital documents sent to a signature software solution for final approval. Either way, you'll get the signatures you need within seconds and save a tremendous amount of time. And since it means less time for the signers themselves, you'll be improving the experience for your clients too.
Use real estate automation to streamline workflows
How much time do you spend updating, printing, signing, mailing, and scanning important documents like loan agreements and letters of intent? When these and other repetitive tasks take up too much of your time, they detract from the high-value work you should be doing to move the business forward. The more you can automate, the better positioned you’ll be to maximize productivity and profits.
This is where automated workflows come in. Once set up, automated workflows will take care of entire real estate processes from start to finish. From creating digital documents to routing files to the right individuals, each task will be handled without the need for additional input from you. As soon as one item is completed, your automated workflow will trigger the next one, and then the one after that—until the entire document has been completed, reviewed, authorized, signed, shared, filed, and safely stored.
In an era where digital documentation and electronic communication is becoming more commonplace across industries, your clients expect ease and convenience. With the right real estate technology in place, you can meet their expectations—and improve your own internal workflows in the process.
Ready to start leveraging real estate technology built to make you more efficient? See how Formstack’s advanced features for agents and brokers can help you get a bigger competitive advantage.
