Real Estate Gone Paperless – Tips to Save You Time!!

The idea of going paperless, whether your office or you are looking to do this, may seem like a monumental task. The shining light at the end of the tunnel is that technology has eased the pain and by using your iPad and the right apps you can significantly reduce the overall amount of paper you are using, also increasing the speed at which you work. 

2014 has been a big year for technology and the real estate industry: 

·        We began the year with a change to legislation that has led to real estate sales professionals being able to sign real estate documents electronically. This includes listing agreements, representation agreements, purchase and sale agreements and more… This set the stage for you to cut back on the paper and do more digitally. 

·        Real estate sales professionals like John Ross Parks who successfully went paperless, began releasing short videos talking about how one can practically and realistically go paperless. This short video looks at some popular apps that you can use for cloud based storage, organization etc.: http://youtu.be/hLsv74ry7xU. 

·        Blogs began popping up all over Google about the best apps to use to achieve the goal of going paperless.

·        Real estate specific apps like ViMO emerged offering real estate sales professionals the ability to sign documents electronically from an iPad and a host of other capabilities.

In one short year, an interesting number of apps have emerged to facilitate one’s ability to go paperless in the real estate industry. All of a sudden, our tablet dashboards are cluttering up with app icons to perform different functions. 

 

The next natural progression in the app boom, and in the fight to go paperless, is that real estate sales professionals are becoming more informed and choosing apps, even premium paid apps, which do more, thus reducing the number of apps they are using.

So what should a paperless real estate sales professional look for in a comprehensive mobile app?

Here is the short list that we looked at when developing ViMO:  

·        Post and promote listings

·        View listings

·        Research properties – sales comparables, sales history, generate aerial and street view imagery

·        Research neighbourhoods – sales comparables, demographics, generate aerial and street view imagery

·        Sign forms electronically

·        Transmit communications, listings, requests and documents between other real estate sales professionals and other partners

 

Real estate sales professionals told us that they were looking for the ability to do more on the go and we listened!

ViMO is an example of a mobile app that could replace a handful of mobile apps for real estate offering all of the tools that you need on the go in one central place.

If you would like more info on ViMO please call us today at 1 855 999-8466.

Watch the full John Ross Parks Video here

RECO Bulletin – Using Electronic Signatures in Real Estate

Like us, you are probably feeling the excitement now that your clients will be able to sign documents electronically. So many other industries have this capability and it is no surprise that the government has changed the legislation to allow it in real estate as well.

While it is clear that the ability to sign forms electronically is a capability that will reduce the time and expense it takes to serve your client – what may be less clear is which forms you can sign electronically and whether or not agreements that were executed electronically are actually enforceable.

We decided to share this RECO bulletin as it speaks specifically to the use of electronic signatures and so we thought you would find it useful.

Click here to download

If you are interested in learning more about how you can take advantage of the ability to use electronic signatures visit www.myvimo.ca

Game Time: Want to Sell a Home Fast?

These 4 pics describe what you may have to do. The answer is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 7 letters.

 

  

Before listing a house, what is one of the first things you suggest to the seller? Take a look at these 4 pictures – what is the common theme?

For more tips to help make you more competitive as a real estate professional, check out ViMO, your virtual mobile office. Contact us today by calling 1 855 999 8466 (VIMO).

In the News: Electronic Real Estate Forms Are Here – Are You Taking Advantage?

Hallelujah! Electronic real estate forms are here! We have blogged about it, tweeted about it, and issued a video on it – why? Because it is a capability that you should be taking advantage of. 

In the old process of negotiating a purchase and sale: 

·        The real estate sales professional brings a prospective buyer to see a property – the prospective buyer likes the property and decides to make an offer.

·        If the real estate sales professional is prepared with a hard copy of the documents that the client could sign, they may be able to have the offer signed right there.

·        If the real estate sales professional didn’t bring a hard copy or brought their laptop, the documents could be prepared but then the real estate sales professional would have to return to their office to print them and provide to the client for signing.

·        How many deals require negotiation after the initial offer? Many! This can lead to multiple meetings with the client to sign, make amendments to the purchase and sale agreement, notwithstanding offers and counter-offers.

This is why the law changing to permit the electronic signing of forms is ground-breaking.  

Armed with an iPad and the ViMO app the real estate sales professional now:

·        Brings a prospective buyer to see properties in a neighbourhood. He/she has prepared a list of properties to view.

·        When driving down the street they notice a property is for sale that is not on the list.

·        Now they can pull over, pop open their tablet and locate the property on ViMO. They can electronically message the other real estate sales professional through ViMO to request to see the property and see the other properties while awaiting a response.

·        Then visits other properties with the prospective buyer who ends up finding a property they like and wants to make an offer.

·        Opening their tablet, the real estate professional uses the ViMO app and reviews the property’s sales history, sales comparable and demographics in the area with their client to determine a fair offer.

·        Prepare all documents within ViMO on their iPad, and the client can sign on the tablet using their finger!

·        Transmits all documents to the other real estate sales professional who can send them to their seller to electronically sign.

 

Electronic forms are bringing real estate sales professional so many cost benefits: reduced travel expenses, reduction office supplies costs, a streamlined process for the client leading to delivery of better services, and maximized time savings.

More efficient signing and delivery leads to you getting the job done faster!

For more about how ViMO can save you time and make you more competitive and consumer friendly, check out ViMO, your Virtual Mobile Office. Call us today at 1 855 999-8466.

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