Paperless Challenge In Progress

Paperless Challenge In Progress

Back in February 2011 there was an ActiveRain Paperless Challenge.

    

The goal... to create a plan reducing the amount of paper used in real estate.

 Here are a few ways that allow me to use less paper but not quite paper-less.

My listing agreements are on my iPad but I still keep a paper copy.  Many of my clients do NOT use a computer,  email or even faxes and I have to work around this situation.

I still use MBAI forms and no longer keep a stack of out of date listing packets.  I still  print one Exclusive Right to Sell contract which I have signed by the seller, scan the original and keep it in the email folder for that listing. Disclosures are scanned separately so it is easy to print or email just what is needed to write an offer. My Fujitsu Scanner still makes it easy to take that one document and file it electronically.  

My contract offers are still  emailed to the client with highlighting for signatures and initials. I have phone appointment times to review the offer and answer questions. They sign and return by fax or email. The fax goes directly into my email. When complete, I combine with the same cover letter and email to all parties. For clients without technology, I am able to send the offer to a family member, lawyer or other trusted adviser for review.

I no longer print up broshures  for listings or MLS sheets  when showing property. I have each listing in the iPad and can have them in my photo gallery...so much easier than carrying paper copies.  I am always Looking For Ways To Eliminate Inefficiencies.

On listing appointments, anything can be pulled up on the iPad from a marketing piece on a specific property, to a blog about the neighborhood to showing my weekly  print advertising.

I have been able to entertain, 3 kids under the age of 4 at the same time, with a single Cool iPad Tool...no more coloring books and reams of paper for drawings.

The Challenge is to create a plan reducing the amount of paper used in real estate.  Did a Paper Truck Throw Up?    

I may be a bit old fashioned but I still want one original paper copy of the contract. I have not been able to cut that paper umbilical cord.

My goal (when I have time in between listing, selling and settling my properties) is to delve more into some of the things Cheryl is doing.  Realtor Plan to go Paperless starts with Evernote Cartavi & Docusign! 

 Right now I am a Paperless Challenge...in Progress 

Paper- Less Challenge...The Rome Way

The Challenge is to create a plan reducing the amount of paper used in in real estate. Here are a few ways that  allow me to use less paper but not quite paper-less.

I used to have a stack of listing packets ready to go on appointments. No more.
                                                                       
I use MBAI forms which are constantly updated. No longer have to purge or throw away out of date packets. I print one Exclusive Right to Sell contract which I have signed by the seller, scan the original and keep it in the email folder for that listing. Disclosures are scanned separately so it is easy to print or email just what is needed to write an offer.

 I have set up a cover letter to go with each of my contracts. I have it saved as an email "signature."                                                                                                                                                                                         
 I use this cover as the first page of any contract offer and it is filed in the clients sub folder. This cover which is also a summary page, can easily be sent to the title company, the lender, the appraiser, the coop agent and of course to the client.

Contracts offers are emailed to the client with highlighting for signatures and initials. I have phone appointment times to review the offer and answer questions. They sign and return by fax or email. The fax goes directly into my email. When complete, I combine with the cover letter and email to all parties.
A high speed compact scanner is best for reducing and creating less paper. It takes lots of loose papers of all sizes and puts them in folders.

My website has all my Active Listings www.HomeRome.com When a brochure is needed, it can be printed from the site. No running out of listing flyers ever. The sellers can print as many as they need whenever there are showings. When a buyer's agent makes an appointment, I can email a property flyer to have when showing. This is much more impressive than the standard MLS print out.
                                         

The Challenge is to create a plan reducing the amount of paper used in real estate.

 
"This post is written as a submission to the ActiveRain & Kodak Paper-less Challenge contest.  I have the chance to win the high speed KODAK SCANMATE i1120 Scanner, great for helping real estate professionals reduce their stacks of paper by scanning contracts, photos and business cards in seconds."