Real Estate Technology: How to Go Paperless in Your Real Estate Business

If you’re still carrying around a portfolio of papers from showings to closings, it’s time to update your tech and go paperless. There are tons of great paperless options for Realtors, options that not only keep everything easy to manage but also help save the planet.

It’s time to put down the file folders.

Here, we’re looking at the best apps to help real estate professionals go paperless.

If you’re looking for more great apps to help keep your business running, check out our previous lists of the best Virtual Personal Assistants, Social Media Management Software, Email Marketing Software, MLS and IDX Integration, and Client Relationship Management Programs.

Best eSignature Software: DocuSign  

DocuSign is the official eSignature software endorsed by the National Association of Realtors, and with good reason. In addition to being a secure, easy-to-use eSignature program, DocuSign is also one of the industry’s leading transaction management programs. This software allows you to send, sign, edit, and file all transaction documents online – even from a handheld device.

The DocuSign eSignature software saves users an average of $36 per agreement, thanks to reduced paper supplies, printer ink, and work time. The software is trusted by hundreds of millions of users worldwide because if its super-secure data encryption and safe cloud storage options.

DocuSign offers a variety of price points, services, and solutions for real estate businesses of all sizes. Realtors love the speed and ease eSignatures provides. Clients love being able to access documents, sign, and send back from anywhere in the world. It’s a 21^st-century solution that makes real estate transactions a breeze.

Best Overall Transaction Management: Dotloop 

Dotloop is another highly-regarded way to go paperless in the real estate industry. Similar to DocuSign, Dotloop offers users a variety of options for transaction management, eSignature, and document organization tools.

We all know that real estate transactions require a ton of paperwork. However, Dotloop allows users to complete that paperwork online, share with clients, coordinate with your office staff to ensure everything is finished on time. Then, the program stores everything cleanly in the cloud.

From the offer to the closing table, Dotloop is a solution that helps real estate deals get done faster. Plus, the mobile capabilities mean you can write offers, sign contracts, and coordinate with your clients from anywhere you have phone or internet access.

It’s a complete transaction management system that is backed by secure encryption and millions of satisfied users.

Best Cloud Storage Tool: DropBox 

If you’re working in a busy real estate office, with multiple agents, assistants, and other staff, it can be challenging to keep your documents and deals straight. This is especially difficult in our profession, since we are constantly out of the office, driving from one appointment to the next.

We need a way to keep documents in one place, with paperless options, where all members of the team can access from anywhere.

Enter DropBox.

DropBox is an ideal way for your office to go paperless and stay organized. It’s a cloud-based software that essentially created a “hard drive in the sky,” where every team member can store documents, retrieve information, and coordinate with one another.

DropBox also connects to many of your other paperless options, allowing you to add a DropBox extension. This allows you to automatically add completed documents to the DropBox folder from over 300 other apps, including those on this list.

Best Collaboration Tool: Slack

If your office needs a better way to communicate and collaborate, you’re not alone. In our fast-paced field, it can be nearly impossible to join together and coordinate with your team. That’s where a collaboration software like Slack can come in handy.

There are so many communication options out there today. All day long, we check emails, text messages, Facebook messenger chats, and other messaging tools. These constant distractions from multiple sources can impact our time and our productivity.

Slack helps keep you and your team on track by coordinating all communications in one central source. The software replaces email, text messaging, and other communication options, allowing users to upload files, share links, and chat with either specific groups, individuals, or the whole team. Plus, you can even leave yourself notes and messages to address when you’re back in the office.

Users can access slack from a desktop or mobile device, meaning you’ll never miss a message again.

Best Scanning Program: Cam Scanner 

For an even better way to go paperless, download a scanning app. We love Cam Scanner because it allows users to easily scan documents and images, and edit or correct them from your phone or mobile device.

Essentially, Cam Scanner allows your phone to become the scanner, meaning you don’t have to take paperwork back to the office and wait for your office scanner to do the work.

In addition, Cam Scanner helps you go completely paperless by faxing these scans to clients or colleagues, emailing them directly, or upload them to your DropBox – or another storage site.

Real Estate Agents Can Go Paperless!

With real estate technology continually moving forward, it’s easier than ever for real estate offices to go paperless. Have you tried these apps? Do you have others that help your real estate business function more effectively? Please share them with us in the comments below!