Technology
Generating and Responding to Online Leads
Responding to leads generated through online sources the same way you do with your sphere of influence is a recipe for failure. Start converting more online leads by following these simple tips.
eClosings Are Coming to Real Estate Settlements Sooner Than You Might Think
Real estate settlements in Pennsylvania have always been an emotional event for buyers and sellers. It’s a time for beginning a new chapter in a buyer’s life or the closing of a book for the seller. In most cases it is a relatively joyous event when a property transfers to a new owner.
But one of the pain points of a real estate settlement is the actual event itself. Between trying to coordinate everyone’s schedules (i.e. buyer, seller, buyer’s agent, seller’s agent, title company, attorney, mortgage lender, babysitter for the kids, travel to the location, navigating traffic, etc.) to signing a pile of paperwork, it’s not as fun-filled as you might have imagined.
But all of this is about to change . . . and in a big way! eClosings are coming to a real estate settlement near you. Continue reading
The Pros and Cons of E-Sign in the Real Estate Transaction
In the world in which we live in today, if you haven’t been asked to electronically sign something, you’ve been hiding underneath a rock. Our comfort level with E-sign has rapidly evolved in the last ten years. Electronic signatures in real estate transactions are fast becoming the norm instead of the exception.
For purposes of simplicity in this post, I am going to refer to electronic signatures and digital signatures as one in the same, although they are different. Digital signatures are used in the real estate business and are much more secure than electronic signatures. If you’re geeky and want to read about the differences, click here to learn more.
Before we touch on the pros and cons of e-sign, a common misconception needs to be cleared up. I often hear from consumers and agents alike, “Are they legal?” The short answer, “Yes.”
The Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) was introduced in 1999 and has been adopted by 47 U.S. states (Pennsylvania is one of them), as well as the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. UETA allows electronic signatures in real estate transactions as long as the parties to a contract agree to proceed electronically.
The ESIGN Act is a federal law passed in 2000 and grants legal recognition to electronic signatures and records if all parties to a contract choose to use electronic documents and to sign them electronically.
UETA and the ESIGN Act solidified the legal landscape for use of electronic records and electronic signatures in real estate transactions by confirming that they carry the same weight and have the same legal effect as traditional paper documents and wet ink signatures.
Now that they boring legal stuff is out of the way, here are the pros and cons: Continue reading
REALTORS® Property Resource (RPR) – A Powerful Tool for Today’s Real Estate Agent
The National Association of REALTORS® data product is a powerful resource for real estate agents that know how to harness its information. Here is a presentation that will introduce you to the program and give you an overview of its unique features and comprehensive reports.
All the best!
Folio for Gmail – Yea!!!
I’m not one to usually endorse services or products on my blog but I stumbled upon a Gmail extension the other day that I have to trumpet to my fellow real estate agents. It’s called Folio.
Any agent that has ever processed a real estate transaction from start to finish knows that trying to keep track of all the paperwork, emails, conversations, deadlines, and notes is a daunting task. The developers of Folio, Amitree, apparently felt your pain. Here are some of the features that make this extension special: Continue reading
