Businesses continue to strive to have a paperless office after a decade of implementing the latest technologies. Despite these advances, real estate continues to generate seemingly endless paperwork. The paper chase including listing paperwork, marketing materials for clients, contracts, inspections, and more. A well-organized office operates efficiently and makes a positive impression on clients. Discover how to organize new real estate listings and connect with potential buyers.
Start Small and Build On It
Getting organized often seems like a monumental task. Making sales is an agent’s primary focus. But a poorly organized agent misses phone calls, forgets about leads, and overlooks essential details. An organized approach is the first step to realizing the larger goals of selling properties, building a reputation, and connecting with more potential buyers. Don’t spend hours trying to establish the perfect system. Instead, start with small tasks, such as clearing off a messy desk. A disorganized workspace is distracting and makes it hard to complete tasks efficiently. Professional organizers also say physical clutter can lead to mental distractions. Cleaning up can help people regain clarity and a sense of purpose. Focus on the needs of buyers rather than searching for paperwork.
Basic Business Organization
Establish a basic system of business organization for everything. Successful real estate agents handle their work as a business. Proper organization is crucial to boost home sales and build a respected reputation. Open physical and computer file folders for major categories of real estate operations. These folders should include:
- Business Administration – licensing documents, tax paperwork, business receipts
- Buyers – include sub-folders for closed, in process (people looking for a home), pending offers
- Sellers – open sub-folders for active, closed, awaiting listing, pending, withdrawn
- Clients – contact and background info for clients, including how the connection occurred
- Promotions and Marketing – advertising medium with contact info, listing descriptions and photos, testimonials, marketing statistics, vendors, open house info, lead generation strategies, checklists for buyers and sellers
- Technology – master list of social media, website, and blog accounts
Technology First and Paper Second
While real estate offices are not yet paperless, always eliminate unnecessary paperwork. When possible, use technology first and paper second. Scan receipts, binders, contracts, and inspections to keep them organized. A real estate agent is a mobile career that requires going on the road frequently. Use the cloud, so documents are accessible anywhere. Cloud-based storage also reduces the pileup of paperwork in an agent’s vehicle. Have a portable file folder to neatly and confidentially store papers in the car.
Many agents still keep a physical calendar to write down and track of appointments. It is an excellent backup, but also keep meetings in a cloud-based app for instant access. Plus, apps send reminders, so an agent never misses an open house or appointment with an eager buyer. Use a digital asset management (DAM) tool to organize the countless photos associated with listings. The info is at your fingertips when buyers want pictures of homes for sale that meet their criteria. Harness the power of technology to banish the endless piles of paper in the car, office, and at home.
Connecting with Buyers and Sellers
Send listings to potential buyers via email or text message. Print out the listings during open houses and showings. Place them in a folder with a pen that has the real estate agent’s name and contact information. Include a checklist for buyers with pre-qualification info, vendors, and other pertinent information. Buyers appreciate having everything they need in one place. Maintain a computer file with all the information that was manually distributed to clients to recreate it with a moment’s notice.
Be prepared to give potential sellers a list of comparable home sales in the area with a seller checklist and marketing plan in a folder for their review. Send all this information via email before the meeting to have a record of it when questions arise. Sellers want to know an agent is ready to price their home accurately and market it effectively. A well-prepared and organized agent gets the listing to offer to their potential buyers right away.
An organized agent makes meaningful connections with buyers. Instead of searching for information, it’s instantly accessible to find the right property for any buyer. It takes just a few minutes to organize new real estate listings and other relevant data. During this brief process, agents instantly recognize properties that might appeal to one of their buyers. The result is boosting home sales and building a list of happy clients who refer the agent to others.
