Tools for the Agent (agents, contracts, Realtor, MLS)

[Rakin]

Thought I'd share some tools I use in my business that makes life as a real estate agent much easier. Last year I purchased several Fuji Desktop high speed document scanners, one for home & one for my office.

Newegg.com - Fujitsu ScanSnap S510 Normal Mode: Color 150dpi, Monochrome 300dpi USB Interface Sheet Fed/Document Fed Scanner - Scanners

I sold my fax and now I quickly scan all documents and email contracts, etc to email other agents instead of fax. Ever get contracts that have been faxed 4-5 times? This maintains the quality. Fax machines will be the next obsolete piece of equipment.

My briefcase is now (mostly) a small 250GB pocket hard drive from Costco where I store all my scanned documents, blank contract files, home photos and tons of other info. I have the last 3 years on transactions and photos on this drive. I still maintain printed files just like the old days but rely on these a whole lot less.

Microsoft offers a free program called Sync Toy that syncs my computers to the pocket hard drive. I have a total of 4 computers that I synchronize all my real estate files and this also acts as a backup in case one hard drive goes bad.

These items along with IFax that offers faxes to my email for less than $10 a month are a great time and gas saver. IFax has a great Realtor discount:

https://secure.impactfax.com/RealtorIfax.htm

These are just item that have made my life so much easier. Do you have some newer technology that you'd care to share?

[Sandy Nelson]

These are great tools. I email and fax, because according to our MLS contracts, emailing does not constitute proper delivery. All contracts, notices and addenda must be hand deliovered or faxed to the broker's office unless otherwise agreed to in writing.

Sandy

[DMenscha]

Originally Posted by Sandy Nelson

These are great tools. I email and fax, because according to our MLS contracts, emailing does not constitute proper delivery. All contracts, notices and addenda must be hand deliovered or faxed to the broker's office unless otherwise agreed to in writing.

Sandy

And I thought my MLS was a 19th century holdover. You might want to suggest that emailing documents renders them readable and both ends of the transaction have a time stamped copy.

Does your MLS still carve things on stone or have they reached the papyrus level yet?