Pinterest is an online “pinboard” that lets users create, manage, and share collections of interests mostly in the form of pictures.

Could it be the next big real estate tool? Apparently, Pinterest helps agents and brokers get their websites noticed. Here’s how: Create a board for yourself, your business page or your team. Search engines give higher rankings to websites with lots of social interests. So the more people pin your pictures or websites onto their own boards, the higher the website will ultimately rank.

Watch the video below by ActiveRain and Internet Marketing Specialist Designation for an introduction and explanation of Pinterest. Learn how it works and how it can benefit your real estate business.

In 2011, a study by the National Association for Realtors (NAR) concluded that almost 60% of agents and broker-associates saw value in real estate technology provided by the broker – of those, 28% even saw exceptional value.

In the same study, 15% of agents and broker-associates claimed that their brokers did not provide them with any technology at all. Surprisingly, 47% of those respondents would actually like to receive some type of technology resources from their broker. These include features such as trainings or remote access to files, apps, and paperless transactions.

Think about how real estate technologies can give you and your agents an advantage over everyone else. Not only does the right technology save you time and money, but it also lets you respond to clients faster. With a fully integrated suite of real estate software tools, like Emphasys’ BrokerOffice, you and your agents will be capable of making faster, better decisions in all aspects of your business.

Definition Of Integrated Software

Integrated real estate software is a single program that contains “modules” or “tools” to complete many popular business applications. These applications include word processing,
spreadsheets, database management, and communications. These tools are sufficient for the typical tasks performed by a small business.

Integrated Software In the Real Estate World

The main reason integrated software is becoming popular in the real estate world is that brokers can now allow their staff and agents easily switch from one type of application to another without exiting the program. In a real estate office, the use of integrated software is beneficial because a user can quickly access and manipulate listing data. The user can then assign tasks to other members of their team without having to reteach new software basics. Once the basics of a particular module of the integrated software are known, other modules fall into place.

The top benefits of an integrated software system include:

• Simplified flow of large amounts of data to better analyze information in the portfolio
• Customizable user interface that can be used for accounting and performance data
• Increased use of uniform efficiency, where instead of having multiple solutions to update, it’s integrated into one

Sharing data among the applications is effortless. For instance, one can easily add listing information in the front office module and with the click of a button, send that information into the transaction management system for document processing. Most efficient integrated software packages on the market today are designed so that all the applications work together.

Real estate integrated software programs allow you to:

• Seamless integrate front and back office functionality
• Save time by not having to re-key information into various programs
• Setup automatic commission calculations
• Reduce learning time for new software
• Maintain data integrity

Integration is the key word. The real power of integrated software lies in the software modules that allow you to combine many features into one system. As technology becomes more intuitive and less expensive, integrated software solutions are becoming the industry norm and minimal specific skills are needed to integrate software effectively. Effortless, Efficient, Effective, and Easy are four words that explain true integrated software done right. So the only question is… are you integrating your office to combine the four Es?

Over 90% of today’s Real Estate searches begin online.

Websites are the new share platform that is benefiting both brokers and agents in brand awareness. As a broker, an effective website allows easy integration of information as well as a direct location to retain agents. In real estate, clients are looking for an easy way to search through listings to quickly find what they are looking for. Brokers’ adoption of this direct source also provides clients the opportunity to gain insight on the agent they want to work with, giving them the tools to make a more informed decision. The integration of this instrument into real estate office management increases productivity and exposure.

The Enduring Benefits of SEO

SEO brings you a higher return on your investment that most other comparable forms of marketing. A properly optimized site should stay long term in the rankings compared to PPC (pay per click) where costs and outlay are ongoing and unpredictable. Enhanced SEO serves to increase the number of visitors who are actively searching for your service or product (that may not know you yet).

Remember that your website should be search engine friendly. So optimization of your site plays a significant role in being found by prospects. If you are looking to see if this integration is right for you or not, know that it’s more important than ever now to make the first step.

A recent article posted in the Niche Report discusses the benefits of cloud technology for real estate brokers and agents. While cloud adoption is not a new technology, it has gained significant appeal in businesses over the last few years. Some brokers believe that services offered in clouds, such as Google and Amazon, present several concerns:

- The cost of large amounts of storage
- Back up alternatives for lost information
- Client confidentiality with nonpublic personal data

However, there are many alternatives to Google and Amazon that could work for your business. Web-based platforms for example, allow real estate brokers to take their entire transaction management system online, saving them both time and money. Adopting a private cloud system into your office alleviates many of these concerns with the following benefits:

- Data availability - brokers and agents can control strategies and back up data
- Implementation of other web application packages to further expand the services offered to clients
- Accessibility to your office database with password protection from anywhere in the world
As a real estate broker you should strongly consider the implementation of your own private cloud. Your clients will be grateful you did.

Here are the top 5 benefits of web-based software:

1. Easy access anytime, anywhere
2. No installation processes or hard drive space usage
3. File sharing & collaboration in real time
4. Low cost maintenance, since the browser is the platform
5. Secure back-ups means no lost data

Here are the top 5 benefits of locally installed software:

1. Secure data storage on your own server
2. All information kept on-site
3. Tools do not depend on speed & reliability of Internet connection
4. Rapid data access
5. No on-going service costs

So which should you choose when looking at broker management software? It depends.

Let’s say you want your staff and agents to have seamless, secure access to your office’s most critical information. You want to be able to share documents and transactions easily and in real-time, and web-based software like quick!Office Commander’s Virtual Office can help you do exactly that.

Now let’s say you need some real estate accounting software. You’ll want to be sure all your data is secure and you have full control over it. In that case, locally installed software like quick!Office Commander’s Back Office is the perfect fit.

Ultimately, it all depends on the functions you need. So before you choose one or the other for your real estate office software, consider the benefits of each. Overall, an integration of the two is optimal.

Many real estate brokers today have some type of front office software they combine with QuickBooks®. If you’re one of them (or work in an office that uses this process), you probably have to duplicate data and manually enter everything more than once. This takes a lot of time. You end up spending time with repetitive and often tedious tasks. With a few mouse clicks quick!Office Commander does the complex math of all of the elements of a real estate deal including multi-scaled commission calculations, off the top fees and recovered expenses from agents. Each of these elements is then converted into a journal entry using the QuickBooks® description matching process, and is then posted automatically to QuickBooks®. And, this process is fully reversible.

This means no more manual data entry of data twice! quick!office Commander takes listing information straight from your local MLS and pushes it into its front and back office modules- with the click of a button it also transports directly into QuickBooks®, saving you a ton of time. And if you make a mistake, you can even reverse transactions with a few clicks of the mouse too!

So the next time you find yourself entering too much data too often, consider simplifying your accounting process. Take a look at this video for a detailed view of quick!Office in action.

1. Greater quality control into transaction activity

Brokers often have little visibility into what activities are taking place by each agent.  Brokers have very little control over the various files and documents that are critical to a successful transaction.  By adopting and implementing a transaction management system (TMS), brokers can standardize their company processes.

2. Focus on core competencies

Dedicating someone solely to the transaction process releases agents of administrative responsibilities, allowing Agents to do what they do best, create relationships and drive new business.

3. Increase non-commission profit

With commissions and margins becoming tighter, brokers are looking for ways to verticalize their business.  Using online transaction management software increases the capture rate of broker controlled ancillary services, such as mortgage and title insurance.

4. Gain a recruitment & retention edge

Successful real estate brokers leverage new processes and other differentiators early to attract Realtors.  Agents are looking at their brokers and asking, “What’ve you done for me lately?”  Providing intuitive and easy-to-use transaction management software may be an excellent way to differentiate the Broker’s suite of services.  Many agents do not want to be in the business of paper management.   Even the most controlling agents will be happy with the streamlining of a professional TMS.

5. Increase customer satisfaction & gain repeat business

Today’s consumers expect to receive immediate answers regarding their affairs. Consumers will find that in working with through an online software platform, can streamline the entire transaction management process to save the consumer time, and the agent/broker money in the process. These benefits add up to improved customer satisfaction, referrals and repeat business.

6. Focus Agents on finding new clients and selling property

Currently Realtors are trapped in an arcane web of communication with all of the players in the transaction. Lots of time is spent on the phone and writing e-mails. Much of this time could more profitably spent finding new clients, selling property, and other tasks that increase productivity, resulting in greater revenues – dollars on the bottom line.

7. Narrows the funnel of information

With the growing number of people involved in a single transaction, from inception to closing, information is being disseminated multiple times, to multiple parties.  Not unlike the classic schoolyard game “Telephone-tag”, information can be mishandled, misunderstood or misdirected if a common platform or central facilitator does not remain in control of the critical communications.

8. Time Savings and Opportunity Costs

While professional transaction coordinators spend an average of 12.5 hours on a typical transaction, the average agents spend approximately 19 hours managing a transaction.  The time spent managing the transaction has significant financial implications on the agent.  Assuming the average full-time, experienced Real Estate agent earns $75,000 a year (equal to $37.50 an hour); the agent will spend in excess of $700 in his/her time managing a transaction.  The average fee for a professional TC is $240.  Utilizing a professional coordinator can save the Agent over $400 in time.

Let us know if you use a transaction management coordinator. If you’re in the market for one, drop us a line.