You know the drill. Just sign here, here, here …and initial here, here, here and here… and when your fingers are cramping and numb, we’ll have ourselves a legal document.

The paperwork in a real estate transaction – from listing to closing – can be a real time-drain for all involved.  On some deals, all those signatures and initials just might necessitate a physical therapy appointment.

DocuSign offers a legal, secure electronic signature service guaranteed to reduce the wear-and-tear on schedules and fine motor skills.  Did you know that an electronic signature is enforceable and legal. (even in California!)

Better yet, DocuSign Lite is a free service anyone can use right from DocuSign’s homepage! There’s no paper, no account to set up, no cost or credit card number to provide. Simply upload the document that requires a signature and enter the email address of the recipient. Your recipient gets an email message from DocuSign notifying them of a document to be signed and you receive an emailed receipt confirming that the process is complete.

For more information, here is a link to the DocuSign blog.  If you’re a Mortgage professional, an REO Professional or a Real Estate Professional, take a moment to read through the section dedicated to the real estate industry.

Learn how DocuSign can speed up the process for everyone on both sides of a transaction.  And if you’re headed to NAR – you can check out their booth.  Tell them AnotherME sent you!

So when you hear, “where do I sign?”… now you can tell your clients, just click here, here, here and here…

Do you feel like a pawn in the voice mail chess game? Call – Call Back? Message – Return Message? Check – Check Mate? Well, technology has come to our rescue!

SlyDial (www.slydial.com) is a free service for your land or mobile calls that allows you to connect immediately to your recipient’s mobile voice mail without waiting for four to six rings, their outgoing message, inevitable prompts, blah, blah, blah.  SlyDial lets you go directly to voice mail.  Check Mate!

SlyDial is a real time-saver when when you need to share a bit of information and just don’t have time for a full conversation. It’s also a tool for discretion and consideration – ever disturb or distract someone when all you wanted to do was leave a quick voicemail? Like the times you remember that you need to return someone’s call… at midnight!  I hate it when that happens.

So here’s how it works: to use Slydial from a land line or a cellular phone, dial 267-Sly-Dial (267-759-3425) to leave a message for your intended recipient. The service is free to users who don’t mind listening to a little advertising, or you can pay a very modest subscription fee to avoid ads (look for the words “MYslydial Premium”.)

You don’t have to join the premium service to use SlyDial – just enter the 267-759-3425 number on your phone and you’re in business. But if you want to use SlyDial apps for your iPhone (www.apple.com/iphone), BlackBerry (www.BlackBerry.com) and Windows Mobile Smartphones, you need to be a MYslydial Premium subscriber.

There’s lots of great information (check out the FAQs) at the SlyDial website that clearly explains the value of this very simple, very convenient communication solution.

I’m always looking for ways to save time here or there and to become more efficient in my business.  Slydial is a winning deal!

I come from a corporate technology/telecommunications background… lo, many moons ago!   And outsourcing used to be the big buzz word!  Outsourcing was for management’s “pet projects”, for services we couldn’t offer and sometimes even outsourcing an entire department  to a company who could do it better for less!  It made sense… and cents.  Use the talents and resources of strategic partners; and save on staffing expenses and training.  It was a way for my company to stay focused on our core business.

Back then, I sold “services” for a video conferencing  manufacturer.  We offered everything from maintenance services, coordination of equipment installations – worldwide, bridging video calls ‘across the pond’ and around the country for international companies, build and design custom video rooms for distance learning and corporate boardrooms.

There’s no way we could have supported and managed all of those services – worldwide!  We outsourced all or a portion of every one of them.  No apologies!

What’s that got to do with AnotherME Virtual Assistants?  When you stop and think about it… that’s what the Virtual Assistant business is all about!

Do you have a “pet project” you need to get done?  Do you need a Marketing Department or a Bookkeeping Department.    If you are not focusing on your core business, then maybe it’s time to think about outsourcing!

AnotherME offers Real Estate outsourcing!  Real Estate support is our core business: listing coordination, closing coordination, marketing, database support, blogging, social media support, bookkeeping and expense management!  We also offer mailing services, general admin and graphic design.

How can you offer the best service to your clients when you’re the one doing it all?

As a real estate professional (and a small business owner), maybe it’s time to take a lesson from our friends in the corporate world and outsource.  It’s a business decision that makes sense …and cents!

A Virtual Assistant is a valuable resource in your Real Estate business for help with listings, contracts, marketing and general admin tasks. But, have you considered asking your VA to help out with some of your personal tasks as well.  When you have a relationship and a trust with your VA, handling personal tasks is just one more way you can leverage your time and resources.

Being that your Assistant is “Virtual”, she’s not available to pick up the kids, drop off the dry cleaning or deliver cupcakes to the brownie troop.  But she might be able to help you with any or all of the following!

Birthday Cards/Presents: With so many on-line programs that keep up with birthdays, a Virtual Assistant can easily log into your Plaxo, Facebook or SendOutCards accounts and send an E-Card or even a paper  Birthday card to a contact in your database.  Take a few minutes to create a custom/personal message for each of your groups: acquaintance friends, church friends, networking groups, neighbors, etc. and let your VA send the cards on your behalf.  You can vary the message every few months or once a year.  Ordering gifts, flowers or gift cards on-line is one of the easiest ways to delegate.  “Please call X store and order X for my nephew.  Address in my Top Producer database. Thanks!”  That was Easy!

Research pricing and ordering: Are you the one who always volunteers to order or get pricing for a party, meeting or event?  Flowers, invitations, decorations, awards, promotional items, catering, signs, flyers, printing… the list goes on and on.  Of course you can call and get 3 quotes for a catering company along with their menus for your Rotary Club meeting the next day… but don’t you have to meet clients, attend an inspection or negotiate a contract?  Try handing it over to your VA.  She can research, organize the info and quotes and then put all the information in a nice presentation format!  You’ll be the hero in your group.

Confirm/Reschedule appointments: If you’re on the go with a car full of people or an out of town client, it’s not easy to confirm or reschedule your personal appointments.  Text your VA and have her call your Dentist, Nail Salon, Accountant or next client to let them know you’re running late or need to reschedule.

Community, church or civic groups:

DataBase – Do you manage the database for your “group”?  This is an ideal task to delegate to a Virtual Assistant.  She can update the info, create a mailing list or labels, set up your database in an email program or do a search to find addresses for members.

Mailing - Just because your Assistant is “Virtual” doesn’t mean she can’t help with a mailing.  It takes a little coordination – which is easy for a good VA – and she can handle it all.  Printing, labels, stuffing, stamping and mailing!

So next time you are stressed out, wondering how you’re going to get it all done – ask your VA for a little extra help.