Are You Ready to Evolve?

Real estate agents are an endangered species.

And, like dodo birds, jobs already lost in real estate are not likely to come back anytime soon.

That's according to the new report from the Labor Department, which speculates that most or all of the 8.4 million lost jobs will be regained by 2014.

The catch?

The new jobs will most likely be filled by two categories: high paying, high skilled jobs or low-paying, low-skill jobs. The middle, it appears, has been sliced out and shipped out overseas.

Of course, as a real estate agent, you no doubt have already seen what having less real estate agents is like on the industry. Perhaps the job-losses were long-overdue residual effects from having too many "me, too" agents.

For the fittest who've survived, however, your evolution is not yet complete.

The real estate world will continue to rapidly change, from less inventory with lower prices to clients who demand paperless, real-time collaboration and updates. Your job is to evolve and grow as this change occurs.

The best part, though?

No matter the changes in the economy, they'll never be able to outsource real estate agents.

The Economy Tsunami - Are You Prepared?

This economy is a strange, fickle little creature, and it may be years before we see an upswing.

At least, that's what Jeremy Grantham's predicting. This fabled recovery, he says, will not happen in 2010, but around 2016.

You know - the future.

Of course, he may be just another Economic Nostradamus and might be completely wrong about his "seven lean years" prediction. This downturn, after all, may last even longer.

Our economy is only as fickle as we are, though - we've been impatiently waiting for a recovery for the last three years. Now that it's lasting longer than we had anticipated, it seems a good idea to start thinking long-term about changes we can all make to wade through this economy tsunami.

Here are three areas you, as an agent, can start to cutback on to wade through this recession.

Office Supplies
Between the manila folders, costly ink cartridges, and burdensome storage cabinets (which take up precious office space), the cost of business has always been a bit on the high side.

With today's technology, however, you can run a completely paperless office, saving you space, waste, and haste. DotLoop's paperless online transaction system, for example, means you'll never have to worry about costly paper fees (or paper cuts) again.

Fuel
How much time are you spending stuck in traffic? How much money are you wasting on gas? Fuel costs add up and can eat into your revenue faster than you think. With more cars on the road today than ever before, even a quick trip downtown can waste hours and gallons.

Luckily, with e-mail, eSign, and eFax services so readily available, you can save your gas for when you really need it - to get to the closing table.

Advertising
There are only so many channels agents use to get their name out there; unfortunately, most are not only out-dated, but downright costly.

With free services like Facebook and Twitter allowing you to be your own brand manager (and more easily and effectively connect with your audience) why would anyone still use a billboard or bus stop bench to get the word out?

These are just three areas you can curb your spending to survive this wave of slumped sales. I'm sure you can think of even more.

And hey, even if this economy come back swinging again soon, think about how much more efficient, effective, and economic you will be as an agent.

How Many Clicks Does It Take?

Here at DotLoop, we're always tweaking our system to make it as efficient and stream-lined as possible.

But did you know how many clicks it takes to get to the finish line of a negotiation?

Mr. Owl knows.

To send a contract to a client, it takes 3 clicks.

For the client to sign the contract, it takes 2 clicks.

To add a new form to an offer, it takes 2 clicks.

To send a signed offer to the other agent, it takes 2 clicks.

And to get the bank to complete a short sale in under 60 days?

Well, I never made it without biting.

To see for yourself how many clicks it takes to create a paperless real estate transaction, visit DotLoop today and check out our Sample Contract to preview the system.

Office (Printer) Abuse On The Rise

You no doubt have one lurking in your office right now. This very minute. It's just sitting there, waiting to ruin your day.

Waiting to ruin your deal.

Oh sure, everything is fine now. It's perfectly capable now, when you don't need it. But just try and use it when it's a matter of life and death and see how far you get.

Don't get angry. Remain calm. I should warn you, hitting it only makes it stronger.

And may God have mercy on your soul if you are out of cyan.

Is there any one piece of machinery that has caused more suffering than the office printer? Their revolutionary roots trace back to 1440, but with the amount of errors, paper jams, and just plain idiocy rampant in today's modern printers, you'd think they were designed by Steve Guttenberg and not Johannes Gutenberg.

As the Wall Street Journal discusses today, workplace abuse against printers is on the rise. Normally, abuse would not be tolerated, but the victims in this case had it coming.

But don't fear, dear agent. We at DotLoop have a solution for you. One that does not require Q0061z print cartridges or misaligned paper or the need to wait while the printer warms up.

Of course, I'm talking about paperless transactions, the office printer's only true nemesis. So take heart, fellow office workers, and know that your days of ink-stained neckties and blouses is over.

So stop letting your office printer ream you and get your negotiations done digitally.

You can leave your bat at home.

Pulp (Non) Fiction

Here at DotLoop, we talk an awful lot about creating a paperless solution for the real estate industry.

But why?

For anyone who's involved in real estate transactions, that answer is all too obvious. The average real estate negotiation uses 100 sheets of paper. And that's when things go smoothly (ie, no short sales or HUD purchases).

Okay...so what?

I used to ask so what as well; after all, paper is from trees, which, last I checked, tend to grow back. Isn't paper a renewable resource?

Yes and no. True, paper is made from tree pulp, but it's more than just minced bark. In her new book The Story of Stuff, Annie Leonard uses a whole section to discuss paper (don't worry; she also discusses the irony of writing a book that talks about how environmentally damaging paper is - the book uses unbleached, recycled paper and soy ink).

Here are some facts:

• The US consumes some 80 million tons of paper each year.
• For every ton of virgin office or copier paper, two to three tons of trees are cut down.
• The typical office worker uses some ten thousand sheets of paper every year.
• Almost three-quarters (71%) of all paper comes from forests, not tree-farms or recycled pulp.
• Almost 40% of all municipal trash in the US is paper.

As you can see, there's more than meets the eye when it comes to paper. This list is just the tip of the iceberg, too, and does not account for the bleaching, the chemicals, or the actual production of the paper (not to mention the shipping).

There's no papering-over the facts: using paper is environmentally (and economically) costly. Of course, creating online negotiations using DotLoop keeps the paper where it should be: in the trees.

DotLoop "Culls" the Best

On Friday, DotLoop proudly announced its first expansion with its New York office.

Heading that office is long-time real estate vet Jim Cull, a native New Yorker with an impressive track record not only with real estate, but with technology as well.

"In my 32 years in the industry," Jim says, "I've seen four major technologies that, when implemented, were able to change the way business was conducted: electronic MLS, fax machines, mobile phones, and the Internet. I believe that paperless transactions will be the fifth technology."

Jim brings an impressive and esteemed resume to the DotLoop team, not to mention a wicked sense of humor.

So, Jim, on behalf of the DotLoop team, let me welcome you to the DotLoop family. We're excited to have you aboard and are looking forward to bringing the paperless solution to New York.

Earth Day - Forty Years of Keeping It Green

Forty years ago today, about 20 million Americans celebrated the first Earth Day by cleaning up litter and holding environmental workshops. Today, most Americans will celebrate in a variety of new ways - walking or riding a bike to work, not using any electricity, writing their Senators and Congressmen. Or, by simply going paperless.

If you don't think Earth Day has made a dent on our lives the last forty years, consider this:

• The air we breathe today contains 92 percent less lead, 79 percent less carbon monoxide, and 71 percent less sulfur dioxide. (source)
  
  
• In 1972, two-thirds of all waterways in the US were not safe to use. Today, more than two-thirds are safe to drink and swim in. (source)
  

We're getting there and DotLoop is proud to be a part of the green revolution, being the real estate industry's first and only fully paperless solution for contract negotiations.

Happy Earth Day everyone and remember: keep it green and keep it simple!