DocuSign and Cartavi keep real estate transactions moving, pulling sales together from planes, trains and automobiles
In today’s fast-paced world, real estate professionals are pulling out all the stops when it comes to keeping up with consumers who expect nothing less than fast, extremely personal service as they make their way through the home-buying or -selling process. As the trend toward conducting business digitally shows no signs of slowing down, mobile document management is a true competitive advantage for real estate professionals who are looking to eliminate the pain points typically associated with a home purchase or sale.
And thanks to DocuSign—the industry standard for electronic signature, who in May 2013 acquired Cartavi, the leading document sharing platform for real estate professionals—end-to-end transaction management and collaboration is easier than ever. The newly combined offering from DocuSign—and the introduction of DocuSign for REALTORS®—will go a long way toward helping real estate professionals keep pace with the digital movement.
Providing a comprehensive approach to managing all the documents that pass between an agent and a client, DocuSign and Cartavi work together to simplify the entire transaction, from sharing documents to getting the necessary signatures required to complete a purchase or sale. By simply setting up a Transaction Room in Cartavi to store and access documents, anyone involved in a specific transaction can be given permission to view each document. As the transaction moves forward, clients are notified via email that a contract or addendum needs their signature. Once the document is signed, it’s stored back in the Cartavi Transaction Room and the agent is notified. “The entire process eliminates the need to call the office every half hour to see if something came back via fax,” says Leslie Ebersole, broker associate at Baird & Warner Real Estate in St. Charles, Ill., ensuring that important documents don’t get lost in the mix.
While the benefits associated with incorporating mobile document management into the real estate transaction are numerous, for Ebersole, the biggest benefit comes in the form of increasing the level of productivity among her agents and the office as a whole. “This past spring and summer have been our most successful seasons in years, and some of our agents say they never could have served as many clients as they did if they didn’t have these tools.”
Having implemented both of these products right before the market started ticking up, Jennifer Kjellgren has seen her company’s volume increase steadily. “DocuSign and Cartavi have really helped my entire team rock and roll this past year,” says Kjellgren, a REALTOR® with RE/MAX Metro Atlanta Cityside. “We couldn’t be doing the volume we’re doing with the few people we have—and keeping our sanity—without these programs.”
“With so many different products on the market at any given time, many of which are antiquated or cumbersome, DocuSign and Cartavi provide a breath of fresh air,” says Joe Schutt, broker/owner, Unit Realty Group in Boston, Mass.
DocuSign and Cartavi have also been instrumental when it comes to keeping up with today’s buyers and sellers who are spending more time on the go than ever before. “People are so busy these days that it’s not always possible to meet face to face with a client,” says Schutt, who credits DocuSign and Cartavi with keeping transactions moving no matter where his clients may be.