Software for REALTORS®:

Transaction, Contact Management Top Software Must-Haves

By Kim Shindle

Transaction management is the fastest-growing technology in the real estate industry. In fact, 26 percent of REALTORS® responding to a NAR survey say they use transaction management software, an increase of 100 percent over the previous year.

Michael Guzzardi of RE/MAX Gold, Media, says these programs are invaluable to his business. “I use Settlement Room, Top Producer and E-Fax. These programs give me freedom, save me time and travel expenses and ultimately make me more productive. I don’t have to run back to the office to look for something or to deliver paperwork. I just fax the paperwork through my e-mail service to everyone.

“Clients expect a more technology-oriented agent,” he says. “As an information provider and a facilitator, the REALTOR® needs to be able to use technology.”

Martin Scrocchi, chief executive officer of Instanet Forms, the company that produces Transaction Desk software, agrees with Guzzardi. “There’s definitely a push from the consumer to move toward technology. We’re seeing more MLSs provide tools so REALTORS® can better use technology,” Scrocchi says.

Transaction management, along with an Internet connection, enables buyers, sellers, agents and other companies to access the progress of transactions through the REALTOR®’s web site. “That’s really an advantage,” Guzzardi notes. “This information allows both buyers and sellers to see what work has been done and they don’t have to call for an update. The program can e-mail reminders to clients as well.”

Settlement Room allows Guzzardi to track leads gathered from his web site and features a tickler file to remind him when tasks are due. All transactions and the paperwork are kept online and the files can be burned onto a CD. “Think of what you can save by not paying to store all that information,” he adds.

Contact Management Software

Contact management software provides REALTORS® with the means to track communication with their clients.

An experienced user of Agent Office software, PAR Vice President Bob Hay says, “We can’t live without it. I converted to the online version and it gives us more access to our information. It’s easy to use and it keeps me organized. I just pull up someone’s name as I’m talking with him and I can see what we’ve discussed previously.”

REALTORS® Bob and Abe Wagner both use Top Producer 7i software. “Without a doubt,” Bob says, “REALTORS® need some sort of contact management program. This software is worth the money, time and effort to integrate into your office.”

There are general contact management programs but Wagner prefers one specific to the real estate industry. The online service allows REALTORS® to access their information anywhere they can connect to the Internet. “You can also download critical information to your Palm Pilot or cell phone with Internet connection,” he adds.

Wagner likes the ability to create a prompt that reminds agents to communicate with clients. REALTORS® can also create buyer files which contain the buyers’ needs and price ranges. “This is especially helpful in the resort buyer market,” he explains. “We have a lot of clients who are looking for a specific type of property that might not be on the market at the time and trying to remember each one is difficult. Once you set up a subset file, you can search by property.”

Wagner cautions those who have not used a contact management program. “It requires discipline. You have to type the information into the computer and the notes have to be understandable to others who may access your files. It’s a powerful and essential tool,” he adds.

A list of management software specific to the real estate industry is listed on this page. Please contact these companies to learn about each of their benefits.