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Realtors carry a heavy load and have a lot of responsibilities. Often times, their schedules are so hectic, they find it difficult to have any personal time at all. One of the things that take up a lot of their time is getting signatures from clients or potential clients. This can often mean driving a lot and spending hours simply getting a name signed. E-signatures are a valuable solution to this problem, and can make a realtor’s day a lot less hectic.
Saving Time
One of the biggest benefits of taking advantage of E-signatures is saving time. Realtors spend so much time getting signatures for large numbers of documents that are necessary with selling and marketing homes. When they have the ability to send documents on the computer to clients who can sign them immediately and send them right back, a massive amount of time is saved. Not only will this provide realtors with the ability to enjoy more personal time, it can increase productivity and therefore, increase sales.
Fitting Clients’ Schedules
Another huge benefit for realtors when it comes to E-signatures is being able to work around clients’ schedules. Rather than trying to schedule a time to drive out to the client, the realtor can simply send over the documents that need to be signed and the client can take a few moments to sign them whenever he or she has time. This is much more convenient to the client, and allows the realtor to be more professional when collecting signatures.
Easier Record Keeping/Greener Practices
In addition to saving a lot of time and being more convenient, E-signatures make it much easier to keep records of the documents signed by each client. They’re already electronically stored, via email and other applications, when you secure the signature. You can then simply print out what is needed as it’s needed. They also make it easy to become more eco-friendly in business, which is something a lot of realtors are attempting to do.
Legality of E-signatures
Realtors don’t have to worry about the legality of E-signatures, as they are considered just as legal as a traditional signature. The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN) went into affect in the year 2,000. This act made E-signatures just as legal and binding as a regular signature. As long as the signature is unique to the person using it, verifiable, in the sole control of the person using it and the client understands that he or she is electronically signing a document, it’s legal. The document must also be protected against having anything altered after the individual signs it.
Overall, E-signatures are extremely convenient for realtors and can really turn their businesses around. The amount of time that is saved by utilizing this tool is significant and can be used for personal time, or to further the realtor’s business, helping them earn more money and succeed.