Instanet Solutions has developed a Paperless Savings Calculator that real estate companies (and others) can use to calculate the potential savings of implementing paperless technologies in their businesses. The calculator uses conservative paper-related cost metrics combined with a brokers own input and estimates determine how much potential savings can be had by implementing document management, internet faxing, digital signatures, online forms and other paperless technologies for real estate.
Most brokers that have used the paperless savings calculator have found , based on the calculator’s estimates, that the cost of paperless systems will easily be paid for with the savings on paper, toner, labor and other costs they incur today.
The paperless savings calculator is also a tool MLS and REALTOR® Association executives can use to demonstrate to their member offices the value of tools they provide as a member benefit. The Boards of Directors of these organizations can also use the tool when evaluating whether or not to deploy paperless technologies for real estate as a member benefit for their members.
CMLS 2009 was a great success. Not only was attendence at record breaking levels but the content was fresh and kept the audience focused and involved from begining to end. Many thanks to Shelly and Mary Jo for putting on and hosting a great show.
We would like to thank Greg Roberston from vendoralley.com for selecting Instanet Solutions as the best booth at the 2009 show (“Best Booth at CMLS is ‘Green’) as we were giving away live blue spruce tree seedlings to promote the use of our Green paperless technologies while reducing our overall carbon footprint at the show.
Joe Kazzoun, Instanet Solutions’ VP of Product and Business Development demonstrated a Paperless MLS calculator created for the Green discussion at CMLS. The calculator was used to show that through the use of paperless document technologies an MLS of 3000 could save approximately $27,000/year by adopting paperless technologies to replace internal existing practices.
You can check out the MLS paperless calculator here, we also have a paperless calculator to help Brokers see how much they can save here.
We look forward to CMLS 2010 and thanks again to all involved.
Recently I came across a very interesting article from the Wall Street Journal by Rachel Dodes and Sam Schechner that showed how luxury good makers are embracing “Green” not just through their corporate social responsibilities but also by providing ecofriendly products.
“Over the past year, many of the world’s best-known luxury labels have started to introduce ecofriendly products, snap up brands that tout their social responsibility and weave environmental themes into their advertising and marketing.”
One has to think, why they are doing this?
How does this apply to the real estate market?
The real estate market would be keen to follow their example for a number of very import reasons.
These companies are the ones who get consumers to spend thousands of dollars on a handbag, they are some of the best marketers and brand managers on earth. They did not attain their success by chance and they are taking the green movement very seriously.
The new idea of “Green” products and services will be common place in a couple of years. These companies are joining the green wave before it is no longer new and has lost it’s cachet.
A new idea or movement that affects every aspect of how we live comes around maybe once in a lifetime. The green movement has been around for a while but over the last couple of years it has gained enough momentum that it is not going away and due to the economic hardships and current recession in North America it will be relied upon to help get us out of recession and back on our feet.
Here lies the key. In this economic down turn, smart companies are taking advantage of going green to not only save money internally (which is a complete other topic for another time) but also to add extra marketing punch to their services showing that they are indeed good corporate citizens providing green services as part of their overall service offerings.
One of the most compelling parts of the WSJ article and the part that should be a wakeup call to the real estate industry is displayed through the following graph:
34% of consumers now are more likely to buy “green” products and services over other products.
Who is this 34 %?
A good majority of them are younger consumers, the same people who will be the first time home buyers of today and the near future.
“In a recent survey, the Luxury Institute, a New York research firm, found that younger and more-affluent consumers seek information about corporate social responsibility more actively than their older and less well-off counterparts. ‘Young consumers believe that caring about the environment is how you create a meaningful life,’ said Milton Pedraza, the firm’s CEO.”
You can find plenty of reasons for going green but one very important reason not often considered is that by doing so you will provide legitimate reasons for the consumers of today and more importantly the consumers of tomorrow to embrace and use the services of REALTORS® now and in the future.
Why not take advantage of this once in a life time opportunity to go green, save money and promote yourself whether you are an MLS, real estate board, brokerage or individual as being a good corporate entity that is leading edge with a social conscience.
Luxuary product makers have invested in this, why shouldn’t you?
Taking your real estate office paperless offers countless ways to save your business money while improving revenue opportunities.
Going Paperless and Go Green to Create New Marketing Opportunities
Use paperless solutions such as document management, transaction management and on line forms to take your business paperless and give your organization an opportunity to tout your support of the environment, within your community and market area. For example, you can use our ‘green logo’ in your advertising, marketing material and listing material to highlight what you’re doing.
Positioning yourself as a green business also gives you the opportunity to talk about the advanced technology you are using to go green and serve your clients. Our solutions gives you the ability to provide your clients with on line, secure access to their listing, sale and lease documents on line 24 hours a day, something your competitors may not offer. You can also easily create a CD of all the transaction documents for your client at closing.
Today’s Consumers Expect Businesses to Go Green
Have you noticed more and more companies are talking about going ‘green’? They are doing it for several reasons – to save money, to help the environment, for marketing reasons, etc. However, they are also doing so because their clients expect them to do their part to help the environment and this includes you. Going paperless is a great way for you to let your clients know you are doing your part to help the environment
Lower Brick and Mortar Costs
Our platform gives you, your staff and your agents the ability to access and work on listing, sale and lease files from any Internet connected computer, anytime, anywhere. This gives you the ability to have more people efficiently work from home, rather than using costly office space.
Lower Telecommunication Costs
Our DocBox solution includes unlimited toll free faxing inbound and outbound, within the continental US and Canada, saving you money on telecommunications charges.
Lower Consumable Costs
Every inbound fax uses paper and toner. Every document that needs to be printed uses paper and toner. Every copy that is made uses paper and toner. By using our on line platform to manage and distribute documents on-line, via email and via the included on-line, toll-free faxing you can save a significant amount of money on paper, toner, printer drums, fax machine and printer maintenance, etc.
Replaces your Existing Standalone Internet Faxing Solution
Because our system includes unlimited faxing inbound and outbound faxing, toll free within the continental US and Canada, you may be able to cancel other Internet faxing solutions. And, our internet faxing system, InstanetFax, is branded with your brokerage branding.
Reduced Storage Costs
Storing all of your transaction files, and other business documents, on-line allows you to lower your on-site and off-site storage costs. Imagine being able to access a two year old file in seconds, rather than driving across town and rummaging through stored files or paying a storage company to retrieve the file for you. Reducing your on-site, in-office storage space allows you to reduce the office space you need or to replace your filing cabinets with productive desk space.
Increased Compliance and Reduced Legal Exposure
Our system automatically creates an audit trail for each listing, sale and lease file whenever someone accesses and manages a file, when faxes and emails are sent or received, etc. A record of all transaction documents and information is kept on-line for the legal retention period in your state. You can also have the system generate a single, indexed PDF file containing all information pertaining to a file for use offline, archiving to your network, your computer, a CD, etc.
Make Your Company More Efficient
Working with paper files is simply less effective and less efficient. Finding paper files in filing cabinets and paper files is more time consuming and has a serious limitation. You can only access them at the office. Taking your business paperless means fast access to files from virtually any computer anywhere.
Savings in Staffing Labor
Files and documents are located, accessed and distributed faster. Anyone with the right permissions can access any file from anywhere. Faxes can be sent right from the computer – no more watching the fax machine and waiting for a sent receipt. No more sorting of inbound faxes as they are automatically routed to the right person. All this saves time and allows your staff to focus on more productive activities.
Save Gas and Travel Time
Less gas and time is wasted driving home or to the office to get paper documents. On-line file storage allows you, your staff and agents to access files from virtually any Internet connected computer. Review files in the evening from home. Access transaction files from where ever you are in urgent situations, rather than driving to where your paper files are, as you do today.
Better Organization
Working with on-line files is simply easier. Get rid of the paper clutter and be able to find files and documents easier every day. You also reduce the chance of a document getting lost or slipping into another file or stack of papers. Know where everything is and access it fast.
Learn more about using DocBox and going paperless by visiting our website or by watching one of our free webinars.
Go Green Go Paperless, straight to the point, self explanatory and timely. The benefits of Going Green have typically focused on the saving of the environment which in itself is a great cause. We see more than saving the environment. We see a unique opportunity for real estate professionals to take the lead and market themselves as being leaders in community by embracing green paperless technologies. Today’s consumer seeks out businesses and services that are environmentally friendly. MLSs, Associations, brokerages and agents should take the lead to promote themselves as being Green to meet the consumers requirements.
Another benefit of Going Green and Paperless is the savings that can be experienced by adopting paperless technologies in real estate offices. Not only can a brokerage market themselves as being Green, they can also experience tremendous cost savings by implementing paperless technologies.
We have released a Go Green Go Paperless website (gggp.com) to provide different resources to raise the awareness of the real estate community of the unique marketing opportunities that exist and the benefits of adopting green paperless technologies.
One example of the resources available within the gggp.com site is the paperless saving calculator. The calculator consists of a series of questions such as the average number of transactions in an office, number of pages in each transaction, staff time looking for documents, etc. After completing the questions the calculator provides and estimate of the potential savings that can be experienced if green paperless technologies are implemented within the office.
We are very interested in hearing the experiences that people encounter as they Go Green. There are many success stories to be heard and would be useful to those who are sitting on the fence contemplating their next move.
As we continue this blog we want to start a conversation discussing the different aspects and benefits of Going Green along with the experiences of those who are in the process of going green or who have already made the move.
