What if you can’t attend RE BarCamp San Diego? No worries – you’ll have an opportunity to discuss new, emerging technologies, tactics and tips to help you as a real estate professional in a Virtual RE BarCamp.

What is a Virtual RE BarCamp anyway?

From 9:00am to 4:00pm Pacific Time on November 17th, the day after the REALTORS® Conference & EXPO 2009 November 13th – 16th, dozens of the most respected educators in the real estate industry will converge to host the first of its kind, Virtual Real Estate BarCamp.

This one-day learning extravaganza will have three concurrent webinar “rooms” that will host nine different sessions throughout the day. Attendees will have a total of 27 different presentations to choose from!

IT IS FREE and attendance is unlimited! You don’t have to travel – you can attend VIRTUALLY from your home, office or local coffee shop!

Click below to:

• Register.
• Learn more.
• See who is coming.
• Check out the Session Calendar.

DocuSign will participate to support real estate professionals learn about the latest developments in the industry and grow their business. We’re excited because we love the idea of doing business in a mobile environment, and this includes opportunities like these. We hope to see you at Virtual RE BarCamp!

Sessions evolve based on whatever topics attendees want to share with whoever wants to learn. The sessions and tracks will be set the morning of the event, so show up early (8:30am to be exact!) to get your session on the calendar and provide input on the sessions you want to see. As a sponsor of this event, we want you to have the best experience possible, so without further ado…

Tips to Get the Most Out of RE BarCamp San Diego:

1. Participate! RE BarCamp San Diego is about participation – everyone has something valuable or interesting to share as well as opportunities to learn
2. Learn! You might be curious about a new technology or tactic. You might have questions like “How does a signature get into an electronic signature system?” There will be many interesting, knowledgeable people at RE BarCamp San Diego – ask someone!
3. Facilitate! If you’re running a session or having a hallway conversation, you can always draw in other attendees to offer up what THEY know to keep the conversation productive and interactive.
4. Share! Everyone knows something – share with others what you know. If you know about search marketing, blogging, blog copy writing, working with lenders, using various technology tools like electronic signature, SHARE IT! RE BarCamp San Diego will be a valuable learning experience for all if we share what we know.
5. Walk! The two feet rule applies to RE Bar Camp San Diego – if you aren’t getting value in the session you are in, go find another one, so you can learn what you want to learn.

DocuSign will be on hand with Jay Thompson, Dean Ouellette and others for a panel discussion on various technology tools to take your office mobile or virtual. Curious about mobile broadband? Want to know how electronic signatures can save you time and get your clients to rave about your service? What about video cameras, laptops or other hardware tools? Tablet, Mac, or Windows laptop – which one would work best for you?

Come say hi to me at RE BarCamp San Diego and we can talk about electronic signatures, going paperless, working remotely or anything else you want to discuss. I’ll be the really petite one who looks taller in her Twitter avatar (@DocuSign).

He pointed out that DocuSign not only saves its subscribers time, effort and gas, it also helps keep you sane! He also included a helpful video tutorial.

Why is DocuSign and electronic signature such a game changer? Because real estate professionals are becoming more mobile, with laptops, portable scanners / printers, and mobile broadband, the ability to have documents signed anytime and anywhere helps real estate professionals save time and get offers in as soon as possible. With DocuSign electronic signature, you don’t have to use faxes, scanners or overnight mail. Remote signing means scheduling conflicts have minimal impact, if any.

From a customer story:

Recently I had some Clients that were purchasing their first home. He was in San Diego,while his wife was out of state. His job had long hours where he could not be reached, she did not have access to a fax machine and would have to drive for miles to the nearest office depot. The price range they were in required writing multiple offers and being able to present them quickly as new inventory came on the market. Time was of the essence.

Using DocuSign solved our problem. Anyone with an active e-mail address can opt for this quick, legal, accurate, and safe way to obtain signatures and initials. Documents can be sent out for signature and returned quickly for presentation in moments vs. hours.

The signed results come back via e-mail in a clean, easy to read, secure package in Adobe PDF. These documents can then be forwarded to other agents, escrow companies, lenders, or for archived document storage.

DocuSign Electronic Signature Advantages:

• Passes the “Can my Mom use it?” test
• Reduces operational costs by reducing or eliminating the use of paper, printing, ink, and overnight or same day courier charges
• Gets all of the signatures and initials you need, the first time
• Helps you get your offers in as quickly as possible

With integration in all of the major forms providers and a 30-day free trial, you can add another tool to your toolbox with DocuSign electronic signature.

One industry that is adapting to this new business reality is real estate. They no longer meet at the office or head back to the office to get things done. Some real estate professionals don’t even have an office – they have a car that takes them where their clients are.

Of course, a mobile agent is always working when they are out and about – they must always be accessible to their clients, able to answer questions as they arise and able to provide the same, or better service than a traditional agent.

What tools do mobile agents superstars leverage as masters of mobility?

1. A smart phone: A smart phone with a great data plan will enable to you communicate with your clients in ways they are accustomed to. If you’re working with younger clientele, they may prefer to text, or sms. If your clients communicate mainly through email, you’ll be able to check your email wherever you are.

Blackberry or iPhone tend to be the smart phones of choice. Blackberry is available with various carriers. iPhone is available only on the AT&T network.*

2. A good laptop: Make sure you have a solid laptop that you can take anywhere. You’ll have to make tradeoffs on size, durability, and portability. Most laptops will last between three to five years, depending on hardware quality, usage, and other factors. Get the biggest hard drive you can and the fastest processor speed possible.

Laptops are fragile – make sure you have an external hard drive to back up your data. You can also back up to a remote server and pay for hosting. Generally, remote hosted services also guarantee your data – double check before selecting a provider. This protects you and your data in case of theft, fire, or other disaster.

3. A digital video camera, or a Flip: If you also have a regular digital camera, bring it along too. You can use them to preview homes, create virtual, online tours of properties, and integrate images into emails you send your clients, for your blog posts, and to document various features to help your clients find or sell their property.

4. DocuSign electronic signature: DocuSign can help you quickly create documents for your clients for signature. With integration with the major forms providers, time-saving functionality such as templates, error reducing features like signature and initial stick-e-notes and others, DocuSign has helped realtors save time and increase client satisfaction. In-person signing means that if you and your client really value the in-person interaction, you still get to take advantage of electronic signature – no more illegible faxes! Additionally, DocuSign also stores your documents for you – you and your clients can access your DocuSign documents, as long as you’re a customer. Save a copy locally and know that you also have access to the original signed documents as well.

You also can get an offer in for your client in mere minutes – in a time sensitive industry like real estate, this is a big advantage for you and your client!

5. Mobile Broadband: MiFi or a mobile USB card / stick will enable you to have internet access if there is no coffee shop with wifi nearby. Keep an eye on your data usage – if you get the smallest plan and go over on your usage, you will have to pay overages. Verizon charges $0.25 / MB for overages. Uploading or downloading photos or videos; streaming music, or videos; and chatting via video or voice will eat up bandwidth!

MiFi will enable you to share your bandwidth with others – clients who are mobile, but don’t have mobile broadband, will appreciate it if you share with them. Also, it’s wireless and you don’t need to worry about snapping off the USB device.

6. GPS: Some phones, such as the Sprint Instinct, may have GPS (with voice directions!) on the phone and included with the data plan. The iPhone with the plastic back (Second Generation and GS) also has GPS included in the device. If your phone does not have GPS, consider getting a GPS unit for your car. Do you want to present an image to your clients that includes being late because you got lost or not knowing how to get to the next house you wanted them to see?

People are busy. Being sensitive to your clients’ time constraints demonstrates your professionalism and will help you build a positive reputation to drive word-of-mouth referrals. Plan for worst case scenarios regarding your data and equipment so you can continue to provide a high level of service to your clients, the kind of service that keeps them raving about you.

*unless your iPhone is hacked or jailbroken.
**hat tip to Clint Miller, for inspiring this post

Why? 

Customer Service:  Clients like knowing that you will be where they want or need you to be. As busy people, you know your clients don’t want to have to drive across town to meet you at a fixed location. It’s easier for them to pop into a coffee shop to have a cup of coffee and talk business. It also gives you the flexibility you need if you’re in the service based-business.

Operational Costs: Having a physical office can be expensive and is a sunk operational cost. Some industries and business processes DO see benefits from having a physical office that everyone goes to. However, in a relationship-based business like real estate, why have a brick and mortar presence if it will be rarely used?

Jim Paulson, Broker / Owner of Progressive Realty in Boise, Idaho states:

Why build an office with only a 25% occupancy rate and shrinking!

 
Time Savings: As you travel from location to location, you ARE your office. Your car or briefcase should hold everything you need to make business happen. Having to travel between a client and an office takes precious time. Eliminate the physical office to eliminate the time consuming task of commuting to the office.

Interestingly enough, DocuSign Electronic Signature Services also provides these same benefits to its subscribers.

Customer Service: DocuSign’s flexible electronic signature service means that you can provide your clients with the signing experience you both desire. If both you and your clients enjoy the face-to-face interaction during the signing process, DocuSign provides in-person signing functionality. If you need to get signatures fast, DocuSign’s remote signing capabilities mean your signer only needs email access, a browser and internet connectivity. There’s no need to download software and it’s so easy to use, it passes the “Can My Mom Use It” test.

Operational Savings: By reducing, if not eliminating, the cost of paper, printing, ink, fax, and overnight or same day courier services, DocuSign electronic signature provides its subscribers with operational savings. With the DocuSign document dashboard, you can also manage your paperwork via DocuSign. This means you won’t need to pay someone to print, copy, scan and file hard copies anymore!

Time Savings: I hear so many stories of time savings from our customers, that I’ve written several blog posts about it. With DocuSign electronic signature, you no longer have to go through the process of creating the forms, printing them, marking them up for signature, finding a fax machine or overnight envelope, filling out the recipient information, sending, and then waiting for the other party to return the documents… only to see a missed signature or initial, restarting the entire process! Integration with major forms software and DocuSign’s template and Intelligent Document Recognition (IDR) features have helped DocuSign power users create documents for electronic signature in as few as two minutes!

DocuSign electronic signature – it’s a must for the mobile professional. You can try electronic signature for free, with DocuSign Express for Drawloop, to get a taste of what life with electronic signature might look like. However, if you want access to the DocuSign dashboard and other features we’ve mentioned, sign up for DocuSign. With a risk free, 30-day guarantee, you have nothing to lose and savings to gain.

RE Barcamp Denver had over 400 attend and was held at the DPPA Event Center.

Panels, discussions, and presentations started at 9:00am and ran until 4:00pm. The after-party was held at Vita Restaurant Rooftop at 1575 Boulder St.

Panels, Discussions and Presentations included:

Social Media – from getting started to developing a strategy – Todd Carpenter – Jeff Turner
Live Video – Ins & Outs and How to Make Your Blog More Effective – Mark Eibner
Hyper Local Blogging – Bob Schenkenberger
Tech Tips by Brad Andersohn from Active Rain
Podcasting For Dummies (Not!) – Dave Moyer
Twitter – Rob McNealy
iPhone – Jason Berman
Creating Infotainment Videos – Christian Sterner
Mobile Technology – Devesh Khare
Linked In is More Than a Rolodex – Brad Hanks
Wordpress Plugins – Jim Renshaw
Mobile Office Advantages with DocuSign – An Bui
Using Trulia to grow your business – Rudy Bachraty
Marketing on Zillow – David Gibbons

DocuSign was proud to sponsor RE Bar Camp Denver – many thanks to Kristal Kraft and the rest of the RE Barcamp Denver team for putting together such a great event.

DocuSign’s Real Estate customers have used our electronic signature and online contract execution processes to slash operating costs and accelerate their business. Via partnerships with real estate software providers such as Ziplogix, Reveal Systems, Realfast, IRES, and Fidelity National Real Estate Solutions, DocuSign enables you to use your current form creation process with DocuSign’s ability to electronically mark up the document with “Sign Here” tabs and send notifications via email.

DocuSign electronic signature and electronic contract execution (ECE) processes – cut costs and enhance customer satisfaction.

The event starts with a social mixer the night before (April 22, from 6pm-9pm) at the redPear, “Real Estate Pairing”.   

Panels, discussions, and presentations will take place on April 23, beginning at 8:30am. The day will consist of five sessions, an hour long each.     

Possible Topics include:  

• Mega-producer Russell Shaw on anything and everything. This guy is amazing!  
• Tools for a mobile agent, DocuSign electronic signature and contract execution, WiFi, smart phone, etc. 
• Search Engine Optimization
• Blogging Basics (how to build a blog, how to market your blog, etc.)
• Strategies of Blogging for Business in Real Estate
• Free Online Tools to Tweak Your Biz
• Leveraging the Power of Social Networks like Active Rain, Flickr, Twitter and more
• What makes up a good Web site and driving traffic
• Lead Generation; Click to Closing the Lead
• Building an online Community
• Marketing Your Inventory the Web 2.0 way
• Video Like a Pro
• Podcasting For Dummies (Not!) and more from the guy that literally wrote the book Podcasting for Dummies
• How Do I Work This @$%@#$ Smart Phone?
• Developing a Data Base on a Dime

 
DocuSign is proud to sponsor RE Barcamp Phoenix. Our Real Estate customers have used our electronic signatureand online contract execution processes to slash operating costs and accelerate their business. Via partnerships with real estate software providers such as Ziplogix, Reveal Systems, Realfast, IRES, and Fidelity National Real Estate Solutions, DocuSign enables you to use your current form creation process in combination with DocuSign’s ability to electronically mark up the document with familiar yellow signature tabs and send notifications via email.    

DocuSign electronic signature and electronic contract execution (ECE) processes – cut costs and enhance customer satisfaction.

image courtesy of Tara Hunt, under Creative Commons