RE/MAX Signature Properties is based in a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina, and is part of the RE/MAX network of more than 85,000 real estate agents in more than 85 countries. RE/MAX Signatures Properties is owned and operated by Leigh Brown and Darrell Thomas, natives of Cabarrus County.
Business Challenge
Charlotte is the second largest financial services market in the United States. With many financial services companies headquartered in the region, there are many corporate relocations to the area. Surprisingly, the average stay for a homeowner is just over 47 months. The corporate relocation scenario presented a unique challenge for Leigh Brown & Associates. Many of their customers move to the area from other states and other time zones. They typically make one or two trips to find and buy a home. The company had used Zipforms which allowed them to send documents via e-mail, but customers still needed to print, sign and mail documents and contracts back to the office.
“Having a large number of out of state customers presents a challenge for us since we have to send paperwork back and forth via fax.
After sending, receiving and re-sending documents many times the signatures can sometimes become illegible,” says Brown. “We were looking for an easy solution to solve this problem.”
DocuSign Solution
While exploring various options to tackle the problem of finalizing contracts, Leigh realized that Zipforms partnered with DocuSign. After some research, Leigh Brown and Associates partnered with DocuSign to implement their Real Estate Edition e-Signature service.Results
Leigh and her team are incredibly happy with the results. “Using DocuSign’s eSignature technology has allowed us to stay ahead of the competition and position ourselves as an advanced real estate firm. This technology has freed us up to focus on more client-facing activities and improve our customer service. It’s a huge bonus for both my team and our customers,” continues Brown.
Leigh and her team have seen a number of benefits for both themselves and their customers. First, especially when dealing with corporate relations, time is of the essence. Using DocuSign has reduced the time it takes to print, mail or fax, sign and re-send documents from 7 to 10 days to less than an hour. Second, with customers mainly coming from out of state and different time zones, using DocuSign has cut down on the stress level for both the agents and the customers since the process is so quick and easy. Third, DocuSign is a safe, secure and 100% legal method of signing contracts. Sending sensitive financial information via fax, sometimes to a person’s office or a local quick print shop, can be fraught with risk. Customers enjoy knowing that the documents are safely delivered.
Leigh relates a situation where DocuSign helped beat the competition: “In one situation we had a buyer’s elderly grandfather co-sign on the deal but he was unable to travel to the office and didn’t have a fax. The house was in a multiple offer situation and so using DocuSign helped us to seal the deal.”
“We’re embracing eSignature technology since it helps us close deals faster and ensure a high level of customer satisfaction. Our customers are happy since it reduces the burden on them during a potentially stressful time,” says Brown. “What’s funny is that our family has been in the real estate market in Charlotte for almost 30 years, and using DocuSign has helped position us as a progressive company. I don’t consider myself to be technology savvy, but it’s just so darn easy to use.”
