Google Docs, Google Sites and Simplifying Short Sales
As a tech savvy real estate agent, undoubtedly you have short sale listings and you have asked and answered the same questions over and over again. Questions like…
Is it available? Do you have any offers? Has a negotiator been assigned? Has it been approved?
So I came up with a simple solution for how I manage my short sale listings as to have an automated approach to answering these common, time consuming questions. First I have a remote processor named Mallarie who handles my short sale processing. She is awesome at it and that is all she does. As agents we cringe and get excited at the same time. Cringe at the thought of doing the processing all day everyday and get excited that someone else does instead and even likes it!
OK getting to the point, Mallarie and I use a Google Spread Sheet as a white board. So then I came up with the idea of giving the buyer’s agents access to the spread sheet to answer their questions.
Well I didn’t want to just send agents to a spread sheet, so I embedded the spread sheet into a Google Sites page.
Well you know that was not a pretty URL oh with the default #@46&%32^$674 ending and all so I bought an easier to remember/promote domain at Go Daddy for .89 cents called http://AubreyShortSales.info. By the way the .89 is the only cost to this entire operation.
Depending on your MLS rules, we have what is called agent remarks and it is not publicly accessible. So I put in the agent remarks, go to www.AubreyShortSales.info and get all your questions answered. Then of course if it is vacant I say so. Because I get an electronic record of the showing from the keybox, I can arrange showings, answer all the questions and get their feedback (that will be another article) without having to talk to anyone. The buyer’s agents seem to prefer that, they get their questions answered instantly.
Another really cool part is, now that it is all set up, I don’t have to do anything. When Mallarie makes a change on the spread sheet it updates the site. Su-weeet.
All this is done free with a Google Apps standard account or a basic Gmail account. If you do not have a either I recommend you get a Google account today and start exploring. There are plenty of how to videos on YouTube. Because the spread sheet and the sites are both part of the same account with Google everything is fairly simple, there is even a help link in the top right corner if you get stuck. Short sales may be a necessary evil in the industry right now but by streamlining the process using a tech savvy approach it makes life a little better for all involved.
Rob Aubrey
Keller Williams Utah
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Rob,
Very cool, inventive, and smart way to ‘short cut’ this process! Thanks for sharing your ‘big idea!’
Wendy Herndon
REALTOR/ Marketing Specialist
The Serena Group
http://www.Bradenton-Florida-RealEstate.com
I’ve got to say Aubrey, I really like the way you’re leveraging these tools for your real estate business.
I always thought of Short Sales as a nightmare (I only did them for 2 years,) but when I hear how people like you are leveraging outsourcing and free tools to make the process easier, it almost gets me interested in getting back in.
Great stuff, thanks for sharing.
Wow. I’m amazed how with a little bit of out of the box thinking, one can use a simple tool to their benefit.
Thanks for sharing.
I was thinking about having the same system set up except using wordpress so that I can password protect pages. I am a little concerned over the client’s privacy. Does http://www.AubreyShortSales.info get indexed? I did a quick google search url and I see that it pops up under the tech savvy url. But, maybe the info you are sharing doesn’t hurt the client. I don’t know. Just my thoughts.
Rob – This is an great use of technology (and some of the most simple technology at that). I’ll be sharing this with other agents.
Chris – Keep bringing the good stuff.
Cool stuff! I love Google and Google Docs!