Document management, in general, was designed to save Realtor's money. By scanning and storing paper and electronic documents online, agents and brokers can get rid of bulky file cabinets and most office supplies, and reduce postage and courier fees. But, when the document management service is available online, you can save even more.
There is little or no upfront costs. Since there is no software to install, there are typically low, if any, upfront expenses. When you do subscribe to a SaaS app, you avoid the costs related to enforcing traditional software. A typical software implementation entails purchasing and maintaining servers, housing them securely, and fixing and maintaining the software. This requires the time and trouble of experienced IT personnel, which many smaller businesses these days cannot afford.
Your expenses can easily be budgeted. When you do subscribe to a SaaS app, you pay a monthly or yearly subscription cost. Compared to a conventional software permit, this subscription payment arrangement works to your advantage. A regular monthly expense is more comfortable to include into your budget than a large one-time outlay. You can usually cancel or change your subscription at any time without losing a significant initial investment.
There is no software to install on multiple computers. Customers don't have to rely on an IT person to install an application. Everything is running securely at the vendor's location.
Web-based applications enable you to save your information on the Internet, hence making it easily accessible from anywhere. There are even free document management tools available online. For example, pdf2word.io is an online pdf to word converter. This converter uses complex and intelligent algorithms to convert your documents, even complex documents. It is available on all platforms, whether it is Mac, Windows, or Linux.
Multiple offices? No problem. With a SaaS document management system, users can scan files at one location and give employees at other offices instant access. It is easier and faster than e-mail to share data using online document management systems.
Remote or traveling employees can bring their files with them. If you have an agent showing houses, they can easily pull up a client file that they scanned in before they got in the car. Maps, contracts, correspondence and even photos can all be stored online, so there should be no reason to return to the office in the middle of a sale.
The most important, but often neglected, benefits of SaaS document management systems (or SaaS systems in general) is the off-site backup of relevant paperwork. If you are storing your closed client files in boxes in your office or home, they could easily be destroyed by a human-made or natural disaster. By storing data online, they are backed up on a daily and weekly basis by the vendor - ensuring the information is there when you need it.
Most vendors understand that data must be backed up religiously, and security is the top priority. Customers' IT departments are typically pulled in many directions and can't be as focused on one technology. Customers can assume their data security is probably safer when it's hosted. When you are selecting a SaaS provider, you should ask questions regarding security, but overall SaaS providers have a good track record.
Document management and Software-as-a-Service applications will grow in popularity as more and more people become accustomed to using the Internet to access their business software. And it makes sense as people spend more and more time on the World Wide Web. Real estate professionals will realize time and money savings by subscribing to services like these.
