Technology to the rescue; the world is going mobile, and your agents can as well. Why have 100+ square feet of office space for each agent, with associated rent, utilities, office equipment and more in costs? Most of your agents are probably already doing a great deal of work from home or on the road with notebook computers and wireless Internet access.
So, is there a way to leverage this move toward mobile officing? You bet! It's the online Intranet for real estate brokerages. What you don't have, you don't need, like:
- A bunch of networking hardware and software.
- A network administrator to keep it all working, and fix problems when new software is added.
- Multiple printers and fax machines, or a large expensive copier and fax machine with ongoing maintenance.
What you get is an online office that retains all documents, tasks, calendars, files, transaction management, listing management, leads and lead management in a secure online environment. And, any Internet capable computer can access the office from anywhere 24/7. It has been proven that you can actually maintain zero office space for personnel desks and run an efficient and profitable business this way.
Technology is now available in the form of "netbooks" that take this online office intranet concept to the next level. Netbooks are small and scaled down notebook computers that are specifically built to access the Web wirelessly. Now, there are also cellular broadband modems to free them up from being near a WiFi hotspot as well. Manufacturers are also working with the major cell providers, such as Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc. They are introducing subsidized netbooks for as little as $100 when purchased with cell access.
Other than a physical file cabinet for paper backup, an Intranet coupled with netbooks can keep your agents happy, productive and highly mobile in serving your clients. True, you will want some conference space for meeting clients, and you'll need to follow your state law for required physical locations, however, substantial savings are there for just about any brokerage.
This is a better solution than spending the same or more for fancy super phones with tiny screens. Even a small netbook with an 8 inch screen is very usable in accessing your web office intranet, as well as the online MLS most of us use now. Take advantage of the technology available to get more for less in managing your brokerage business.
