As we were doing the paperwork on an offer the other day, my client asked me why we weren't using electronic signatures. The last couple of papers would have to be faxed or faxed to an email, and a straight email with an electronic signature sounded more logical to my engineer client.
The concept is simple: instead of physically signing documents, you sign a document electronically by typing your name, clicking with your mouse, or a variety of other methods. The question is whether the time has come to make the switch completely by using companies such as Docusign to remove pen and paper from the process entirely. In terms of ease of use, there’s no comparison.
In California, the Association of Realtors offers it members Winform Online, which lets us draft contracts right online. It’s integrated with Docusign, so you can create a contract and prep it for signing without printing anything at all. Clients are notified by email to sign, and you get an email as soon as they have. As an added bonus, they can’t accidentally miss any spots to sign, since the program highlights each area and checks for completion.
So what’s the downside? While for starters, it’s not free...but the cost is minor, considering the convenience. The biggest drawback is that not all brokerages and companies will accept electronic signatures. Also, according to the California Association of Realtors' website, and there are some documents where electronic signatures are not allowed.
No comments:
Post a Comment