How to Find the Best Transaction Management Solution

A transaction management platform is one of the most popular tech tools that real estate brokers and agents use daily. The adoption of transaction management solutions, like Form Simplicity, owned and operated by the Florida Realtors®, has surged over the last 18 months as real estate pros embraced going digital.

(Note: You can visit Form Simplicity/Tech Helpline at NAR San Diego – Booth 2113)

Transaction management helps real estate professionals connect remotely and allows both professionals and consumers to ditch a paper-intensive process. For example, going digital with a transaction management platform enables brokers and agents to manage, track, store and access all the information they need from contract to close. For consumers, digital transaction management means less paper – a lot less paper.

If you or your brokerage have not fully embraced a transaction management platform, or you are thinking about switching, here's how to choose the best transaction management solution.

1. Is what you see what you get?

Not all transaction management platforms offer the same features and benefits. Some valuable features like unlimited storage and unlimited eSigning are not always included. Often there is a hidden cost for these services. You need to know what the actual costs will be, so ask upfront.

For example, with the highly affordable Ultimate Edition of Form Simplicity, brokers and agents get unlimited eSigning and unlimited document storage at no extra cost. And Form Simplicity uses bank-grade security to protect you and your client's documents and all their confidential information. This feature is built-in to give everyone peace of mind. It's simply safer than paper documents.

2. How is the boarding and training process?

If you are migrating from one transaction management solution to another, your tech migration can become a tech migraine if you don't choose the right one. A great place to start is to talk with the staff at other brokerages or associations currently using the transaction management platform you are considering.

Find out how the boarding process went as they launched their transaction management solution. Ask about agents and their reactions – did they embrace it right away, or did adoption take time? How much heavy lifting did the transaction management provider do at launch versus how much you had to do? Was training in person, remote, or both? Were informational on-demand videos provided? Did they provide an available hands-on team to coordinate the launch and remain accessible afterward? Were there any additional outreach and training opportunities offered after the launch?

Introducing a vital new technology to brokers and agents can be tricky. If you don't roll out a new tech solution properly, adoption can suffer, reducing the effectiveness of your investment. How a product is introduced is paramount as you only have one chance to make a first impression. The rollout must be received positively, which is one reason why Form Simplicity has often become the product of choice for so many. Form Simplicity is known for fielding a proven team that excels in the launch and follow-up to create long-term success with higher adoption rates.

3. How is their tech support?

For many brokers and agents, particularly ones who are not tech-savvy, tech support can be the deal maker or breaker when selecting a transaction management platform. So again, a great place to start is to talk to the current users: when something goes wrong, is it easy to make it right?

Many transaction management solutions tout that they are so easy to use, you don't need a lot of training or support. That sounds great. However, some brokers and agents won't find it as intuitive and easy to navigate as others. If there isn't the infrastructure in place to provide accessible and professional training and tech support when your agents need it, the best tech tools in the world can become worthless for those who need help.

Form Simplicity excels in tech support as the industry leader. Its sister company, Tech Helpline, is the No. 1 real estate tech support service. Every Form Simplicity user has access directly to Tech Helpline – by phone, email, and live chat. Tech support is available in both English and Spanish, and its U.S.-based team of analysts in Orlando, Florida, has over 300 years of combined IT experience.

The bottom line

When choosing a transaction management platform, you don't want any surprises. That's why it's vital to deliver an experience that gives the best first impression, as it can be crucial for short-term adoption and long-term success.

Finding a technology partner that understands your business and the needs of brokers and agents is the first step. Then you need to make sure that the transaction management provider can answer these questions to your satisfaction or keep on shopping.

To learn more about Form Simplicity, go to formsimplicity.com.

Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns and operates Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.