This is the latest in a series of articles that explores the spectrum of technology products available to real estate professionals. Each article covers what a specific technology category does, what questions to ask before purchasing, and available. (See our previous article on CMAs here.)

What are Back Office Solutions?

So much of the business of a real estate broker goes on behind-the-scenes, in your back office. Functions such as accounting, lead routing, reporting, and agent management often fall into this category and are managed with back office software. Each back office solution is different, so it's important to understand what you expect from your technology.

To help you learn more about back office solutions and how to use them, we recommend reading the following articles. They're a good place to get started:

• Broker Efficiency: How to put more money in the BANK at the end of the month
• What Financial Numbers Should Brokers Be Looking At?

Questions to Ask

If you're in the market for a back office solution, there are questions you can ask to evaluate which option is right for you.

• Do I already use accounting software and, if so, will it integrate with my back office solution?
• MLS data can play a role in back office functions. Will this product pull data from my MLS? What is the frequency of listing updates from your MLS (goal is 15 minutes)? Does it support multiple MLSs, if your company requires that?
• What does it integrate with my Exchange or Gmail/Google Calendar system?
• Does it support permissions for super admin, executive management, regional management, office management, office admin, teams, and agents? Similarly, does it have a role-based document management solution?
• Is there enterprise calendar management?
• Can you pull in leads from all lead sources?
• Does it integrate with agent website management?
• Does it have drip marketing?
• Can it be fully white labeled?
• Does it integrate with the print ordering program within your brokerage?
• Can you order sign-up/sign-down service, photography, and other types of activities?
• Does it provide seller reports that show all marketing activities?
• Does it have a Google-like universal search?
• Does it display market penetration numbers?
• Does it support ancillary businesses, if needed—like commercial, property management, new home, mortgage, title, or insurance?
• Does it have single sign-on to other applications?
• Can data be easily imported and exported should you choose to switch vendors in the future?
• Does it have an integrated Customer Relationship Management solution or Competitive Market Analysis solution?

Your Options

The questions above are from our 2014 Technology Guide. The guide also highlights specific back office solutions available to you, including:

• AgentAchieve: CoreLogic's broker business management solution incorporates websites, lead management, CRM, and online marketing, as well as other tools to support you and your agents.
• Listingbook: Compatible with any MLS system, Listingbook supports real estate professionals with a client management system to incubate leads, drip marketing tools, property promotion tools, and a variety of comprehensive reports.

For more information on the options above, download the full guide. For a full list of available Back Office solutions, visit our Product Directory.