Doubtless you're all familiar with the basic concept of electronic signatures. After all, this popular technology is an exceptionally great fit for our document-intensive industry. Still, there's no time like the present to develop this basic familiarity into a more complete understanding of technology that can truly make a difference in your business.

Although each electronic signature solution serves the same primary purpose (allowing greater speed and flexibility in the signing of documents), they are all slightly different. To help you learn more about e-signature solutions, we recommend reading the following articles. They're a good place to get started:

• E-Signature Security: A Primer for Agents
• Ask the Expert: How Do I Choose an eSignature?
• Electronic Signatures FAQ

Choosing the Right Tool

If you're in the market for an electronic signature solution, there are questions you can ask to evaluate which option is right for you, like:

• Does this technology support the forms that are required in my MLS? What other formats are supported (i.e. .pdf and Word documents)?
• Does this technology integrate with my document and/or transaction management solution?
• Does this technology support biometric as well as digital signatures? (Learn more about the difference in this article: "Not All Electronic Signatures Are Created Equal."
• Can clients sign using a tablet or Smartphone? What other functionality does the mobile app have to offer?

Find more questions to ask in our 2014 Technology Guide. It's a free resource for real estate pros who want to learn more about the technology products available to them.

Here are two electronic signature solutions highlighted in the Tech Guide:

• eSignOnline™: This electronic signature software from GoPaperless Solutions is used by over 100,000 REALTORS®. The easy-to-use interface with access from any device allows users to upload documents, tag signing locations, invite multiple signers and instantly receive signed documents. Real-time updates, audit trail, document versioning, eSignLogic™ intelligent zones, form templates, groups and teams tools and more.
• Instanet Solutions: With Authentisign, Instanet Solutions has created an electronic signature solution that "works the way signings do in real life." Whether you're on your desktop computer or your tablet, Authentisign offers an intuitive user interface for electronic signatures that is fully integrated with their tools for transaction management, document management, and forms.

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

More in the "Tech 101" Series

This is the latest in a series of articles that explores the spectrum of technology products available to real estate professionals. Each post covers what a specific type of technology does, how to evaluate solutions in that category, and available options. Here's what we've covered so far:

• CMAs
• Back office solutions
• Online Marketing tools
• Market Analytics

Stay tuned for more!