3 Apps Guaranteed to Save You Time
Agents are busy. Very busy. The one sunny break in an otherwise gloomy economic forecast during the pandemic has been the real estate industry. Home sale activity has exceeded the most optimistic projections, and many agents have been inundated with business. It's extra tough when most of your free time and work time are now spent under the same roof: at home. Ensuring you continue to remain productive is vital for closing transactions today and building new business tomorrow. You can increase your efficiency while still building future business if you get a little help. The good news is there is technology available today that you can use to help you speed up or simplify some time-consuming tasks. Here are three apps that can help you save time, make you more efficient, and help you build future

Free Video Editing Apps for Real Estate Videos in 2021
Creating real estate videos can be a daunting task, especially if you don't already have access to the equipment and programs you need to film and edit your videos. Luckily, getting set up is easier than you think. Most modern smartphones have decent cameras, so there's no need to buy a pricey camera. You may want to purchase a tripod to stabilize your video or a lapel microphone or headset to boost your sound quality, but your first videos don't need specialized lighting or other fancy equipment. If you do want to get some basic video equipment, check out this list for

Realtor.com Partners with Qualia to Deliver Simplified Digital Home Closings
Realtor.com and Qualia today announced a new relationship that will give agents and their clients a unique ability to collaborate online in real time with their title provider of choice as part of a fully integrated digital closing experience. The experience will first launch next month as a pilot test in seven states across the country, followed by a nationwide launch later this year. The seven states are Florida, Maryland, Ohio, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia. "Realtor.com® believes an open marketplace approach that offers choice, control, transparency and efficiency creates the best experience for home buyers, sellers, and real estate professionals," said Move Inc. CEO David Doctorow. Move, Inc., is a subsidiary of News Corp and operates realtor.com®. "Our relationship with Qualia is a great example of this. We're empowering agents by providing options to help them get their clients all the way through closing, as we simplify the process of buying and selling homes for people throughout their real estate journey." Agents in realtor.com's ReadyConnect Concierge network will be able to use their existing ReadyConnect Agent app to select one of the many highly rated title partners who are powered by Qualia's platform. Agents can also introduce additional title partners to the network through the ReadyConnect Concierge app and web experience. If they choose, agents can continue to work outside of the app with any title provider outside of the Qualia platform. If they work with a title provider in the Qualia network, agents and their clients can automatically manage and review documents, track progress in real time, and communicate with the chosen title company through the secure Qualia Connect platform. The platform's security features also help protect buyers from phishing and fraud; cyber crime in real estate transactions has been increasing rapidly over the past few years, according to FBI reports. Consumers can sign their closing documents, and in select states some participants can have them remotely notarized with Qualia's fully integrated Remote Online Notarization tool, as well. In states that allow fully remote closings, agents who give their clients the ability to e-close by working with title providers that embrace modern, digital solutions can set themselves apart from the competition. In an October 2020 Qualia Homebuyer Sentiment Survey, more than 60 percent of survey respondents said they wanted a fully digital closing experience, and more than half of home buyers chose their real estate agent based on a differentiated level of service around closing. Title and escrow providers in the Qualia network can grow their business with the increased exposure to the 140,000+ agents in realtor.com®'s ReadyConnect Concierge network. They'll also save time and increase efficiencies by collaborating with agents and consumers on one secure, cloud-based closing platform. "The role that each participant in the home buying journey serves is evolving faster than we've ever seen," said Qualia CEO Nate Baker. "Realtor.com® is a Proptech leader that has consistently remained ahead of the curve, empowering its agents to deliver a differentiated home buying experience. We are excited to help them continue this journey alongside our existing network of Qualia powered title and escrow partners across the country." Realtor.com® is offering a webinar on February 18 in advance of the pilot tests; register here. Title providers can learn more about Qualia and join the network here. Visit marketing.realtor.com/concierge to learn more about the ReadyConnect Concierge network and how realtor.com®'s referral program can help agents and brokers build their business. Unlike some other success-based models, ReadyConnect Concierge is open to all brokers and their agents who want to join – as market conditions allow – and requires no upfront