The top 10 tools for real estate admins

As the deals start rolling in, ambitious agents soon begin to realize that the whole ‘lone wolf’ thing just doesn’t scale. Unless you want your business to buckle under the weight of your own success, you’re going to need to some help. And a rockstar real estate admin should be one of your very first hires.

With the right admin by your side, you can keep better track of your goals and close more deals in fewer hours. From setting up your systems to updating your database and even lending a hand with your marketing, a savvy real estate admin can be an essential part of your business. That is IF they have the right tools for the job.

We rounded up the top 10 tech tools every real estate admin needs to help you get the best out of your real estate business.

1. Slack

Here’s one you probably know.

Slack is used by all types of businesses, large and small. In short, Slack is a cloud-based collaboration hub that acts as a virtual office. You can create public or private channels to discuss listings, share files, search information and collaborate with other team members via the mobile app when you’re out of the office.

• Price: Basic package is free.
• Best for: Agents with teams of less than 3 people.
• User Review: “Quite honestly, I’m not sure how we’ve survived so long without Slack. It’s a multi-media tool for team communication. Essentially, our team has stopped communicating with each other by text, email, and Facebook messaging and we’ve gone strictly with Slack. I love how I can use this through an app on my phone as well as an app on my desktop computer. I can even use it through a browser window if I need to.” — Elizabeth Gilbert, The Assistant Files

2. Google Suite

Source: Google

You know this one, right?

Google Suite is an array of cloud-based office tools that cover everything from email to video conferencing. And if you’re a Follow Up Boss user, it’s a total breeze to integrate.

Package includes: Gmail, Google Drive (online storage), Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides (presentations), Google Keep (notes and checklists) and Hangouts (video conferences).

• Price: Free trial for 14 days. Business packages start at $5 per user, per month.
• Best for: Any admin regardless of experience or tech expertise.
• User Review: “When our tools are easier to use, agents can spend less time managing paperwork and devote more time to their clients.” — Tim Proschold, VP of Group Strategy & Success at Sereno Group

3. Trello

Source: Trello

Trello is a team-based task management tool that’s impressively visual.

In Trello, real estate admins can easily:

• Add and update listings
• Get a visual overview of who’s working on what and when
• Add comments, create checklists, add labels and due dates, upload attachments and start discussions

• Price: Basic package is free. Business Class package is $9.99 per month.
• Best for: Admins with teams of less than 10 people who like to work visually.
• User Review: “Every time one of our agents sets an appointment (or an ISA sets an appointment for them), our operations team creates a card on Trello that details important information about the client the appointment is for. They also attach to the card whichever agent or ISA set the appointment. Once the agent meets with the client and they sign a buyer agency or listing agency agreement, they can then move that card from ‘set’ to “met” to ‘signed’.” — Dave Friedman, Expert Home Advisors

4. Zapier

Zapier is a web-based service that allows end users to integrate all the web applications they use to run their business. No matter what other tools you use, this one brings them all together.

• Price: Packages start at $20 per month.
• Best for: Admins who love automation but have no idea how to code.
• User Review: “I call Zapier my digital duct tape. It connects everything.” — Barry Jenkins, Owner/Broker, Friend in Realty

Want to see how Barry Jenkins used Zapier to automate his entire business and hit 240 transactions? Check this out.

5. Hootsuite

Source: Mike Bowler

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter…there are a million places to market your real estate business online.

Hootsuite can help. The social media management tool allows users to organize multiple social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram and schedule content automatically. It also comes with some user-friendly analytics features to help you and your admin track which kind of content is winning on social.

• Price: Pro plan starts at $25 per month for unlimited posting for 1 user.
• Best for: Admins who also wear a marketing hat.
• User Review: “If you have several sites you’re managing, Hootsuite’s the way to go. You can look at analytics and schedule a message to go out when you’re out at a meeting.” — Mike Bowler, Associate Broker and  “Tech-savvy Grandpa”

6. DocuSign

DocuSign is an e-signature service that speeds up transactions.

Documents are securely managed and stored in the cloud and can be signed from anywhere, on any device. This saves admins loads of time chasing or reworking contracts due to illegible handwriting or incorrectly signed signatures, making the entire transaction management process that much easier.

Plus, DocuSign is NAR’s official and exclusive eSignature provider. So it must be good, right?

• Price: The basic plan is $10 per month.
• Best for: Admins who are tired of grappling with transaction paperwork.
• User Review: “I am currently in the middle of selling my condo and buying a new one and I wanted to relay what a great experience I have had using DocuSign. In a real estate market with tight inventory, every second counts! Using DocuSign on my iPhone, I was able to sign an offer to purchase on a Friday evening while I was running errands and in the TJ Maxx checkout line. I appreciate its ease of use. I also appreciate how DocuSign fits the flow of my daily tasks and responsibilities.” — Kristen Short, Managing Director of NAR

7. Mailchimp

Source: Talking Agent Success w/ Joseph

Let’s face it. At some point (probably soon), you’re going to need help managing your email marketing.

Enter, MailChimp. This email marketing software is so easy-to-use, even admins with no experience can quickly get the hang of it. Your admin can easily craft gorgeous emails and newsletters using Mailchimp’s ready templates, no design skills needed.

• Price: The basic start-up package is free.
• Best for: New or experienced admins who need to lend a hand with email marketing.
• User Review: “You can just click on this person, add them to that specific list. This way you know which list is which, who you’re going to be sending campaigns to and break it down whichever way you see fit.” — Joseph, Talking Agent Success

8. Facebook Business

Source: FitSmallBusiness.com

At this point, you can’t afford not to be on Facebook.

And Facebook’s Business Manager is the central hub all your Facebook marketing activities. With this tool, your admin can run and track your ads and manage your Pages—all in one place.

• Price: Free
• Best for: Maximizing an admin’s marketing skills when you don’t have the budget to spend on dedicated Facebook ad services.
• User Review: “I like money more than I like leads—and Facebook makes me money.” — Chris Smith, Curaytor

(Already a Follow Up Boss user? You can easily integrate Curaytor and get your Facebook ads up and running asap.)

9. Animoto

Source: Animoto

According to Animoto, real estate listings with video receive 403% more inquiries.

Whoa. No doubt about it, video is the next big thing in real estate marketing and tools like Animoto make it easy to create and drag-and-drop videos into your emails and marketing platform, even if you have zero experience. Whatever their skill level, your admins can easily set you up with video content to help you rock your listing presentations or score more clicks on your ads.

• Price: Starting at $33 per month.
• Best for: Time-strapped teams with admins who help keep your marketing fresh.
• User Review: “When I go to a listing presentation, I bring the Animoto videos as part of my presentation. My customers are so impressed, and the videos are instrumental in getting new clients.” — Kathy Lewis, Florida-based real estate agent

10. Structurely

Source: Nathan Joens, CEO and Co-Founder of Structurely

Structurely is a nifty AI solution that helps agents and brokers spend more time closing deals and less time qualifying and following up with leads. With Structurely, you can immediately engage leads via messaging, without you, your admin or your ISAs having to work around the clock.

• Price: Starting at $179 per month.
• Best for: Admins in a large team dealing with thousands of leads.
• User Review: “Within 2 weeks of using Structurely, we ended up with a two-sided transaction on a $450,000 property.” — Steve Aust, Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate Journey

Whatever tools you use, make sure your admin has everything they need to successfully fills the right holes in your business. Once you have the help you need, you can spend more time growing your business and less time sweating the admin.

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