Internet Fax: Stay Connected!

From the late 1980s on, the fax machine has been a necessary part of office life. Technologies like email are changing all that for some industries, but not for real estate agents—the nature of the real estate business demands the fast and simple transfer of signed papers, legal documents, and more. Email’s certainly a big part of a real estate agent’s job, but the importance of a fax machine in an agent’s office hasn’t diminished. However, a new technology, Internet fax, is making its way into many real estate offices.

From the late 1980s on, the fax machine has been a necessary part of office life. Technologies like email are changing all that for some industries, but not for real estate agents–the nature of the real estate business demands the fast and simple transfer of signed papers, legal documents, and more. Email’s certainly a big part of a real estate agent’s job, but the importance of a fax machine in an agent’s office hasn’t diminished. However, a new technology, Internet fax, is making its way into many real estate offices.

The technology can be used to handle all normal fax functions, but with much better efficiency and usability. Internet fax systems allow all faxes received to be retrieved either through an online control panel, email address, or both. Outgoing faxes can be sent after a quick run through an office scanner; and to the people sending incoming faxes, an Internet fax number doesn’t operate any differently than a standard fax number. It’s a very simple system that some agents are using to resounding success.

Internet fax systems can be especially helpful when combined with other technologies. For example, the call capture systems that many real estate agents use to promote houses and gather leads can gather the fax number of a client. Once the call capture system has that information, it can be stored in a computer database, where it can then be easily dialed and contacted through an Internet fax system. This is, of course, much more efficient than going across the office to dial a number. Though this may seem like a small time gain, it can certainly add up over time.

Communication with clients is getting more and more dependent on the Internet, and a Web-based system is a great first step to transitioning other systems. Real estate agents tend to be very busy people, and may not have time to learn new technologies. Internet fax systems are great in this regard because they don’t require training. Anyone who understands email can use it. Still, they’re a huge jump forward for many offices, and the benefits of this advanced technology are clear immediately. There’s no waiting to see if faxes went through, no paper jams or toner issues, and every fax you receive or send is instantly and completely searchable. It’s also a relatively light investment, since the services are fairly inexpensive, so agents looking for a way to upgrade their office’s technology need look no further.

There are also tangible benefits in dealing with clients. Internet fax systems are designed to work efficiently, and most importantly, to give you better access to your office’s fax information. When you need to have documents over to a client within a certain time frame, a Web-based service can help you not only send the fax personally (without relying on secretaries and other employees), but also lets you instantly recall the exact time that the Internet fax was sent. All it takes is a glance at your electronic fax system. The systems are also advantageous in big offices, where a single fax machine may be problematic on days where everyone needs to use it. Internet based fax services can be used on multiple computers simultaneously, allowing for more efficient, private faxing.

But for real estate agents, the best benefit of an Internet fax system may be that it’s mobile. If an agent has access to a laptop computer or even a phone that can read common document types, he or she can send and receive faxes anywhere. This is a big advantage in an industry where agents are expected to be able to be anywhere at any time. The remote capabilities of the systems are one of the main ways that agents can profit from them.

Every real estate office absolutely needs a fax service. An Internet fax service, however, covers and exceeds the capabilities of even the best traditional fax machines at a fraction of the price. It’s a big technical advantage that improves an agent’s ability to do work, and in the current overfilled industry, any advantage can potentially be huge. An Internet fax service isn’t the answer to all of a real estate agent’s communication needs, but it’s definitely a logical step in the right direction.

Learn more by visiting www.Fax800.com.

• 7 Deadly Tools to Make Your Social Strategy Killer
• You Can't Network Online Without Generating Conversation
• Looking for a Lead Generation Tool for 50% Off?