If you’ve already made electronic earnest money payments a part of your real estate transaction process, you know the magic of TrustFunds.  Learn more about how it really works. TrustFunds is the tool a buyer uses to electronically submit their earnest money payment, but where does the payment go after that? The answer to this question: TrustFunds does not hold the … Read More

You’ve heard that the new standard in real estate transactions, electronic earnest money, is safer and more efficient, but do you really understand why? Unlike the old method of submitting earnest money by a paper check, TrustFunds electronic earnest money has multiple steps of verification in place to protect the buyer’s personal banking information including a step that adds a … Read More

Buying a home is one of the largest financial decisions most people make in their lifetime. As a real estate agent, you can help your buyers think through areas that they may have overlooked. These five simple reminders can make sure that the buyers are ready to make an informed and winning offer on the home they desire. 1. Pay down … Read More

Did your deal fall apart? Electronic refunding of earnest money is available. And it’s better. It happens to all of us: the buyer finds something in the home they were planning on buying that they don’t like during the inspection or something happens to the buyer’s financing. Then begins the process of attempting to get the earnest money back to … Read More

Convenience The real estate industry is changing every day. It can be exhausting trying to keep up with all of the new regulations and standard operating procedures, especially when it comes to an earnest money payment. Most states require deadlines for the delivery and deposit of the funds and to be accountable for tracking and documenting the steps of an … Read More

1. Take time off to avoid the end of summer blues. Schedule a vacation to soak up the last few days of warm weather and recharge yourself for a busy fall. 2. Follow the 80/20 rule. 20 percent of what you do each day contributes to 80 percent of your results. This transitional time is a great opportunity to evaluate … Read More

As online payments are becoming increasingly popular in all industries, so is the art of stealing this sensitive information. Within the real estate industry, there have been several instances where an email from a hacker requesting payment is mistaken for an email from a realtor, lawyer, or title company requesting payment. If this happens and the buyer submits their money … Read More

An ACH payment is simply a transfer of funds from one bank to another. What this means regarding the earnest money process is that it eliminates the need for a paper check. By making an earnest money payment electronically instead of by paper check, the earnest money can be transferred from the buyer’s bank to the bank account receiving the … Read More

Virtual tours or drone photography: If a photo is worth a thousand words, drone videos and other virtual tours are worth a million. These technologies give potential buyers a much better idea of what a home looks like before they take time out of their (and their agent’s) busy schedule to do a live tour. Electronic forms: Thanks to services … Read More