70 Year Old Man Creates iPad Realtor Course
When we think of paperless business transactions and tech-driven opportunities -- the savvy 20-something year old often comes to mind. But Canada's real estate industry has a new technological pioneer. And he is not what you might have imagined.
Meet Edward Robinson. He is an iPad toting real estate agent who barely uses a pen to close his deals.
And he is 70.
Robinson has created an iPad Realtor course that is been accredited by the Toronto Real Estate Board. Younger students are often surprised that a man more than twice their age is teaching the ins-and-outs of virtual business. Meanwhile, older students are relieved that they arenot being intimidated by a whip-smart 20-something with little patience for the older (and sometimes slower!) generation.
The four-hour course costs $45.00. Robinson uses a step-by-step method to teach real estate agents how to go paperless. The only part of the transaction that requires paper is the Agreement of Purchase and Sale. But in Ontario, that may change when regulations are introduced that will make electronic signatures more acceptable.
Robinson says the best part of going paperless is that it is much cheaper in the long-run. The cost of ink, paper and printer maintenance can get quite expensive. Not to mention the amount of bulk an agent must lug around in the process. But going paperless only requires a single investment in the most minimal of devices. For example, a simple iPad Mini with Wi-Fi and 16 gigs will cost you about $330. For Robinson, however, the equipment of choice is the Wi-Fi with retina display, 32 gigs and cellular for around $730.
The long-term cost savings in going paperless are apparent, according to Robinson. 50% of your assistant's time can be saved by dealing with all documents electronically. For example, you can get a waiver using free Wi-Fi at Starbucks, acknowledge it, and send it to the seller, the seller's lawyer and your office administrator all in one shot. This task can be performed in a matter of minutes without face-to-face interaction and the use of fax machines. Meanwhile, all your previous transactions can be stored on your iPad for future reference.
From Halifax to Winnipeg, Robinson has been travelling across the country singing the praises of a paperless real estate industry. Outside of his teaching duties, he is a full-time broker at Right At Home Realty in Toronto. This 70 year old has certainly seen an evolution of sorts in the business, given that he is been a member of TREB since 1980. Butit is only fitting that a real estate veteran deliver a course in iPad realty as Robinson is perhaps one of the few who can truly appreciate the beauty of going paperless.
Meet Edward Robinson. He is an iPad toting real estate agent who barely uses a pen to close his deals.
And he is 70.
Robinson has created an iPad Realtor course that is been accredited by the Toronto Real Estate Board. Younger students are often surprised that a man more than twice their age is teaching the ins-and-outs of virtual business. Meanwhile, older students are relieved that they arenot being intimidated by a whip-smart 20-something with little patience for the older (and sometimes slower!) generation.
The four-hour course costs $45.00. Robinson uses a step-by-step method to teach real estate agents how to go paperless. The only part of the transaction that requires paper is the Agreement of Purchase and Sale. But in Ontario, that may change when regulations are introduced that will make electronic signatures more acceptable.
Robinson says the best part of going paperless is that it is much cheaper in the long-run. The cost of ink, paper and printer maintenance can get quite expensive. Not to mention the amount of bulk an agent must lug around in the process. But going paperless only requires a single investment in the most minimal of devices. For example, a simple iPad Mini with Wi-Fi and 16 gigs will cost you about $330. For Robinson, however, the equipment of choice is the Wi-Fi with retina display, 32 gigs and cellular for around $730.
The long-term cost savings in going paperless are apparent, according to Robinson. 50% of your assistant's time can be saved by dealing with all documents electronically. For example, you can get a waiver using free Wi-Fi at Starbucks, acknowledge it, and send it to the seller, the seller's lawyer and your office administrator all in one shot. This task can be performed in a matter of minutes without face-to-face interaction and the use of fax machines. Meanwhile, all your previous transactions can be stored on your iPad for future reference.
From Halifax to Winnipeg, Robinson has been travelling across the country singing the praises of a paperless real estate industry. Outside of his teaching duties, he is a full-time broker at Right At Home Realty in Toronto. This 70 year old has certainly seen an evolution of sorts in the business, given that he is been a member of TREB since 1980. Butit is only fitting that a real estate veteran deliver a course in iPad realty as Robinson is perhaps one of the few who can truly appreciate the beauty of going paperless.
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