Arroyo Grande, CA

You're a real estate salesperson, so your job is marketing, right? Of course you attend networking events every week. You come back from an event with a handful of business cards, pull them out of your pocket and place them on your desk. And after a while, those cards start to pile up, and overtake your workspace.

Then, when you need to find a phone number or an email address, you have to search through your stacks of business cards. You haven't typed them into your contact database because it's so time-consumer... isn't there an easier way?

Yes, why not simply scan your business cards into a system that uploads them to your contact database -- the ultimate use of technology to REALLY save you time & energy!

Well, what do you use for scanning your business cards? And how do you sync the cards to your contact database?

We have a DYMO device from CardScan. I love their scanner because it’s so simple to use. Here’s where you can buy it:

http://sites.dymo.com/Solutions/Pages/Seg_cat_lndg.aspx?cat=CardScanCMS(DYMO)&locale=enUS

Also there is ScanShell which scans directly to ACT! database software and a few other types:

http://www.scanshell-store.com/scan-business-cards-to-act.htm

Now, you need to find a phone #? Just enter the contact's name and it pops up with all their information, including a picture of their business card! What could be easier...

And even better, it can help to automate your email drip system and your mailing / phone calling campaign. It's all at your fingertips and on auto-pilot!!!

Regina P. Brown
Real Estate Instructor

Arroyo Grande is stagnant right now. Prices are drifting downward (bumping along the bottom, as a colleague says), inventory is still rather high (indicating more of a buyers' market), and average sold price has dropped quite a bit. It seems that there is still a lot of inventory to be absorbed, and sellers still are not pricing their homes to move. It may be another six months before this South County community picks up in sales and inventories drop.