With over 8,000 residential real estate agencies operating across the country, Australia has one of the most competitive real estate markets in the world. The rapid and accurate dissemination of information between the vendor, agent, prospective buyers, lawyers and other parties is crucial to sales, and until now there hasn't been an application that can handle those processes effectively.

With the property market still booming and competition rife, Quicklister, a real estate agent's sales' package developed with FileMaker Pro, is a "must have" sales management tool for real estate agents simply because it really does add more to the bottom line. For example, if a property comes up for listing on a Friday, an agency which has Quicklister installed can have that property represented on a real estate flyer within seconds, storing up to five photos per property ensuring a faster chance at a sale.

By comparison, the real estate agency which doesn't have Quicklister would not only have to go to the expense of using a print-shop for the development of a listing brochure, but would also have to wait up to a week for the brochure to be developed. Ultimately this means possibly missing out on a higher paying sale in the mean time, or even worse - another agency taking away the business!

When Malcolm Sloan, owner of the Cranbourne Real Estate Agency of Stockdale & Leggo, approached Quicklister.com.au to build a sophisticated, integrated solution to help the estate agency manage the fast moving real estate sales process, they, like many of their counterparts, were desperate for an effective solution.

Quicklister.com.au developed QuicklisterGold, a FileMaker Pro 6.0 based solution designed to manage the sales process from appraisal through to settlement, while handling the multitude of transactions and marketing requirements in between. Quicklister Gold also provides a central server that can, among a host of other processes produce automated brochures and standard letters with a company logo, not only saving time but money as well.

Results
Designed to be a networked solution for agencies with four or more users, from a cost perspective, the FileMaker Pro 6.0 based Quicklister, is saving the estate agency significant time and money through its ability to produce marketing and advertising material in-house. Previously the Melbourne real estate agency was outsourcing printed promotional material, which was not only expensive, but it took over a week to return. With Quicklister installed, the agency now produces automated brochures and company letters at a fraction of the time and costs, making for a more competitive agency that offers a higher level of customer service.

"With FileMaker Pro 6.0 based Quicklister, we win every way. Our agents productivity has become quantifiably higher, our printing costs for brochures and booklets is saving us around $45,000 per year, and we have an unprecedented listing of property sales that impress the customer every time. Quicklister has been the foundation and continues to drive our success in the market place against ever increasing competition."

The secrets of success
Using FileMaker Pro 6.0, Quicklister is able to build a sophisticated, integrated database of property based information, with linked but separate databases that not only keep track of vendor and buyer information, but are also used for contact management purposes. Through the prospecting, appraisals, sales and settlement process, Quicklister.com.au's system can now instantly link a property to a buyer or seller, making their lives a great deal easier and making more opportunities for sales.

The Quicklister solution has done wonders at the Cranbourne office of Stockdale & Leggo and
their entire operation has become more productive, streamlined and successful as a result.

Everybody wins!
At any time, the Cranbourne agency can search a property for a buyer based on any number of variables. From comparable prices within the street, photos, inspection reports, even a Melway map reference, Quicklister arms agents with instant, relevant information.

"The seamless integration of the sales administration process is reaping huge productivity benefits. It's exciting to see how empowered estate agents become by using Quicklister" said Russell Sloan, chief technical officer, Quicklister.com.au.

For vendors, Quicklister also provides up-to-the-minute information on the status of their property.

"Quite simply, Quicklister provides a true co-operative selling environment," continued Malcolm. "I have instant access to current listings and the status of all buyer and vendor transactions. This is truly empowering as it makes everything a co-operative effort and not a 'he who has the information wins' environment."