Virtual vs. Brick-and-Mortar Offices

Welcome to the future, where "the office" can sometimes be your bed, a bar, or a beach chair in the Bahamas. For the uninitiated, it may be difficult to believe, but doing business doesn't always require a traditional, brick-and-mortar office. The virtual office is growing in popularity . . . and in effectiveness.

To understand what this means for real estate professionals, we talked to Mehrdad Alaei, CEO of GoPaperless Solutions. GoPaperless is one company that has made it their business to serve the changing needs of a technologically advancing industry. They offer one example of how REALTORS® may become more efficient by streamlining their business with electronic transactions.

Benefits of a Virtual Office
There are 4 primary benefits to a virtual office:

1. Financial savings. One of the most obvious benefits of a virtual office is the money saved on overhead. Eliminate expenses like rent, utilities, printers and copiers, toner, paper supplies, ancillary staff members, a cleaning crew, and much more.

2. Kind to the environment. In general, a virtual office is more "green" than a brick-and-mortar office. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule; many companies with physical offices make green practices a priority, and many folks working remotely get printer-happy. However, most people with virtual offices use technology to digitally share and manage documents, which can be a real tree-saver.