This article will cover four alternatives to DocuSign for Real Estate. These platforms allow you to create, upload, edit, digitally sign and process real estate contracts, forms, and agreements.
With these tools, you can streamline your end-to-end document workflow. It will increase productivity and improve operational efficiency, saving time, effort, and money. The DocuSign alternatives covered include the following:
- Signaturely
- Zoho Sign
DotLoop - HelloSign
Let’s get started.
DocuSign for Real Estate at a Glance
Digital signature software has revolutionized real estate, changing how contracts and agreements are processed. The end-to-end process has been digitized and streamlined, saving time, effort, and money.
DocuSign is one of the top electronic signature app platforms today. It offers a product specifically for the real estate industry: eSignature for Real Estate. It allows you to access the DocuSign Agreement Cloud and fully utilize the tool’s functionality.
Below, we’ve broken down eSignature for Real Estate, covering key features, use cases, plans and pricing, and pros and cons.
Key Features
The DocuSign Agreement Cloud for Real Estate gives you a customizable suite of applications. You can streamline your contract workflow and complete transactions faster, saving time, effort, and money.
Some of these applications include the following:
- DocuSign eSignature: Digitally sign, request signatures, and track agreements online. Comes with a dedicated mobile app.
- DocuSign Rooms for Real Estate: A secure digital platform where buyers, sellers, brokers, agents, and others can work together on transactions.
- DocuSign Notary: Send, sign, and notarize agreements online with RON: remote online notarization. It saves time and reduces risk.
- DocuSign CLM: Streamline your contract lifecycle by creating, optimizing, and automating workflows.
- DocuSign Identify: Verify and authenticate the identity of your signatories for sensitive agreements.
- DocuSign Payments: Collect and automate payments like monthly rent, application fees, and security deposits.
It’s important to note that the pricing plan you purchase influences which of these applications you can access.
Use Cases
DocuSign for Real Estate can be used in several ways. You’ll benefit from DocuSign whether you’re a residential or commercial agent, broker, escrow company, property manager, REIT, homebuilder, or developer.
Some specific types of real estate forms, contracts, and agreements DocuSign can help digitally sign and process include:
- Real estate forms
- Leasing contracts
- Purchase contracts
- Investor documents
- Tax identification paperwork
- Appraisals and disclosures
- Addendums
- Agent onboarding and licensing
- Work orders/purchase orders
- Bank wire transfer instructions
- Inspections
- Listing agreements
- NDAs
- Escrow opening instructions
- Deeds
Plans & Pricing
DocuSign offers four pricing plans: Real Estate Starter, DocuSign for REALTORS, Real Estate, and Enhanced Real Estate Brokerage Plans. Here are the details of each pricing plan:
- Real Estate Starter: $15 per month and one user only. Allows you to send five documents for eSignature per month.
- DocuSign for REALTORS: $40 per user per month and up to five users online. Unlimited eSignature requests. For NAR (National Association of Realtors) members only.
- Real Estate: $45 per user per month and up to five users online. Unlimited eSignature requests.
- Enhanced Real Estate Brokerage Plans: Custom plan. Offers everything the Real Estate plan does. Adds the Rooms for Real Estate application, multiple users, account manager, APIs, and more.
The Bottom Line of Using DocuSign for Real Estate
DocuSign for Real Estate is a capable eSignature solution. It has many useful features that make signing and processing business documents, contracts, and agreements easier. These are functionalities specific to the real estate industry.
With this tool, you can improve employee productivity and operational efficiency. Risk is also reduced thanks to increased security measures and regulatory compliance.
The major drawback of DocuSign for Real Estate is its cost. It’s also a complex software solution, and it’s simply not affordable for everyone, especially when cheaper alternatives exist.
Pros:
- Specifically tailored for the real estate industry
- Lots of useful features
- Increases operational efficiency of your organization
- Reduces risk through increased security and improved regulatory compliance
- Improves employee productivity
Cons:
- Expensive
- Complex
The Best Alternative to DocuSign for Real Estate: Signaturely
Although DocuSign for Real Estate is a great solution, it’s expensive. For those who can’t afford it, Signaturely is the best alternative to DocuSign. Below, we’ve broken Signaturely down below, looking at key features, API integrations, usability, plans, and pricing.
Key Features
Signaturely is a digital signature platform with a robust suite of features ideal for the real estate industry. With Signaturely, residential and commercial agents, brokers, escrow companies, property managers, REITs, homebuilders, and developers can streamline contract workflows.
The core functionality of Signaturely lets you do three things:
- Create a digital signature—drawn, typed, or uploaded
- Complete form fields and digitally sign your documents with the editor
- Send your documents to contract parties for signature requests
These features will help you sign and process all your different real estate forms, contracts, documents, and agreements. Several other features offered are relevant and valuable to the real estate industry.
Pre-made templates can save time and provide legal protection. Legal experts have proofread and reviewed all of Signaturely’s contract templates. Templates can be customized and personalized to fit your needs. Once signed, the contracts are considered legally binding.
Some examples of Signaturely real estate templates include the following:
- One-page lease agreement
- Property management agreement
- Month-to-month rental agreement
- Rental agreement
- Sublease agreement
- Agency agreement
Guided signing helps signatories digitally sign your document and complete the correct form fields. Remote and mobile signing allow your contract parties to electronically sign your agreements anywhere, from any device.
A legal audit log keeps a digital record of all your documents, contracts, agreements, and forms. Document tracking manages your end-to-end contract workflow and encourages completion. Custom business branding gives your real estate documents a professional look.
Signaturely prides itself on its security and compliance. Its robust firewall, physical data hosting security, and data encryption protect your information. Signaturely has many capable features that will streamline your real estate document workflows.
Key Features:
- Document editor
- Remote signing
- Templates
- Bulk send feature
- Automated track and follow up
- Document tracking
- Import contacts
- Signature Generator
- Legal audit log
- Integrations
API Integrations
Signaturely’s API lets you connect your digital document workflow with your email platform. You can open, digitally sign, and send contracts from Gmail, thanks to the Signaturely API. There is no need to waste time switching tabs. Signaturely’s API also integrates with Dropbox and HubSpot.
Lease agreements and property management agreements can be signed fast. For real estate, processing documents quickly is a priority. Signaturely’s API saves you time, effort, and money. It’ll increase productivity and operational efficiency while cutting paper costs.
Key Features:
- Automated signature requests
- Templates
- OAuth
- Embedded signing
Only the most expensive DocuSign for Real Estate plans offers APIs.
Usability
Signaturely has an intuitive user interface that’s easy to use and doesn’t take long to master. The web-based platform’s navigation design is smooth and instinctive. You can learn the basics of Signaturely very quickly—in less than an hour.
One of DocuSign’s biggest complaints is a clunky interface that’s difficult and not user-friendly. Documents are hard to edit once created or sent, and sharing templates with other team members can be difficult.
The Signaturely platform prioritizes user experience, whereas DocuSign doesn’t.
Plans & Pricing
Signaturely has three pricing plans: Free, Personal, and Business:
- Free: The free Signaturely plan allows you three signature requests per month.
- Personal: $20 per month or $16 per month if billed annually. You get unlimited signature requests and access to one template.
- Business: $30 per month per user or $24 per user per month if billed annually. You can access unlimited signature requests, templates, team management features, and custom business branding.
A free Signaturely account gives you many of the features and functionality you need. You can create a drawn or typed digital signature and upload and digitally sign as many documents as you need. There’s also an audit log, as well as notifications and reminders.
With a free Signaturely account, you can integrate with applications like Google Drive, Box, Dropbox, and OneDrive. The only limitation is that you can only request signatures for three documents per month.
3 More eSignature Solutions for Real Estate
Below are three more eSignature solutions suitable for the real estate industry.
1. Zoho Sign
Zoho Sign is a digital signature tool to sign contracts online. It allows you to create a digital signature, digitally sign, and send documents for signature requests.
A real estate business can benefit from using Zoho Sign. Its fantastic collaborative features and real estate templates will streamline and optimize your end-to-end contract process. DocuSign doesn’t have any Zoho integrations, making Zoho Sign a better alternative for Zoho users.
Key Features:
- Document editor
- Templates
- Real-time comments
- Timely reminders
- In-person signing
- Mobile Signing
- Branding
- Integrations
- Audit trails
Pros:
- Flexible price
- Cheap
- Robust collaborative features
Cons:
- Clunky interface
Bonus: Top Zoho Sign alternatives.
2. DotLoop
DotLoop is a real estate transaction management software that empowers clients. It lets them manage their document workflow efficiently and effectively. The platform allows users to create and add eSignatures to documents, edit documents, and request signatures from signatories.
DotLoop is specifically designed for the real estate industry, making it an ideal DocuSign alternative. Brokers, agents, and transaction collaborators can use the platform to create, track, and monitor transactions.
Compared to DocuSign, DotLoop has better customer support service and specific features for agents.
Key Features:
- eSignatures
- Document editing
- Document templates
- Notifications
- Mobile app
- Reporting
- Cloud storage
Pros:
- Made for the real estate industry
- Easy to use
- Great for sales
- Intuitive user interface
Cons:
- Expensive
- Lacks other advanced features
3. HelloSign
HelloSign is a web-based digital signature tool to sign documents online. Real estate agents and brokers use the platform to get offer letters, listing agreements, and counter offers signed and processed.
Compared to DocuSign, HelloSign is easier to use. It has an intuitive drag-and-drop editor making completing form fields and digitally signing contracts and agreements simple. HelloSign is also more affordable, has better security, and offers superior custom branding. As usual, you can find some HelloSign alternatives here.
Key Features:
- Sign requests
- Templates
- Mobile app
- Audit trail
- Reminders and notifications
- In-person signing
- Bulk send
- Reporting features
- Team features
- API
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Great for beginners
- Affordable
Cons:
- Templates are lacking
What You Need to Remember About DocuSign for Real Estate
This article covered four DocuSign for Real Estate alternatives: Signaturely, Zoho Sign, DotLoop, and HelloSign. These tools give you the power to streamline your end-to-end contract process.
DocuSign is extremely capable but has its drawbacks. Its pricing makes it unsuitable for most small businesses, and the four competitor software applications listed provide an alternative solution.
These solutions can benefit residential and commercial agents, brokers, REITs, homebuilders, developers, escrow companies, property managers, or your role in the real estate industry.
