If you have logged into ZipForm Online this week, you’ve seen the notice that you need to renew some libraries.  In doing so, you are also upgrading to the new and improved ZipForm 6 Professional.  At the Paradise Valley REALTOR® meeting this week there was an attempted riot due to the level of confusion in completing this task.  To alleviate all the confusion associated with the renewing/upgrading experience, here is a How To video.

Once you have renewed the libraries/upgraded to ZipForm 6 Professional – you may need to install Java.  Watch this next screencast to learn the steps in that process.

In the event you’ve never used ZipForm Online in the past, here is how to get signed up for ZipForm 6 Professional.

Real estate agents have begun asking more and more questions about ZipForm Online, ZipForm Desktop and electronic signatures.  Here are some of the reoccurring ones with answers…

Q: How do I sign up for ZipForms (online or desktop)?

A: Do not go to the ZipForm website, AAR provides all Arizona REALTORS® with ZipForms.  This means you have to go to the AAR website to sign up.  You will be required to log into AARonline.com to access the ZipForm registration.  If you have never logged into the AAR site, you will need your NRDS number.  You can find it in 1 of 3 places: on your NAR Member Card, in the address field of REALTOR® Magazine that gets mailed to you every month, or by calling AAR.  Once you get logged in to the AAR site, click ZipForm and you will see this page.  This is where you choose between the online or desktop version.  Follow the steps.  If it asks for your credit card information – you have done something wrong, AAR can help – 602.248.7787.

Q:  What’s the difference between ZipForm Online and ZipForm Desktop?

A: ZipForm Desktop is a program you download to your computer.  Because you install it on a machine, your files are only available from that machine.  However, once it is installed you do not have to connect to the internet to use it, just to check for form updates.  It’s nice because you do not rely on the internet to access your forms or files.  It’s not nice that you can’t access it from any computer.

ZipForm Online is a website that once you register for has all the forms and your transactions stored online.  The bad – you need internet access to use it.  The good – your forms and files are available from any computer.  I used to only recommended using ZipForm Online, however due to inevitable technical difficulties I now recommend being familiar with both.  In the event the internets are broken it’s nice to be able to fall back on ZipForm Desktop.  (Just be sure to update periodically.)

Q:  How do I use ZipForm Desktop?

A: Check out this official ZipForm Desktop Help Center – (I like the How-To video section)

Q:  How do I use ZipForm Online?

A: Check out this official ZipForm Online Help Center – (I like the How-To video section)

Q:  Now that AAR is no longer printing forms, how am I suppose to give my client a copy of the contract at signing?

A: There are 3 ways that I know of:  Create 2 identical pages of everything – you take one, they take one;  Print them on NCR paper like they were before (AAR sells this, as does any office supply store);  Start using electronic signatures.

In my opinion, the best way to handle this is to sign up for DocuSign.  It’s a pay for service that allows your clients to “sign” contracts with an electronic signature.  If you sign up for 12 months, the beginning package is $12.95/month.  For that cost you can send 40 “envelopes” per month.  An envelope is a group of documents.  So if you have a purchase contract and 150 addenda, as long as you send them all together it is considered 1 envelope.  If you send just the purchase contract and the next day send the 150 addenda it’s considered 2 envelopes.  Go here for more info.

Q:  Who is the designated ZipForm genius in Arizona?

A: Monica Shulick aka the Ziptwit aka Ms. ZipForm works at AAR and is happy to help.  602.248.7787