CRM for business brokers
A DocuSign Alternative for Business Brokers, at Half the Cost
Business broker Sam Gabler cut his e-signature costs almost in half by switching to Vertica Sign. Today it's included in Vertica CRM at no extra cost, and it does something a typical signing tool can't: every field a client fills in is saved to the PDF and to their CRM record at the same time. Here's how it works, whether e-signatures are legal for business sales, and two free tools for brokers.
Quick answer
A DocuSign alternative for business brokers should do more than collect signatures. Vertica Sign is built into Vertica CRM at no extra cost: brokers create a document template once, such as an NDA, buyer registration, listing agreement or LOI, and send it with one button from the contact record. Every field the recipient completes is saved on the signed PDF and in the matching field of their CRM record, which updates the buyer, seller or listing profile in real time and connects to the data room and email and text marketing. Electronic signatures are legally valid for most business documents in the U.S. under the federal ESIGN Act and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, with exceptions such as wills and some notarized or family law documents. A free e-signature checklist and a document template planner are available to download from this article.
“We saved almost 50%”
Sam Gabler has been a business broker in the Southeastern U.S. for 17 years, mostly listing and selling retailers.
“Technology is driving a lot of what we do.”
After the pandemic, there were plenty of listings from Covid closures, and buyers picking up equipment and leases to sublease or open new locations. Sam's volume of listing agreements and letters of intent grew with it. In 2022, he switched his e-signatures to Vertica Sign.
“Any time we can save money and not sacrifice quality is a win for us. We saved almost 50%. That's huge. I'll take it!”
“We have tons of listing agreements and buyers looking. We need to keep up with them and all the LOI's. Having people sign online and having it all in the system saves us so much manpower and wasted time.”
“Docusign is a great platform, but it's expensive”
We built Vertica Sign because our clients kept paying for a separate signing tool to do something their CRM should do.
“Docusign is a great platform, but it's expensive. We give it as part of our package for much less. And it protects both parties, brokers and their clients.”
Vertica CRM already had an integrated buyer registration process with a digital signature that saved a PDF to the CRM and alerted everyone involved through our workflow automation. Vertica Sign extended that to any document.
“Our system facilitates any documents anytime with everything that DocuSign has. Again, at half the price.”
“Who doesn't want to save money and have superior technology? My clients know that this will help them get more deals for less expense. Period.”
Today, Vertica Sign is included in Vertica CRM at no extra cost, fully integrated within the CRM. (For the full product tour, see Vertica Sign: the only doc signing tool purpose-built for business brokers.)
What makes Vertica Sign different: fields that update your CRM
In a typical signing tool, the information a recipient types into a document is saved on the PDF, and that's where it stays. In Vertica Sign, each of those fields is connected to a matching field in the contact's CRM record, so when the document is completed, the information is saved on the PDF and in the CRM at the same time.
- Create a template once. Build an NDA, buyer registration, listing agreement or LOI, and connect each field to the matching CRM field.
- Send it with one button from the contact record. No need to open the signing tool or upload a file; the template can be used an unlimited number of times.
- The recipient completes and signs. Names, contact details, buyer criteria, proof of funds or offer terms, whatever the template asks for.
- Fields are saved to the PDF and the CRM. The signed PDF is stored on the record, and the buyer, seller or listing profile updates in real time.
- Everything else follows. The data room, email and text marketing and workflows use the new information immediately, for example giving a newly registered buyer data room access or adding them to the right dynamic email lists.
Vertica Sign vs. a general-purpose e-signature tool
| General-purpose e-signature tool | Vertica Sign | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | A separate subscription | Included in Vertica CRM at no extra cost |
| Where you send from | The signing tool, after uploading a file | One button on the contact record |
| Completed fields | Saved on the PDF only | Saved on the PDF and in the CRM record |
| Profiles | Updated by hand | Buyer, seller and listing profiles update in real time |
| Data room and marketing | Not connected | Connected to the data room and email and text marketing |
| Templates | Yes | Yes, reusable without limit, pre-filled from CRM data |
| Signed copy | Downloaded and filed | Saved to the contact record automatically |
Which brokerage documents can you sign with Vertica Sign?
- Buyer registrations and NDAs, so qualified buyers get access fast. (Buyer registration in a minute.)
- Engagement and listing agreements with sellers.
- Letters of intent (LOIs), Sam's highest-volume document.
- Co-brokerage agreements with other brokers. (Co-brokering for business brokers.)
- Seller disclosures and questionnaires, whose answers can update the listing profile.
- Purchase agreements and closing documents, prepared with the parties' attorneys.
Remote closings, which became routine during the pandemic, rely on exactly this kind of tool. (How to close a business sale remotely.)
Are electronic signatures legal for business sales?
In the U.S., yes, for most business documents. The federal ESIGN Act (2000) gives electronic signatures legal recognition in transactions involving interstate or foreign commerce, and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA, 1999) has been adopted by 47 states and the District of Columbia, according to the National Law Review. UETA applies when the parties have agreed to do business electronically, so it's good practice to say so in the document.
There are exceptions. Wills, codicils and testamentary trusts, and family law matters such as adoption and divorce, are excluded, and some documents still need a notary to witness a signature in person. Check your state's rules, and ask the parties' attorneys about real estate and other documents with special requirements. This is general information, not legal advice.
What to look for in an e-signature tool for business brokers
- Legal compliance with the ESIGN Act and UETA, and GDPR where you work with clients in Europe.
- An audit trail showing who signed, when and how, plus encryption and signer verification.
- Reusable templates for every document you send, with multiple signers and signing order.
- Reminders, expiry dates and mobile signing, so documents don't sit unsigned.
- Two-way connection to your CRM, so completed fields update the right record and trigger the next step.
- One place for signed copies, saved to the contact, not scattered across inboxes.
Free downloads: E-Signature Checklist and Document Template Planner (printable PDFs)
Two one-page tools. The E-Signature Checklist for Business Brokers covers which documents to sign online, what to check before you send, security and proof, and how to set up templates once. Download the e-signature checklist (PDF). The Document Template Planner is a worksheet for listing each document you send, its fields and the CRM field each one should feed, so signed information updates your records automatically. Download the document template planner (PDF).
Vertica Sign features
- One-button sending of any template from the contact record.
- Templates created once and reused without limit, pre-filled with CRM data.
- Two-way field mapping: completed fields saved to the PDF and the CRM record.
- Real-time profile updates for buyers, sellers and listings.
- Connected to the data room and email and text marketing.
- Multiple signers and signing order, reminders, mobile signing and an audit trail.
- Signed PDFs saved to the contact record automatically.
- Workflow triggers after signing, such as data room access and follow-up tasks. (15 automations that save brokers time.)
- Included in Vertica CRM at no extra cost.
What's changed since 2022
- Vertica Sign is now included at no extra cost in Vertica CRM, and fully integrated within it.
- Signed fields now update the CRM. Completed fields flow into the contact record, the data room and email and text marketing in real time.
- One-button templates can be sent straight from the contact record, without opening the signing tool.
See Vertica Sign in action
See how Vertica Sign sends any document with one button and saves every completed field to your CRM, at no extra cost. Contact us for a short demonstration.
Schedule a Demo Questions? Call +1 212 381 4994 (USA) or +61 3 8518 4759 (Australia).Frequently asked questions
What is the best DocuSign alternative for business brokers?
A signing tool built into a business broker CRM, such as Vertica Sign, which sends templates from the contact record and saves every completed field to both the PDF and the CRM, updating buyer, seller and listing profiles in real time.
How much does Vertica Sign cost?
Vertica Sign is included in Vertica CRM at no extra cost.
How is Vertica Sign different from DocuSign?
Besides being included in the CRM, Vertica Sign connects each document field to a matching CRM field, so information a client fills in is saved to the PDF and to their CRM record at the same time, and flows into the data room and email and text marketing.
Are electronic signatures legally binding for business sales?
In the U.S., yes, for most business documents. The federal ESIGN Act and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, adopted by 47 states and the District of Columbia, recognize electronic signatures. Exceptions include wills and family law documents, and some documents still need in-person notarization.
Can an LOI be signed electronically?
Yes. Letters of intent are commonly signed electronically, and with Vertica Sign the terms entered can update the deal record automatically.
Can a business purchase agreement be signed electronically?
Usually, yes, but involve the parties' attorneys, and check for documents with special requirements, such as some real estate or notarized documents.
What documents do business brokers send for signature?
Buyer registrations and NDAs, engagement and listing agreements, letters of intent, co-brokerage agreements, seller disclosures and questionnaires, and purchase agreements and closing documents.
Can I send a document for signature from the CRM contact record?
Yes. With Vertica Sign, you create a template once and send it with one button from the contact record, without opening the signing tool.
What happens to the information a buyer fills in on an NDA?
With Vertica Sign, it's saved on the signed PDF and in the matching fields of the buyer's CRM record, updating their profile, data room access and marketing lists in real time.
Does Vertica Sign have an audit trail?
Yes. Vertica Sign keeps an audit trail of who signed and when, supports multiple signers and signing order, sends reminders and works on mobile devices.
What should I look for in an e-signature tool?
ESIGN and UETA compliance, an audit trail, encryption and signer verification, reusable templates, multiple signers, reminders, mobile signing, a two-way connection to your CRM and one place for signed copies.
Are there free e-signature tools for business brokers?
Vertica CRM offers two free printable tools: an E-Signature Checklist for Business Brokers and a Document Template Planner for mapping document fields to CRM fields.