I guess I'm being picky or just suffering from dial-up service, but I average about 1-2 hours to find comps, fill out forms and upload pictures. I don't adjust for EVERYthing, just the major differences that I see as impacting value. I keep the mls minimized while I work on the form so if I forget something, I can go back to it easily. I do print a copy of every comp used with my notes and adjustments, and Iprint a copy of the completed BPO, as well.

Concepts...

I mean the list of comps that looks like a spreadsheet. On my software, and most, you can choose which columns are in that list... so I set up the columns in the same order as the questions on the form.

I upload my photos from camera first; shrink them, file them. Pick out my comps; have that screen ready, minimize it; pull up bpo form, fill in. When you get the system down it shouldn't take that long. Be sure your photos are small so the photo upload doesn't take so long.

How do you do the split screen thing?Usually i have to click back and forth.Ky realtor i know how to cut and paste but how do you fill it in so fast.

Here is the stage i am at now,best time for a bpo 30 minutes cc,if it's really hard comps or unusual property about 1 hr 15 mins.
I used to print all of the comps nig waste of time,ink and paper.Most of the bpo's ask mundane questions that you can go ahead and fillout before pulling comps,that's the first thing i do and then save then i upload photos and save.Now on the bpo input form i highlight the actives and solds then click print,amke sure you choose print selected and not print all or it will print everything.Now i write in the comps then i stick the paper in a clipbaord and stand it up next to the computer screen so i can type as i go down the page.This has helped cut my time in half,the only pain int he butt in my mls is ti doesn't list square footage so we have to hit the tax id link to bring up the tax record to get the square footage,it would be nice if it was listed on the comp so you wouldn't have to open a new screen each time.

Super Realtor.... Minimize both screens, then put them side by side or one on the bottom and on on the top. One half of your screen should be the MLS and the other half the BPO. Resize them to fit your screen.

The thing that is slowing me down recently is the increased number of Photo's required of the subject and many with required photos of all comps. Active Comp photos are a real problem in my area because the listing agent has to enter them and it is often 2 weeks before some get posted and are of poor quality.

I just received notice this AM that one client will no longer accept photos with "any car part" in the photo!!! Now that one will really cause some problems if enforced!!! Wonder what they will do when we send the tow truck bill in??? LOL.

I have not tried the dual screen approach for BPO's but have used it in years past in Engineering work. the split screen makes everything too small on my 20 Flat Screen and totally unreadable on a standard CRT. May give the dual a try, sounds interesting and most of the time I never need paper back up... but just wonder what I would do if I did. Actives data can change and you would have no way to verify what it was when you looked at it.

I do referee BPO for a couple of lenders.... one of the "errors" I often report is the active data is not what was reported on the BPO... but that is something that changes real time and if the other BPO sources did not maintain print outs to show that is what it was at the time of their ananlysis... they could be looked upon as inaccurate or even untruthful....

The split screen does make things small, so I just minimize and click back and forth. Comp photos---our mls has a policy that if photo is not received in three days, the listing is removed.

Also, our mls requires square footage and lot size to be input in three days. I think one of the people on the mls committee does bpo's, so all the info is there. If your mls or bor does not do things right, get involved and change things.

Pictures first. Crop out excessive sky, people walking. I never get my car in the photos, but I do get cars parked in the neighborhood and often driveway. Lighten if in shaddows from trees, sharpen if necessary. Save photos to BPO file, upload photos from file. Open file, fill in everything that is "same" like city, zip code, property type, b/b/g, etc. Save. Open MLS, search, narrow by features. Narrow by distance. Narrow by date. Half/half top bottom screen. Cut/paste MLS # (if needed), address, listing price, sq. ft., DOM. Save. 1, save, 2, save, 3, save, 1, save, 2, save, 3, save. Comments. Save. Evaluate- price. Save and complete.

If I am lucky enough not to have a toddler using me as a personal jungle gym, it takes about an hour, maybe 2 depending on photos and avail. comps. Toddler time can make an entry upwards of 4 hours of stop/start. :rolleyes: LOL This is why I got into this line of work instead of a 9-5: so I *can* take that time for the baby. That means most of mine get entered between 10pm and 3am.