House hunting, that single biggest purchase and notoriously biggest headache of our lives has also caused a few headaches for many a real estate agent here on the Costa del Sol. It is a full time job to keep up with what properties are on the market and where, which client needs a follow up call and when and to collect a selection of two bedroom ground floor apartments to show in the Marbella area. If you don't stay ahead, and most importantly stay organized, one of over 4000 other estate agents on the coast could entice your customer away and collect your commission. Not the best way of keeping your agency in profit. So what's the solution? Inevitably it all comes down to our trusty friend the pc. The right real estate software is Nurofen for every agent.

Alphashare prides itself on being the ultimate management and property sharing system for the real estate business. Robbert Hofman and Dave Howard, Directors of Alphashare, despite both being south of 40 years of age, have amassed a grand total of 27 years of software and network experience between them. Robbert, who started his 'working' years in Australia doing nothing but partying and surfing, progressed to developing internet solutions for blue chip clients such as Qantas Airlines and Andersen Consulting. Dave, who in a former life was head security for the likes of INXS and Tina Turner, formalized his hobby of computing and became a Microsoft Certified Engineer and a specialist in hardware and server configuration. Alphashare was a joint dream for both Directors to fill a niche in this region's real estate industry for a good quality, user-friendly property system.

Dave comments, "Having been on the coast a good few years, I have heard umpteen people complaining about sluggish software and constant system breakdowns. Armed with my knowledge and experience, I knew I could come up with a solution and enlisted Robbert's expertise to help me achieve this. What we have in Alphashare is a stable, quick, virus-free system that works anywhere, on any operating system. Alphashare offers tangible benefits for the user whereby they can actually enjoy increased productivity, increased sales and therefore increased profits, whilst still being very simple to use."

Alphashare's new database technology enables real estate agents to become more efficient in handling client enquiries, sharing property listings with other agents and managing correspondence. The system also indirectly helps the potential purchaser have a smooth ride as the real estate agent has up to date information at his or her fingertips, all records of previous communications with the client on the screen in front of them and access to a large range of properties, particularly if they choose to share with other agents. The software is perfect for the smallest or the largest agent, up and running within a few days and the only thing that the real estate agent has to worry about is having a computer. Alphashare is a low cost total package and, unlike other database systems in existence on the coast, doesn't take commission from sales just a nominal monthly set fee.

Alphashare also incorporates a whole host of add-ons and advantages to make this real estate game feel like a breeze. Robbert comments, "The database can be accessed from anywhere in the world via a web browser, so if you're away on a property exhibition elsewhere in Europe, you can still keep abreast of the market and your client correspondence. The user doesn't need to install software or keep having to check for updates as the whole system is hosted on our secure servers. Alphashare can easily be integrated into an existing website and also gives you the freedom to modify and update your site via your own Alphashare administration system. All data is secure and backed up daily on our servers so no information can ever be lost. Having said all that, I feel that one of the biggest advantages is being able to share properties with other agents. The difference between offering a client a selection of three properties to view or a selection of a dozen could, without doubt, be a difference between a sale and a disappointed customer. Another bonus is that if you have a special property that you want to keep to sell exclusively, you can choose not to share it with other agents and by the same token you can choose which agents you want to share with and those that you don't. The flexibility of the system is very refreshing and once we've done our job and installed it for you, we don't take the liberty of taking a slice of the commission of the properties you sell through using Alphashare, you've done the hard work, you keep it."

Alphashare is very straightforward but the team is on hand if you need support or advice. Indeed if you need a hand designing your website, getting your hands on new hardware or creating some window displays, they'll assist you with that too. In the competitive world of property promotion, a system like Alphashare that keeps both your staff and your customers happy is a tool that real estate agents, both large and small, can ill-afford to be without.

Essential Magazine - June 2004