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Folio is a Chrome extension that helps agents manage transactions in Gmail.
Platform(s): Chrome; device-responsive
Ideal for: All size agencies and teams; smaller agencies will realize most value
Top selling points
- Fast install and setup
- Automatic organization of deal-related emails
- Timeline interface and sharing
Top concerns
- While supportive of already existing systems, some may see features as redundant
- Outlook-based agencies would need to switch email clients
What you should know
Amitree’s Folio is a sharp Chrome extension for Gmail that, in moments, assembles and organizes messages according to common dates, terms and people.
During the brief onboarding process, Folio asks users, for example, if emails with 456 Tahoe Street are all part of the same deal.
If so, all people and every message within that thread become neatly stacked under the “Folio” tab on the left side of the Gmail inbox, where the Sent, Drafts and Spam folders live.
The same goes for any other deal address found in your inbox.
[Tweet “.@Amitreeinc’s Folio turns Gmail into a robust deal manager.”]
Dates are collected, too — and it’s Folio’s timeline tool that I think provides the most value.
The list of critical dates are listed on a separate web page that offers a sharp, intuitive way to add, edit, share and notate what’s happening next.
A page like this is created automatically for every deal in your inbox.
Vendor names and resources such as utilities, post offices and cable companies are also made part of the transaction timeline.
Everything in the date list, which will probably be the heart of a user’s interaction with Folio, can be shared with clients and stakeholders via email.
Attachments sent with an email are organized in the right side bar next to “timeline” and “contacts.” Clicking a file opens the original message to provide appropriate context.
Reminders for each milestone along the timeline can be created for clients: “Remember the foundation guys are coming to inspect that crack tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m.”
Folio updates all linked contacts and calendars automatically.
As is so common before closing, any changed dates need only be entered one time, as Folio updates all linked contacts and calendars automatically.
Folio does almost everything without a user’s input, meaning there’s no need to create Gmail filters or labels.
The real beauty of software products like Folio is that they require so little training.
Amitree’s design is super sharp, but Folio’s ease of use is compounded by sitting on top of Gmail. After all, so many of us already live in our inboxes.
[Tweet “So many of us already live in our inboxes.”]
Companies already committed to a customer relationship management (CRM) system or transaction tool can also benefit from Folio.
Regardless of how tight your operating practices, an email or two is always slipping outside the gates of your enterprise software, so why not back up your productivity with a catch-all like Folio?
I think smaller real estate firms can especially benefit from Folio because it offers so much for so little.
In summary, Folio is not just a surface-level email sorting tool — it’s Gmail-based transaction coordination.
Have a technology product you would like to discuss? Email Craig Rowe.
