Industries · Real estate
IT for brokerages and property managers whose office is a phone
Real estate teams work from cars, showings and home offices, exchanging contracts, identification and deposit instructions all day. We secure the devices, email and documents behind every transaction and keep the brokerage office running smoothly.
At a glance
- Who this is for
- Brokerages, real estate teams, property management firms and developers’ sales offices with roughly 5 to 200 people in BC and Alberta
- Typical environment
- Agent smartphones and laptops, e-signature and transaction management platforms, MLS and board tools, Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace and a shared brokerage office
- Common priorities
- Mobile device security, wire and deposit fraud prevention, transaction document handling and onboarding of agents who come and go
- How support is delivered
- Remote support for agents and staff; on-site visits in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Calgary confirmed per address
- Pricing basis
- Per user per month with optional device components, confirmed in a written quotation
Technology challenges in real estate
Agents are independent and mobile
Many agents use personal phones and laptops, their own email addresses and their own app subscriptions. The brokerage has limited visibility into where client documents end up.
Transactions run on documents
Contracts of purchase and sale, identification for verification, disclosure statements and deposit records move between agents, clients, lawyers, notaries and lenders by email and e-signature.
Agents join and leave regularly
When an agent changes brokerages, their access to brokerage email, shared drives and transaction platforms must end promptly while client records stay with the brokerage.
Property management adds operations
Property managers handle tenant data, maintenance requests, owner statements and building systems, often from several offices or on-site at buildings.
Risks unique to real estate transactions
- Wire and deposit fraud: attackers compromise an agent, lawyer or client mailbox and send altered payment instructions at closing
- Lookalike email domains impersonating your brokerage to buyers and sellers
- Client identification documents stored on personal phones and in personal email
- Former agents keeping access to brokerage email and shared transaction files
- Lost or stolen phones with email, e-signature and lockbox apps signed in
- Phishing that imitates e-signature platforms, real estate boards or lenders
Services we recommend for real estate businesses
Email security
Impersonation and lookalike-domain protection, external sender warnings, link scanning and domain authentication to reduce payment fraud.
Mobile device management with Intune
App protection for brokerage email and files on agents’ personal phones, so business data can be wiped without touching personal photos and apps.
Identity security and multifactor authentication
Strong sign-in protection for brokerage email, e-signature and transaction platforms.
Managed IT for the brokerage office
Support for administrative staff, printers, meeting rooms and the office network, plus a consistent agent onboarding and offboarding process.
Microsoft 365 backup
Independent backup of mailboxes and transaction files so records remain available after an agent leaves or data is deleted.
Microsoft 365 for brokerages and agents
Giving every agent a brokerage email address in Microsoft 365 keeps client correspondence under the brokerage’s control rather than in personal accounts. We configure mailboxes, shared mailboxes for listings and administration, and SharePoint or OneDrive locations for transaction files, with retention settings that support your record-keeping practices.
With Intune app protection, agents can use Outlook and OneDrive on their own phones while brokerage data stays inside managed apps: copying it into personal apps can be blocked, and it can be removed when an agent leaves. Multifactor authentication and sign-in alerts make it far harder for an attacker to take over an agent’s mailbox during a live transaction.
Continuity when deals are in progress
- Cloud-based email and transaction files so agents keep working if the office is closed
- Backups of Microsoft 365 mailboxes and files that survive accidental deletion and departures
- Documented ownership of the brokerage domain, email tenant and transaction platform administrator accounts
- A process for quickly restoring access when an agent loses a phone during a transaction
- Vendor contact lists for e-signature, transaction management and phone systems
Security controls for transactions
- A brokerage-wide rule that payment instructions are verified by phone using known numbers, never by email alone
- Multifactor authentication on all brokerage email and transaction platform accounts
- Monitoring for suspicious mailbox forwarding rules commonly used in fraud
- App protection policies on agents’ phones and encryption on laptops
- Prompt removal of access for departing agents and staff
- Awareness training on closing-day fraud for agents, assistants and conveyancing staff
How we work with real estate businesses
Map agents, tools and data
We document which email accounts, devices and platforms agents and staff use and where transaction documents are stored.
Secure email first
We enable multifactor authentication, email protection and domain authentication because they address the most damaging fraud.
Protect mobile devices
We roll out app protection for personal phones and management for brokerage-owned laptops.
Standardize joining and leaving
We create onboarding and offboarding checklists so access and records are handled the same way every time.
Support and review
Ongoing support under the agreed scope, with quarterly reviews of accounts, risks and new tools.
Frequently asked questions
How can we reduce wire and deposit fraud?
Combine email protection and multifactor authentication with a firm verification rule: payment instructions are confirmed by phone using known numbers. Technology reduces the risk, but the verification step is essential.
Our agents use their own phones. Can you still protect brokerage data?
Yes. Intune app protection secures brokerage email and files within managed apps without taking control of the whole phone, and the business data can be removed when an agent leaves.
What happens to client emails when an agent leaves?
If agents use brokerage Microsoft 365 accounts, mailboxes and files can be retained, transferred or archived according to your policy before the account is disabled.
Do you support e-signature and transaction platforms?
We secure the accounts and devices used to reach them and coordinate with the vendors. Platform configuration stays with the vendor or your administrator.
Can you support property management offices too?
Yes. Property managers benefit from the same identity, email and device controls, plus support for office networks and staff at multiple sites.
Related services
Products and packages
Industries we support
Service areas
Protect every transaction your agents touch
Book a consultation to review email security, agent devices and transaction documents. You will receive a written scope before any recurring commitment.