Email has been a standard form of communication since the late eighties, and internet-based email has been around as long as Paul’s Boutique by the Beastie Boys, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and The Simpsons. Email is quick. Email is efficient. And nowadays, with almost everyone carrying around one model of smartphone or another, email is literally in everyone’s pocket. It’s been around for over thirty years. It’s going nowhere. It’s here to stay.

And for ease of use in sending and receiving documents, email can’t be beat. Sure, there are still fax machines around, but really, who is carrying one with them these days?

So, we’re going to be sending out a lot of email for your closing. We really hope you email us back. And with that in mind, here are some helpful hints:

Your time is valuable. Think email first! Email is the most efficient way for everyone to communicate. Think about it: If you’ve got a question, how long does it take call, sit on hold, and then wait for an answer? Even though we’re primarily digital, things do take time. That means someone is likely to listen to hold music. Sound like fun? Now compare how long it takes to send an email. We guess you’ll spend much less time dashing off a quick message to us. So save yourself the time and always email first! And don’t forget! If you’re just looking for a simple update, your closing’s compete status is available here!

Choose your subject line wisely! A good subject line tells your reader what your email is all about, so it’s a nifty idea to be as descriptive as possible. Good subject lines? Things like “123 Main Street: closing time.” “456 Main – payoff information.” “789 Elm Blvd docs.” Not so good subject lines? “my closing.” “from jane smith.” “doc.” The most not-so-good subject line? Just leaving it blank.

Use the reply button! If your first thought upon getting an email from us is “well, I should just give them a call about things,” then you should probably reconsider that. By the time you get an email from us, we’ve already moved on. Really. It’s not you, it’s us. We’re sorry. We’ve grown. Seriously, though. We’re working on a lot of closings at any one time and send out hundreds of emails every day. Phone calls that start with “I just got this email” lead to a lot of wasted time and pointless exposition, kind of like the voiceover in the original release of Blade Runner. But when you use the reply button, you get straight to the point, your message goes directly to the person who emailed you, and there’s a written record of everything to put it all in perspective quickly. So be smart! Just reply!

In today’s digital age, email reigns supreme. So be a hero, if only just for one day.