Real estate is fast-paced, the days are packed, and you don't need your printer slowing you down. It's time to upgrade that tired old machine, but buying the wrong printer could ultimately cost more money than you expect.

So which is the right printer for real estate companies?

Lifetime cost, array of functions and ease of use are three pillars of the perfect printer for real estate.

Exploring the ideal printer for real estate

You and your fellow agents are going to be using this printer a lot, so it's important that the printer you purchase balances the following three pillars of a good printer: Lifetime cost, array of functions and ease of use.

1. Lifetime cost

A printer's lifetime cost isn't just its initial sales price, but actually the ongoing maintenance and parts replacement, electricity, and of course ink or toner costs. The ideal real estate printer will have few parts that need replacing, use as little power as possible and should utilise a high-yield ink supply solution to cut down on interruptions. We'll get into more about what this looks like later in the article.

2. Array of functions

It's inconvenient when a printer can't easily switch between roles, like printing, copying and faxing. This is especially frustrating if the machine is also slow. The best printers for real estate companies are fast (look for "pages per minute") and have a duty cycle (pages per month it can accommodate) that over-matches business needs - some experts recommend getting a printer that can do 20 per cent extra pages per month than what you require. And the printer must achieve all of this while providing flexibility in media type and size.

3. Ease of use

Finally, wireless technology should be the new norm in your business, and your printer is no different. If you're still plugging your computer into the printer via USB, you're falling behind. A modern printer should be able to connect wirelessly - even if you're out of office - to any device, be it a PC, Android smartphone, iPad, or Mac. Networking must also be a consideration: Multiple staff members should be able to use the device from multiple different locations at once, cutting down on the costs of requiring multiple printers instead.

If you can print from any device - even on the go - you'll find work a lot more efficient.

So which printer is right for you?

Check out the Epson WF-R5690, which was the model of choice for Sydney business Macartney Real Estate. The team at Macartney were using tired laser printers prior, and needed something faster, more reliable, and ultimately, more flexible - they wanted to print sold stickers as easily as brochures.

Ultimately, Macartney principal Simon de Crespigny chose the WF-R5690 for a variety of factors:

1. Its ultra-high-yield Replaceable Ink Pack System can produce a massive 50,000 pages in black and the same in colour right out of the box.
2. It has a max duty cycle of 45,000 pages.
3. It's fast: 20 pages per minute at top speed, with automatic double-sided printing in addition to copying, faxing and scanning functions.
4. It has multi-device functionality, including direct printing from smartphones and tablets.
5. Finally, it can do all of this while only consuming 17 watts - that's up to 50 per cent less than similar laser printers.

To cut costs in your business and improve your printing abilities, contact us today.