The Best Apps for Real Estate

The face of real estate has changed immensely in the last few years. For buyers and sellers, it means more tools and more information available to them at their fingertips–without having to consult a Realtor immediately. For Realtors and Brokers this means keeping up with a vast array of technology, which is a job in itself. Doing so is not a daunting task, it just requires a bit of learning time and a rearranging of one’s schedule to accommodate staying in touch and keeping up to date with technology. Technology and social media are the new faces of real estate, so if you don’t jump on the bandwagon quickly your business will not survive.

How is one supposed to stay in the ever-changing loop of technology without going crazy? First, don’t be scared–all this changing actually will make your life easier, and will have your clients thanking you. Second, if you do not own one already you need to buy yourself a smart phone. You cannot be a Realtor these days without one…well, I suppose you can, but you are doing your clients and your business a disservice. I personally recommend the iPhone, which has numerous functions that will streamline your business and your productivity. Later, I suggest you look at the iPad, which will take 90% of the paper out of your business (e-files, e-signing, MLS access on the go, complete listing presentations, but I digress)– don’t fret for now.  I will discuss the iPad in a subsequent post, but let’s focus on the smart phone for now.

OK, you purchase your smart phone and you are feeling pretty good, a bit overwhelmed, but good nonetheless. Now, you need to learn which apps can help you improve your business. It is amazing what you can do to energize your business by downloading a few apps to your phone. Here are a few of my favorites, in no particular order. They are very user-friendly and do not take much time to learn.

MLS Apps: Obviously this is one of the first things you should download. Most local MLS’s are smart-phone compatible. This allows you to access the MLS on the go, when you are with clients or just driving around. You can see the importance in this. If your local MLS is not smart phone combatible yet, I suggest downloading an app like Trulia or Realtor.com, which offer MLS access. I personally have my local MLS and both Trulia and Realtor.com apps on my phone.

LinkedIn: If you are a real estate professional you simply cannot go without LinkedIn. It is a social media site that is specifically for business connections. You post your profile on there and connect with other business associates and people you know. I have all my blogs and Tweets (see below) instantly posted to LinkedIn, so all the content I share elsewhere is automatically there. This is a great way to keep up to date with the industry and with your clients. By connecting to your clients here you provide them relevant information on a daily basis, without any effort. It’s a fantastic app to have on your phone because you can be in touch with connections on the go, and you are notified when someone sends you a message. Just another tool in your arsenal to keep in touch with your sphere of influence.

Trulia: For those who are not aware of Trulia I suggest you discover it. It is a real estate website that offers access to properties, comps, maps, blogs and other interesting real estate information, AND…Realtors! If you do not have a profile on Trulia you are a step behind. I personally have closed transactions from clients who have found me through Trulia. I post links to all my blogs there. You can also read other Realtor blogs and comment, answer questions and post your own questions. Everything you do earns you points. When buyers or sellers in your area read your bio they can see your Trulia contributions, get directed to your website, and even send you a message through the Trulia site (which will go right to your email, which of course you have on your smart phone, for instant notification). Zillow is another great way to connect, for many of the same reasons, and you can also download that onto your phone.

Twitter: Many Realtors have embraced Twitter and others either don’t understand it or are afraid to get started. I have to say that about a year and a half ago I set up a Twitter account, but people started “following” me and I truly didn’t “get” it. Now I see the incredible benefits this site has given me. It basically allows you to post “follow” others (see all that they share), make short comments, links or mini-blogs (up to 140 characters). Content is king on Twitter. You want to make sure you are not just posting things like “Call me if you want to buy a house in San Diego. I am the best agent.” It is about sharing information and providing good content. It is a bit addicting, but it keeps you in the loop and allows you to connect with the movers and shakers in the industry. Through your profile people are directed to your website. You can download the app on your smart phone and get instant notifications when people mention you, follow you or send you a message.

Facebook: Facebook is a social networking site, but it is also a must-have app for your smart phone. I have a business page on Facebook, aside from my personal page. I post all my blogs and lots of real estate-relevant articles and information on my business page. This is another great way to let people in your sphere of influence know what you are up to, and provide them with content that is informative. Believe me, when one of your “friends” on Facebook has real estate needs, or knows someone who does, they will remember you. You can post from your phone. I love posting from open houses to tell everyone to come by and visit and have some cookies with me.

Bump: This app is great because it allows you to “bump” your iPhone (not sure if it is available on other smart phones, but I am sure it or an equivalent IS) with someone else’s,  instantly transferring all your contact information, including your website and photo, to the other person’s phone. This is a great tool for open houses, but I have used it all over whenever I meet someone.

Wikihood: I love this app. It allows you to get information about any area, and I don’t mean just basic information. You can tell it to use your current location or type in a location. If you are showing property in say, Aviara (a community of Carlsbad, CA) it will tell you about everything, and I mean everything, in the surrounding area–from the neighborhood (census data, schools, home information, etc.) to nearby airports, resorts, museums, beaches, trails, colleges, resorts, theme parks…you get the idea. This is a fantastic app to have on the go, and you can share information with your clients. It also provides you with great ideas for your blog–which by the way, did I mention you should be blogging?

News Apps: I have a folder on my iPhone window that contains apps from my favorite publications–both local and real estate content heavy publications. I check these daily and blog about and Tweet about real estate and community issues that I find. I love being able to read a story and then Tweet about it, post a quick blurb on Facebook about it, or sit down and write a blog about something interesting (which I then post to Trulia, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook). Keeping abreast of what is going on in your community makes you an expert in that community.

This is a basic list you can use to get started. Of course, there are many more apps and you can probably spend all day browsing the app store, but if you have the basics you will be armed and ready. The social media revolution is here and it is not going away. The good news is that there is so much great technology and ways to connect with industry leaders, clients and colleagues that once you get the hang of it, it makes your business run smoother. Not to mention it feels fantastic knowing you are providing so much great information to people. Believe me, you will see an increase in your business if you stick with this and jump on the technology bandwagon.