By Amy Chorew
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The real estate industry has finally gotten the message. The consumer wants information fast, furious and at the speed of... your e-mail, text or mobile apps. Now the next step – which apps real estate professionals can use to make this science of staying connected more fun and engaging.
According to a 2009 report from NAR on technology tools used by REALTORS®, 45 percent have adopted an e-mail-enabled phone. Congratulations!
In real estate, first is becoming more valuable than best, according to NAR's "Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers" (available for a free download from Right Tools, Right Now on Realtor.org). Between 60 and 80 percent of consumers work with the first agent who responds to them. So communicating with a consumer when they are interested in learning about real estate is essential. Calling them back after they’ve moved on is not much help. So we must stay in touch.
Read on for some great new services to keep your business connected.
Using Your Device as a Tethered Modem for Your Laptop
By tethering your laptop to your mobile device, you can connect to the Internet anywhere.
Blackberry requires a call to your provider to unlock the port. The software is on your laptop. With your sync cord, connect your Blackberry to your laptop and use the software to dial your laptop on to the Internet.
For all other devices, they let you use the data contract with your phone. Check out a Web site called www.JuneFabrics.com to download software for almost every model. Their software makes it easier to connect.
Mobile Updates for Facebook and Twitter
On Facebook, visit www.facebook.com/mobile for downloads for most every device. Simply enter your cell number, and they will send you a text with a link for you to download the software.
For Twitter, try searching on Twitter for the latest and greatest. Blackberry users are enjoying Twitterberry, Seesmic and UberTwitter. iPhone enthusiasts enjoy Twitterific, Tweetie and Twitfire. Just do a search and ask people on Twitter what they like.
Visual Voicemail
Among the newest and greatest apps are programs that convert your voicemail to either a text message or an e-mail. What a great (and inexpensive) time saver.
Start with a virtual phone system. Two products out there are:
- Grasshopper – They offer a toll free or local number with unlimited extensions for departments and employees, which includes forwarding and voicemails via e-mail. You can play your messages online or on your cell phone. You can also manage them online or by phone with no hardware to purchase.
- Google Voice – Google Voice is free and gives you one number for all your phones, voicemail as simple as e-mail and lots of cool calling features.
Convert your voicemail to text messages or e-mails. You can now convert your voicemails to text and deliver via e-mail or text messages. These transcribed voicemails are sent to your e-mail account and your smart phone, which saves you time and money. Most services also attach an audio file:
- Google Voice
- PhoneTag
- YouMail
- Jott.com
Jott converts your voice into e-mails, text messages, reminders, lists and appointments. Text messaging is becoming increasingly popular as a way to communicate with clients, family and work. One basic flaw is the lack of documentation of the conversation. Not only can you use your voice to text, but every text message or e-mail that you send through Jott is documented in your e-mail.
All you do is sign up for an account and add your contacts. Call the phone number supplied, and Jott recognizes your cell number and asks you who you want to add to the service. You can Jott to your e-mail to leave yourself messages.
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Handango.com is a great site for any device to find an application for anything you are looking for. Apps to consider include:
- Dictionary of terms
- Mortgage calculator
- Voice notes and MMS/SMS messaging
- Instant messaging
- GPS
- Real estate search
- Calculator
Real Estate Search
Realtor.com, Trulia and Zillow all offer mobile apps for property search. Of course the new Zillow iPhone apps are available. Consider SmarterAgent.com for a great search program for all other phones.
Last, but not least, visit the mobile page on Google at m.Google.com for lots of great free tools you can add to your phone to make your business a little easier and your life just a little bit more fun.
Amy Chorew is a national real estate trainer experienced with helping managers and agents to maximize opportunities with technology. Her knowledge of the industry and the latest technologies available, along with her unique ability to translate it all into easy-to-understand language, makes her a consistently top-rated trainer throughout the country. She can be reached at amy@amychorew.com or 860-325-0101, or visit her blog at www.amychorew.com. Her technology coaching series is available at www.thetechbyte.com.