Technology continues to be a facilitator for a change in basically every industry, and the real estate market is no exception. Millennials are driving much of the technological innovation in the real estate industry, and according to Joel Marcus, the CEO of Alexandria REP, which specializes in science campuses, millennials already comprise more than 40 percent of the workforce. By 2025, Marcus predicts that millennials will account for roughly 75 percent of the workforce. Simply put: These are the professionals and the homebuyers of the future, and they are used to having information available at all times.
Time is money, and with a good device and few pieces of software, you can easily conquer your daily tasks and have a lot of more time on your hands. These tools can help you become more productive, better informed and allow you to run your business from anywhere.
Click on a name to learn more: Many real estate agents find themselves having to rush into their office to scan and send documents to clients or office administrators. With CamScanner, they can use a smartphone camera to scan anything and convert it to a PDF file. Auto-enhancing and smart cropping features make the text as clear as it would be if you scanned the document in-office.
This app allows users to access the power of Realtors Property Resource with their smartphones so that they can answer any question lobbed at them. With RPR Mobile, you can view sales activates and local market statistics as well as search properties.
The app also lets you create branded reports with your logo, photo and contact information and easily share them with the rest of the world.
PalmAgent offers the ability to run quick estimates and closing costs for both buyers and sellers.
The estimates are accurate because the app is pre-loaded with county-specific closing costs, title rates, lender fees and city-specific property tax rates.
If you spend too much time deciphering client's handwriting and manually entering all of the data into spreadsheets, this is the app for you. Open Home will help you gather clear information from clients and let you add notes/client comments as they go through the house. There is also a capability to auto-send a follow-up email to potential clients, which can save you a lot of time.
While part-time agents have the luxuries of flexibility and free time, they often miss out on financial opportunities. If you're running a serious real estate agency, or team, you know that scheduling conflicts and miscommunication are bound to happen. Scheduling software like ShiftPlanning eliminates spreadsheets and allows you to create and share a full schedule in 10 minutes or less. Again, this is a great tool if you are part of a team.
A rainy, overcast day makes it tricky for buyers to get a feel for how much natural light a property is exposed to. The practical Sun Seeker uses GPS to display the position and path of the sun, no matter where you are located on the planet. It can be especially helpful for planning property photo shoots.
Adapted from Inman.com's article: http://www.inman.com/2016/12/20/7-useful-apps-for-real-estate-agents/