Smartphones for Real Estate Agents

Get ready for the rise of the Smartphones! By the end of 2011, 40% of Americans will be carrying a Smartphone.  It’s easy to see why – they offer incredibly advanced, computer-like capabilities.  For real estate agents, a Smartphone makes doing business on the go easy (which is important because, after all, most of your business is “on the go”!).

Why a Smartphone?

The Smartphone was designed for both business (think easy access to email, GPS for navigating to your next listing appointment) and fun (Angry Birds, anyone?). The ease with which a Smartphone allows you to organize your prospect list, manage contact information, and coordinate schedules are only the most obvious reasons why your Smartphone will become your third right (or left) hand (if it isn’t already!).

What a Smartphone has to offer…

• ·         Design – Most Smartphones are compact, thin, and lightweight, making them easy to carry around.
• ·         Multimedia (video/camera) – Having a video recorder and camera at your fingertips is always a great advantage for catching in-the-moment action.  And while we lament Cisco’s decision to discontinue the Flip (which we really loved for filming clients’ vlogs), it’s true that a Smartphone does a really stand-up job of filming video, too.
• ·         Several call features (voice dialing, speaker, conference, etc…) – The dangers of talking on the phone while driving are becoming more and more clear (some cities even have laws against talking while driving, unless it’s through a hands-free device).  But when you’re in the car as much as most real estate agents are, talking while you’re driving is often simply a necessity.  Fortunately, Smartphones offer a number of ways to talk hands-free – including through the speakerphone, a Bluetooth connection to your car speakers, or through an ear piece.  Also, most Smartphones offer easy conference calling – important when you need to get, for example, the buyer and the buyer’s agent on the phone at the same time.
• ·         Long lasting battery and memory storage – With as busy a schedule as most real estate agents have, a long-lasting battery and memory are critical.  Smartphones offer expandable memory storage, which is good for storing as much contact information and images as you want.
• ·         GPS/navigation – Being an agent means lots of traveling – to listing presentations, to show buyers new homes, to closings. With a Smartphone you have a GPS/navigation system right at your fingertips – no embarrassing driving around in circles while your clients wonder if you know what you’re doing!
• ·         Wi-Fi/internet – A Smartphone allows you full access to the web – anytime, anywhere. As any good real estate agent knows, being reachable – by phone, email, through your website contact form, or on Trulia or Zillow or ActiveRain, is critical.
• ·         Social media apps – There are a number of incredibly useful  Smartphone apps that will help you do your social media outreach on the go. These apps are the quick-link buttons you download onto your Smartphone; they then direct you straight to the mobile version of the social media site (so you don’t have to go through the browser). These kinds of apps are available for Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, Tumblr, WordPress, and a host of other sites.

Shop Smartphones!

With so many different Smartphones out on the market today, the options can seem endless when it comes time to shop. For real estate agents there are really three great options:

1. 1.       Apple iPhone 4 or 3G
2. 2.       Android X or Pro
3. 3.       Blackberry

Although Blackberry has fallen behind in the rise of the Smartphones, it still is not a bad gadget to have. And, even beyond these top three, there is a huge range of other Smartphones on the market.

Just upgrading to a Smartphone is a huge step in going mobile and staying ahead of the game.  As you know, home buyers and sellers want quick responses from their agent, and with a Smartphone you can always stay connected, delivering those quick responses to your clients and prospects.  Join this new generation in going mobile and be more successful as an agent.  Happy Shopping! 

Learn More

molly@cmrealestatemarketing.com

Phone: 480-987-7958