Realtor Apps

While many realtors currently use their phones as a means to connect with their clients through email and/or social media, many are still not taking advantage of the huge resource of applications that exist to help streamline their productivity. Many realtors spend more time in their cars or in stranger’s homes than they do in the office so why not get the most out of their mobile device? These are some of my personal favorites that every realtor should add to their repertoire TODAY.

1. WAZE: Free. iOS & Android.

You get in your car and punch in the address to your open house on your GPS. It promptly lets you know that it is a 22 minute drive, giving you PLENTY of time to stop at Starbucks for a pumpkin spiced latte. Or so you thought. You navigate to the highway and immediately slam on the brakes to prevent yourself from rear ending the car in front of you. Your GPS turns from green to red informing you that you are now, in a traffic jam and it will take over 45 minutes to reach your destination. You finally arrive, completely disheveled and potential buyers are getting in their cars to drive away while others are staring at their watches completely disgruntled. A successful first showing that was…
Low and behold, WAZE, the first “social GPS” that allows users to see traffic patterns IN REAL TIME! It shows you where there are accidents, construction zones, police cars, etc. and offers alternate routes before you end up in bumper to bumper traffic. Once you reach your destination, WAZE gives you the option to add a picture, making it easier for future WAZErs to find a specific address. You can also see where your friends are going, which is particularly useful when you need to coordinate meeting clients, appraisers, inspectors, etc. all at one time & destination.

2. CamScanner: Basic version- Free, Premium features $4.99 monthly. iOS & Android.

It’s 4:30pm and you FINALLY convinced your buyer to sign a contract on a new home. FINALLY!!! Then you realize you only have until 5:00pm to get this agreement over to the seller. So you zip across town to the nearest Staples and find yourself in the longest line of all time just so you can use the fax machine for 30 seconds. The clocks ticks and with multiple offers on the table, the seller isn’t going to wait a moment past 5 before they move on to the next offer.
If this sounds like your nightmare, CamScanner is your solution. While many realtors are currently utilizing DocuSign or other similar eSignature systems, this is the perfect tool for when you don’t have an online document source or require a wet signature. This incredible app allows you to take any physical document, contract, receipt, etc. and instantaneously digitize it on your phone. From there, you can add notes, merge the content, and best of all, SEND it via email or fax. You have the option to either save as a PDF or JPEG or upload to the cloud to allow live collaboration with others. The free version is great for those who only plan on using this app in a pinch (it comes with 200M storage space) and a nominal monthly fee gives you cloud access to a ton more storage and automatic syncing capabilities.

3. Roomscan by Locometric: Basic- free. Premium- $4.99. iOS only.

A particularly fickle client demands to know the exact dimensions of every room to ensure their furniture will fit. Being a well-equipped agent, you pull a tape measure out of your purse and start measuring. All is going swimmingly until you hit the living room which has a huge bay window protruding from one of the walls and you have NO idea how to document all these strange angles. The buyer grows impatient as you clumsily try to guesstimate the dimensions.
ENTER RoomScan. This app allows you to create a LIVE blueprint representation by pressing your phone against the wall until the app “beeps”. Once you’ve logged all the walls, hit finish and it will show you a blueprint view that is accurate to the nearest half foot. With the premium version, you are able to add doorways, windows, and export the images to share via email. Kiss your tape measure goodbye!

4. MileIQ: $4.99. iOS & Android

Your accountant asks you to give him all your business related vehicle expenses for the year. You thrust to him a shoebox full of gas receipts and handwritten mile logs with a sheepish look on your face. He begrudgingly begins to calculate how many miles you can deduct based on your coffee soaked paperwork…
Using a personal vehicle for work is inevitable for some people, but even more so for real estate agents. Whether it’s to drive a client around to multitudes of showings or meeting them at various locations to discuss a potential sale, business miles are being racked up on your vehicle. Instead of manually logging your miles driven or guessing as most do, MileIQ allows you to accurately and quickly track your exact miles logged. At the end of every trip, simply swipe left if you were making a personal trip or right if it was business related. It uses a smart drive technology and automatically uploads each trip to a secure cloud server where you can conveniently track your patterns regularly. Your accountant will love you and so will your pocket when you get a substantial mileage deduction.

5. SlyDial. Free. iOS & Android.

You awaken suddenly with a brilliant idea on what a client can do to really wow potential buyers at an open house the following day. But it’s 3:00am and a text message won’t suffice and you don’t want to run the risk of waking them at such an obscure hour. What to do?!
SlyDial is an app that lets you skip directly over the phone call and be passed STRAIGHT through into a person’s voicemail. Gone are the days when you were forced to have an awkward conversation with someone you were praying wouldn’t answer with bad news. Your clients will be super impressed at your dedication and glad you didn’t wake them at 3:00am!