English philosopher, Francis Bacon, was quoted as saying “Knowledge is Power.” Never is that phrase more true than in real estate. Knowing market values, knowing seller and buyer motivations, knowing properties coming available soon, knowing local laws, knowing how to obtain proper financing, knowing construction methods, and knowing details of the transaction as they relate to your clients’ goals and needs make real estate agents powerful. However, my favorite knowledge to obtain is tech-knowledge-y. Technology has changed many industries through the centuries and is changing the real estate industry faster than any other force today.
Here are my Top 10 Tech Tools used on a daily basis:
1. Computer: This should be an obvious one, but it all starts with access to the Internet and Software. I have 3 machines I use daily. Desktop PC at the office, Desktop PC at the home-office, and a Laptop that can travel with me.
2. Blackberry Cell Phone: The best tool at keeping me mobile and accessible – 2 essential functions of a REALTOR.
3. USB Jump Drive (or thumb drive): These portable storage devices make it easy to transfer and access files from any of my 3 computers as well as machines at my clients’ location. I use 2 jump drives, a 1 GB and a 2 GB, one has my personal files, the other my business files.
4. Hands Free Car Kit: If I must be mobile and accessible, then I owe it to myself and others to be safe.
5. Email Fax Service: I use jFax, but any will suffice, as they convert faxes to emails and allow me to access them from any computer.
6. Mapping Software: I use Google Earth and Windows Live Local, but Google Maps and Yahoo Maps are excellent as well. These tools allow to find my way around and also provide marketing tools for my listings.
7. Real Estate Software: I use Microsoft Office (Publisher & Outlook) for most of my work, but ZipForms and FMLS online forms are essential to my daily business.
8. GPS Device: Although I don’t use it daily, it sure is handy when needed and is great when used in conjuction with Mapping Software to create plats and aerial views.
9. Online Tools: Trumba, Loopnet, Craigslist, My Yahoo, Flickr, FilmLoop, ZoomClouds, Wikipedia, and of course Google. All these tools make me more efficient, more presentable and more knowledgable.
10. Blogging: I have learned more from blogging my own thoughts and reading others thoughts than any class, training or experience in my real estate career. I use Blogger to create my free blogsite and I credit the following bloggers/blogsites for helping me along the way: Sellsius, Rain City Guide, Matrix, Developing Atlanta, and Inman News.
*Special thanks to Sellsius Real Estate Blog for showing me tips like this one and giving me props like this one.
