Smartphones for Realtors
By: www.mountainviewcellphones.com 5/7/2008
Realtors are some of the heaviest wireless users. Not only are they constantly mobile, but they need information at the point of use. Many customers now have smartphones and can fine similar information that the realtor has for basic searches, but this means that customers expect to communicate with realtors using their smartphones. Communication for realtors is now expected to be instant or with very narrow delays.
There are several applications for Realtors that run predominantly on Palm OS or Windows OS environments. These allow for MLS listings and researching specific real estate information. These applications can also help with CRM functions by allowing you to save your contact information in an organized fashion on a database to track transactions.
The Palm TREOs and the ecosystem around this device has built up several unique traits that help realtors more than most professions.
1. GE Supra has introduced the best lock box system in the industry to help with key management and security for showing homes. This requires an infrared port on the devices that only Palm and Windows devices has. This is a great time saver for realtors and helps with key management (a big time suck).
2. MLS Listing applications are specific for every region. This is a critical piece of information for seeing what has been listed and is on the market. This helps with comps and allows realtors to show the most “recent” listings to customers before everyone else. Speed is key for many possibilities to help realtor clients get the best deals.
3. Treos and other devices have been cracked to do phone as a modem downloads without the use of a phone as a modem data plan. This can help save money and improve time savings for realtors with computers and having a wireless mobile device.
4. Cameras are critical to taking pictures and quickly sending them.
5. Voice recorder is a great application to help with many day to day recordings. This can help take notes and to personalize communications of realtors with their clients.
6. With Windows devices, GPS is a critical tool and built in function that will allow for turn by turn directions to different locations.
7. Touchscreens. Many realtors aren’t the most tech savvy buyers and don’t have time to learn all the nuances of a device. The touchscreen has been the most user friendly form factor for learning and working quickly. This is a great advantage of Palm and Windows devices for realtors.
Lastly, the plans with Sprint have never been more affordable. As most realtors are commission based, fixed costs are a definite concern. Now with the $99.99 plan for everything, this is definitely the best deal for getting the most done with the phones. This plan will allow for GPS navigation, texting, web, email, and TV/radio for one flat rate. It’s a sea change in the business and this will allow Sprint to service realtors better than other carriers.