Top 10 list for mobile real estate professionals

Good morning everyone,

I was looking up Realtor Technology the other day to just see what was being promoted out there and see if there are any new and cool applications or devices that I could play with and found a good article by HP (obviously bias toward their technology but if you take out the branding, it's still a good article). Check it out.

I did want to comment on a few of the things in the article because I have had some experience using most of the stuff in here, I'll just go point by point.

1) PDA Phones - Got to have one! If you actually use the technology you own...then this is a HUGE benefit to your day-to-day operations and successful flow of business. If you love technology but don't actually use it to its full potential...don't waste the money and just get a small laptop.

2) Mobile PC - I've never liked the tablet PC and haven't met anyone who has used them so I don't have much advice there but having a laptop is a big benefit. Before you go buy one consider this...is your primary objective to show pictures on it or to do business on it? If you're using the laptop to show pictures or presentations then go with the bigger, more powerful laptops that have the nice screens and act as a mobile PC. They're heavy but you can't go wrong with a great display and tons of power. On the other hand, if the laptop is for doing business then go for the "mini" laptops they have that have anywhere from a 7 1/2" screen all the way up to about 12" screen. These babies are small, weigh under 2lbs and pack enough power to do everything you need (except heavy graphics or image management). If you're a road warrior like I am, these little laptops are great because they're light, do the job and some are smaller than a note pad...and just slightly thicker.

PC Card - If you can afford one, and the monthly service (usually $50-$100/mo) then you'll never want to leave home without one. Almost every major metro has high-speed bandwidth for them and they are a tremendous help in keeping you "always online." If you live in a rural or semi-rural area that has spotty connectivity then forget it, it will only frustrate you and make you wonder why you're wasting so much money. If you travel a lot like I do you may want to consider an Air Card from Verizon.. It’s only $59.00 per month and the $249.00 air card is free with a 2 year agreement. Don’t quote me on this; they change from time to time. One of the main reasons why I use and also recommend their service is....You've heard it before...."It's the Network." It's actually true. I find their service available in some of the most unlikely places.. So a carrier's network coverage is very important to consider.

4) Mobile Printers - I've never been a fan of them. I know a few people that live and die by them but I have yet to find a truly mobile printer that actually is reliable and prints quality docs. I usually just carry around a thumb drive and hit Kinko's or any print house if I need something on the road. If you have studied what myAgentPHONE can do for you in this regard, keep in mind that you can store all of your important documents in your myAgentPHONE fax inbox and retrieve them from anywhere online. This could be your clients home, Kinko’s as mentioned above or anywhere that you can access the net with a printer. Or you can even call into your myAgentphone account and have your docs faxed to you on demand right to any fax machine..For more information go to myAgentphone and check out E Fax services. Just a couple of alternative options for you to consider before you invest in a Mobile Printer.

5) Digital Camera - Required, Period. Try and get at or around 5 megapixels, anything over 6 is overkill but may produce better images. The big brands are so good now, you can't really go wrong with a Nikon, Canon, Kodak, Fugi, Sony and any brand that's been doing digital cameras since about 1998. Some of the newer brands still need to get the experience under their belt. But as a Realtor you have to know how important this piece of simple yet very effective technology can be for you and your business. And it’s also great to keep track of the fun family times.. Bigger bang for your buck when you can use a piece of business technology for personal use too.. :)

6) Wireless keyboard for PDA - If you're using a PDA or PDA Phone...don't leave home without one of these.

7) Digital Recorder - I hate my voice so I can't get use to these things but if you don't mind hearing yourself...I imagine they can be a huge help in personal memory management.  If you are like me...just carry around a note pad or something to scribble down ideas, appointments, etc. or just actually use your laptop.

8) Portable Backup Drive - Technology is NOT reliable, just remember that mantra. If you always back your work up and be a fanatic about it, you'll never have to worry about losing information, schedules, contacts, deals, etc. Find what works best for you and just be a Backup Junkie.

9) PowerPoint - Learn it, Live it, Love it. Makes your sales process REALLY easy. And if you throw in Adobe Acrobat, you can print all of them to PDF files so that you can send to people who may not have PowerPoint. I give presentations all over the country and using my power point presentations in most cases, make me a hit! No really, I give a great presentation using this invaluable piece of software..
Email me a request and I will send you one of my powerpoints that I use to present my technology, PBNext which if the parent brand of myAgentPHONE

10) Mobile Mindset - Success is a decision. So is being a mobile professional. If you truly want to do it right....force yourself for one month to use all of the new Tech-Toys you buy and by the end of the month you will know if it works or not and will also find ways to make your life and business even more streamlined than you ever thought possible.

And that's my $0.02 on the subject.

Hope you all had a fantastic 4th of July!

Please post additional helpful comments on this topic or email me of some other technologies you use or your feedback on the ones listed in this post.

Until next time,

Damien Zamora
dzamora@myagentphone.com