Mobile Article Number One – How Are Realtors® Using Mobile Apps?

As a Realtor® you are on the go all of the time. From your office, to your car, to visiting clients, to showing properties, to open houses, etc… Technology has made getting the job done so much easier and Realtors® have come to rely on their smart phones the same way they do their computers. Smart phones and tablets provide us with an incredible ability to do more when on the go.

Mobile apps are your gateway to mobile freedom. The mobile apps that you use can make doing business on the go a snap. So how are Realtors® (your colleagues) using mobile apps? Well, we have taken a moment to categorize them into groups:

Transportation planning/time management – When you are on the road and managing a busy schedule, time is everything. Getting from one point to another quickly is crucial. There are a number of apps that can not only direct you to a particular property but can also provide you with up- to- the- minute traffic information so that you can avoid delays. Some examples of these apps include traffic monitoring apps and, in large cities like Toronto, parking apps and traffic cam apps.

Traffic/transit apps – When showing a property it is important to be able to show buyers the main traffic arteries and transit information and more and more Realtors® are turning to tablets like iPads to manage their open houses and showings. There are a number of traffic and transit apps that Realtors® access to highlight this information.

Improving accessibility/connectivity to clients and partners – Many Realtors® are taking advantage of apps including social apps to improve accessibility and connectivity to both clients and business partners. 

Improving work flow – More and more Realtors® are turning to apps to improve workflow, starting with embracing the cloud. You can store documents online in the cloud using iCloud (Apple users), Skydrive (Microsoft users) and Dropbox, all of which offer mobile apps which make accessing and sharing your documents on the go a breeze. There are other apps you can use to manage PDFs or scan and organize documents – all of which make it easier to manage your mobile office.

Accessing data – There are a number of apps that you can use on the go to gather different data about a property or a neighbourhood. It is very important before using one of these apps to do your due diligence and validate where the data comes from and how accurate it is.

Improving the sales process – There are apps that enable you to give digital tours of properties on your tablet or smart phone, create floor plans, highlight property and neighbourhood attributes and more…

Servicing your clients’ financial needs – A big part of closing a deal is helping your clients estimate mortgage payments, down  payments, closing costs, etc… There are financial apps that estimate closing costs like land transfer taxes and even rebates (first time homebuyer for example) as well as mortgage calculators that can calculate the maximum mortgage a client can qualify for based on their income and expenses as well as estimate mortgage payments.

As you can see there are many different types of mobile apps that you can take advantage of to become even more efficient. How do you use your mobile apps?

If you are a Realtor® who would like more information about how you can use technology to learn more about properties please visit www.geowarehouse.ca or call 1-866-237-5937.