August 9th - 2013

Wired Office: Useful apps for real estate professionals

Most people with smartphones and tablets take advantage of their devices by installing apps that provide them with up-to-the-minute weather and news reports, improve productivity or just for fun. Admittedly, some apps are more useful than others.

Man with handheld device

by Karen Ebidia

Most people with smartphones and tablets take advantage of their devices by installing apps that provide them with up-to-the-minute weather and news reports, improve productivity or just for fun. Admittedly, some apps are more useful than others. Here’s a rundown of some apps which may help you do your job as a real estate professional. We are not endorsing any of these apps (except for the OREA app, but it’s hard for us to be objective about that one). We are merely listing and summarizing.

Man with handheld deviceLet’s start with the OREA app. It is currently only available for the iPhone and iPad, and one of the most popular features of this free app is the Question of the Day. A new question is presented each day and you choose from multiple choice answers. The OREA app also provides you with access to your My Portfolio account on the go, OREA blog posts, REALTOR® Edge newsletter articles and OREApedia reference material.

You may find the REALTOR.ca app to be helpful. This app is available for most of the popular mobile platforms, including iPhone and iPad, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone 7. This free app offered by CREA, provides you with the same functionality and detail you get from the REALTOR.ca website while taking advantage of device features such as GPS. The app uses your handheld’s GPS capabilities to provide search results near your location. You can also add open house details to the calendar on your device.

Signmypad lets you open a PDF file on your device (from email or DropBox, etc.), and allows you to sign, save and send without having to print. You can capture signatures using the optional magnetic stylus. While it is being promoted as a “green” app, more importantly, it is just plain convenient. Signmypad is available for iPad and Android devices for $3.99.

The Dropbox app is available for Android, iOS and Blackberry devices, for free. Dropbox is a one-stop shop to store all your photos, documents, videos and files (cloud storage).  Your files can then be accessed by all your devices – computers and mobile. You log in to your account and your stuff is there. You can also share them with others – invite friends, family or colleagues to view any of your folders, or provide them with links to specific files.

Evernote can be a useful productivity app. You can collect notes, things you see (photos), things you hear (record audio) and save favourite web pages. You can share notes with friends and colleagues. The sync function keeps your Evernote notes up-to-date across all your devices. And you can set it up to issue reminders. Evernote is available for most devices and it’s free.

Available for iPad, Open Home Pro helps you run your open house. It helps you manage walk-ins and follow up on leads. You can create listing pages for all your properties where buyers can leave feedback or get in touch with you with one click. You can export data that you have collected to a spreadsheet or CRM system. This app will cost you $14.99.

You may have heard of or used the GasBuddy.com website to find the cheapest gas in your area. Now there’s a Gasbuddy app that does this on the go. It locates gas stations near you and displays their current gas prices. The information is created by its user community. You’ll earn points for each gas price you report, which may even win you a prize. This free app is available for iPhone, Android and Blackberry.

Here’s an app that most people will find useful – 1Password. 1Password stores all your logins – you need only remember your “Master Password”. You can also store credit cards to enable easy online shopping (depending on your self-control, this could be dangerous – but safe from a security standpoint). Store your passport number, driver’s license number, etc. so that you can access your important data away from home. All data is encrypted so it is safe even if your device is lost or stolen. Available for Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android for $8.99.

Do you need a good mortgage calculator on the fly? Many of the major banks have a mortgage calculator built into their apps; others link to a mortgage calculator on their websites. Check out your favourite financial institution’s app to see if it meets your needs.

Are there any apps that we don’t mention here that you use and like? Please let us know at orea@orea.com.

Karen Ebidia is the web editor at the Ontario Real Estate Association.

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Ontario Real Estate Association

Jean-Adrien Delicano

Manager, Media Relations

JeanAdrienD@orea.com

416-445-9910 ext. 246

Ontario Real Estate Association
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The trademarks REALTOR®, REALTORS®, and the REALTOR® logo are controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA. The trademarks MLS®, Multiple Listing Service® and the associated logos are owned by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify the quality of services provided by real estate professionals who are members of CREA. Used under license.

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