On the Market: $2-3M Newtown Square homes
Follow us on twitter: @PhillyComHomes In bygone days, the Realtor's tried-and-true tool of the trade was the simple telephone. Fast forward to 2010 - the year of the Apple iPad - where real estate agents have an arsenal of high-tech devices and applications at their disposal that make it much easier to do their jobs. And that's good news to potential buyers and sellers, who reap the benefits in terms of time saved, more accurate pricing and improved responsiveness from agents, say the experts.
"I can't even imagine how real estate was done when cell phones didn't exist, let alone BlackBerrys," says Ayo Haynes, a sales associate for Halstead Property, New York. "Today, I don't have to physically sit at my desk at the office. My office is my BlackBerry, [which] allows me to respond to e-mails, download images of listings, correct documents in Microsoft Office and return phone calls on the fly."
Indeed, smartphones like the iPhone, Motorola Droid and the crops of BlackBerrys have revolutionized the way real estate professionals operate. But it's more than the ultra-modern mobile devices that have been industry game changers - it's the handy software, social marketing sites and Internet apps that are the real difference-makers, according to Chad Goldwasser, founder of Goldwasser Real Estate, Austin, Texas.
"The Internet has really changed the industry as a whole and elevated the knowledge, expectations and perceptions of buyers and sellers. The amount and breadth of information has helped take the consumer to a better position to make more informed decisions and has forced real estate agents to show a much more comprehensive value proposition," Goldwasser says.
"Popular social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn or MySpace, as well as real estate industry-specific sites like ... Localism.com and Trulia.com, give agents new opportunities for staying connected to their whole network," adds Pamela O'Hara, president, BatchBlue Software, Barrington, R.I.
Goldwasser likes using Twitter to tweet new-to-market property announcements and any price changes to our properties. "We also use YouTube for video testimonials and announcements on Facebook and our blog," he says.
Jonathan Fleming, a Realtor in Oakland, Calif., raves about a new Internet phone system he uses called RingCentral, "which gave me a single 800 number with multiple extensions. I now have calls screened and forwarded to me no matter my location. I can receive faxes and voicemails through e-mail on my mobile. Because I'm constantly on the road consulting clients and showing properties ... I'm no longer confined to the office."
Online mapping sites and GPS also have streamlined the literal place-to-place navigation when taking clients of showings.
"I can import my location from my portable navigation system directly into Google Maps prior to showing properties, which is a huge advantage," says Fleming.
Additionally, sites like Streeteasy.com and Curbed.com have made buyers more knowledgeable about the marketplace, says Haynes. "Many of these sites allow customers to ask real estate experts specific questions about their sale or purchase, which can help a client-agent relationship grow where there once was not one," she says.
The next tech tool Fleming fantasizes about? "I wish all devices could be activated via voice commands. I want to see the elimination of the keyboard in my lifetime," he says.
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