I am always looking for innovative, useful tools to utilize in my real estate business, however assisting buyers that are relocating to the city and helping them become familiar with the area definitely throws another wrinkle into the mix.

Currently, I am helping a good friend that I've known since early high school move back into the city while he is finishing up his college degree in another state. He is unable to come back very often (usually every 2 weeks) while at the same time trying to find a home for himself and his fiancé before their marriage. His fiancé and I are in the process of eliminating the homes that will not work and creating a short list of the ones that he might possibly be interested in when he gets back into town. The one big problem is that he has to wait that 2 weeks or so to get inside each home...well, not anymore!

I have been using Skype on my computer for a few years now to stay in town with friends/family that have moved away, but recently I have been using it on my iPad to show my clients a LIVE walk-through of home. This is made possible through the use of my wifi hotspot on my iPhone for internet access on my iPad. Through this I can literally give my buyer in another state or country a real-time tour of the home.

This allows my buyers to:

1. Get a feel for the size & layout of the home
2. Get a close-up of any features & amenities
3. Get a close-up of any issues & imperfections
4. See the size and layout of the land/yard
5. I can show them more homes without them being there...saves them time &   energy when coming into town

My buyers love it and it has become a service that those relocating to the Louisville area are now seeking. It saves them time, money and the headache involved when looking for a home in another city or state. I would recommend it as a "must-have" tool to any agent showing homes and those working as Relocation Specialists. Occasionally I will use Facetime on the iPhone but I find that Skype works better with my buyers since they can sit at their computer where they typically have better internet access.