In Part I of this multi-faceted blog, I started my project of discovering which of the two leading smart phones would be best for real estate professionals in today’s fast paced market. I decided to look at the top two competitors of mobile service providers, Verizon and AT&T, since the iPhone is exclusive to AT&T, and Verizon is their biggest direct adversary. In Part II, I looked at some applications made specifically for the iPhone that would be hugely beneficial to any real estate professional.
In this third and final part, I will be discussing the applications made for the Blackberry, as well as two apps that have been made for both phones that I find essential.
The Blackberry:
First things first, I discovered that Blackberry has created various business oriented web pages that showcase why the Blackberry is right for any working professional. Among these is their ealtors/real estate firms page, which gives a helpful overview about making your Blackberry work for you. In terms of apps, this is what I’ve found:
Smarter Agent is similar to Real Estate Search for the iPhone that I mentioned in part II of this blog, in that it would help any real estate professional stay on top of the market any time, anywhere. For all those times I have found myself waiting for an appointment, I could be scrolling through listings with the perfect specifics for my clients.
Mortgage Calculator Pro is a great way to give clients a look into the affordability of their potential new home. It supports at least 6 international currencies and has a user-friendly set up. I think this is a great way to solidify the trust and ease the nerves of first time home buyers, who often look at the buying process as a daunting, scary task. There are other mortgage calculator apps out there, but this app received the best reviews and appears to have the best user interface.
Both:
Yelp for iPhone and Yelp for Blackberry are essential for any business professional, whether they work in real estate or not. With the Yelp app, I can keep track of my reviews and traffic to my business page while on the go. Yelp is convenient for a variety of social reasons too. Envision this: a potential client who is new to the area asks for a restaurant recommendation. Whip out Yelp and give them the top rated restaurant in the area, along with the cuisine, hours, phone number, and location. Local expert, voila!
Google Mobile is the suite of all the must-have Google tools, including Google maps (and every real estate agent needs immediate access to this), Google Reader (for all the blogs and websites in your RSS feed), as well as the Calendar, Notes, and more.
After sifting through what feels like hundreds of websites documenting why each phone is great for businesses and so on, I had hoped that I would come out with a definite answer. When I first started looking, I figured that at the end of my questions, there would be an answer as to which phone was best for me, as well as every other real estate professional out there. Unfortunately, I have no such answers; but now I am armed with the knowledge of what each phone can do (for the most part), as well as what to expect from each provider service wise.
I still have some time left to decide which phone I’ll switch to. But there is no doubt in my mind that either of these smart phones are a powerful tool to have in my real estate arsenal!
To see Part I of this blog series, CLICK HERE.
To see Part II of this blog series, CLICK HERE.
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Evelyn Bruder: CRS, GRI, ABR, E-PRO, Las Cruces Cyberstar
The Evelyn Bruder Dream Team http://www.homesforsaleinlascruces.com
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Steinborn GMAC Real Estate (575)522-3698
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