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The New Swiss Army® Knife

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs TX Broker 0513551

Swiss Army Style Knife

My partner wound up running late for a showing and I got “tagged” to fill in at the last minute.

I was nowhere near the office, so I used my smart phone to log into the MLS and get the details on the property I was going to show and to get the showing instructions. I made a quick call to the showing service and scheduled the showing.

My GPS was not in the car, so I used the GPS built into the phone to find the address and plot a route to the property.

I left my keycard in the office, but I was able to use the SUPRA application loaded on my iPhone to open the key box. I got the lights turned on and waited for the clients to arrive.

While I waited, I knocked out a couple of emails, checked in on Activerain, and approved a new blog posting on my Wordpress blog.

The clients finally arrived and we started going through the property. They lingered and talked about what they liked and did not like. At one point they want to know on which side of the house did the sun set. I opened the compass application and determined which way was west.

The power was off in the property but they want to look in the garage and climb into the attic. I opened the flashlight application that used the flash LED on the iPhone 4. It’s a remarkable little flashlight. I picked up a splinter on the way into the attic…ouch!

They had a couple of follow up questions, so I shot a quick text message off to the listing agent. He responded while we were still at the property.

We talked about financing and I input all the figures into my Mortgage Application to arrive as an estimated payment. It was within their budget so they decided to make an offer. We parted ways and I headed back to the office to put it together.

On the drive back to the office, I retrieved my 25 year old Swiss Army® knife and pulled out the tweezers to remove the splinter I picked up on the way into the attic. That old knife has been everywhere with me over the years including two combat tours in the Middle East. It’s a simple one with a knife, scissors, nail file, tweezers, and a tooth pick.

As I put the tweezers back into the knife I realized that in many ways, my iPhone 4 is the new Swiss Army® knife. It’s packed with so many useful tools. I can’t imagine being without it any more than I never leave home without that little, red pocket knife.

 Tom Branch, Broker, CDPE, SFR

Swiss Army® is a registered trademark of Victorinox Swiss Army Inc. | Photo licensed from iStockPhoto.

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Tom Branch and Gina Branch, The Branch Team with RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs, service the greater North Dallas suburbs including Dallas, Plano, Allen, McKinney, Frisco, Lewisville, and Carrollton.  While Gina concentrates on traditional listings and buyer/tenant representation, Tom specializes in assisting distressed homeowners to avoid foreclosure.  Tom and Gina have published two books (Achieving Rock Star Status and The Field Guide to Short Sales) and are available for speaking engagements in the greater Dallas - Fort Worth Metroplex. Subscribe to The Branch Team Blog.

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Comments(48)

Richie Alan Naggar
people first...then business Ran Right Realty - Riverside, CA
agent & author

Agents in the field today have to be ready for anything....We need to be licensed to thrill with "goodwill" and get things done. Your post demonstrates the point...By the way, I have pulled out many splinters with tweezers from knife kits. I could have opened a clinic on the side......good post and thank you

Oct 30, 2010 03:53 AM
Brent Wells
The LivingWell Team - Prosper, TX
Dallas - Fort Worth

Tom,

Nice post, loved how you pulled the past and the present together! Well done...

-Brent

Oct 30, 2010 04:47 AM
Eileen Hsu
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Manhattan, NY
LICENSED REAL ESTATE SALESPERSON

What a great analogy. Although I don't think I ever owned a swiss knife but I appreciate your comparasion.

Oct 30, 2010 04:54 AM
Tni LeBlanc, Realtor®, J.D.
Mint Properties, Lic. #01871795 - Santa Maria, CA
Tenacious Tni (805) 878-9879

I agree the "Phone" does everything so well and so easily it is absolutely indispensable as a tool.  Sometimes I even forget that it is a phone!  It is really a portable computer.

Oct 30, 2010 05:17 AM
Jeanne Dufort
Coldwell Banker Lake Country - Madison, GA
Madison and Lake Oconee GA

Nice post, Tom - but I admit I'm just a lowly blackberry user...

Oct 30, 2010 05:33 AM
Randy Elgin
Option One Real Estate - San Antonio, TX
Sells Affordable Homes for sale in the San Antonio

Just wondering when Apple will come out with the App that replaces the battery for less than $200?

Oct 30, 2010 06:28 AM
Tom Branch
RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs - Plano, TX
Broker, CDPE, SFR, ACRE, Plano TX Ambassador

Brent #31,

Good to hear from you again. It was one of those moments. In a cartoon I would have had a light bulb go on over my head!

Tom

Oct 30, 2010 06:54 AM
Tom Branch
RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs - Plano, TX
Broker, CDPE, SFR, ACRE, Plano TX Ambassador

Randy #35,

I replaced the battery in my 3G for less the $55 earlier this year. 

Tom

Oct 30, 2010 06:55 AM
Harry Logan
RE/MAX executives realty - Winnipeg, MB
Your Satisfaction is Guaranteed!

Great Post Tom!

I liked it so much I re-blogged it.

Thanks!

Harry

Oct 30, 2010 07:03 AM
Andy Brown
Climer School of Real Estate - Arctic Bay, YN
Best Real Estate Training in Florida

I know what you mean.

i resisted an iphone for a long time and now i dont' know what i'd do without it.

Andy

Oct 30, 2010 07:26 AM
Chris Olsen
Olsen Ziegler Realty - Cleveland, OH
Broker Owner Cleveland Ohio Real Estate

Hi Tom -- you have the qualities of an Eagle Scout!  Very impressive.

Oct 30, 2010 08:40 AM
Rene Fabre
ARFCO Media - Renton, WA
Practicing Philosophical Eclectic of the Arts

Tom... love the analogy... Swiss Army Knife indeed, for the 21st Century! It's impressive that you could do all of those things. We hear that all the time, but it's so cool to read your story and watch from the sidelines as you pull out each feature. Great read...

Oct 30, 2010 08:59 AM
Loreena and Michael Yeo
3:16 team REALTY ~ Locally-owned Prosper TX Real Estate Co. - Prosper, TX
Real Estate Agents

I dont believe you didn't watch MacGyver. I was convinced I was coming to America to marry him. I was 12 then.

Oct 30, 2010 10:04 AM
Tanya Nouwens
Immeubles Deakin Realty - Montreal West Island, QC
Montreal Real Estate Broker & Stager

What a great illustration of techonology and a savvy real estate professional at their finest.  I've had my blackberry for a year now, and though I love the keys on the keyboard for texting and writing e-mails, the apps of the iPhone are so appealing.  Not sure I made the right choice...

Oct 30, 2010 10:11 AM
Ken's Home Team LLC. | 360.609.0226 | Portland, OR & Vancouver, WA Real Estate Team
Ken's Home Team LLC. - Vancouver, WA
- SOLD IS OUR FAVORITE 4 LETTER WORD -

I have an I phone and I must say I think I have used each of the applications you were talking about here.  I have also since build a box for my car to carry everything you could need on a showing.  I must say that the IPhone is a huge tool

Oct 30, 2010 11:07 AM
Tom Branch
RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs - Plano, TX
Broker, CDPE, SFR, ACRE, Plano TX Ambassador

Ken #45,

I'm a listing broker and I have the "Listing Kit" which is a small file box on wheels.  In it is everything needed to list a home-camera, flash units, digital measuring device, forms, clipboard, pens, notary stamp/log, key box, etc. The box doubles as a step ladder for those hard to get higher angle photos.

The only other thing I need to pick up is a sign and I'm good to go.

Tom 

Oct 30, 2010 12:17 PM
Lane Bailey
Century 21 Results Realty - Suwanee, GA
Realtor & Car Guy

I have had a few moments like that with my new Android phone.  And I carry a little multi-tool with pliers, flashlight, knife, file and a couple of screwdrivers.  Great tools...

Oct 30, 2010 03:32 PM
Gina Nugent
Donohue RE - Palm Beach, FL
Real Estate Agent - Palm Beach, FL

God, I wish I'd had one. I have been with T-MOBILE very long and can't stand AT&T...supposedly the I-phone is going to be allowed by other carriers soon...I am counting the minutes....till then, my BB will have to do...

Oct 30, 2010 04:10 PM
J. Philip Faranda
Howard Hanna Rand Realty - Yorktown Heights, NY
Associate Broker / Office Manager

So true Tom. I feel the same way about my Droid. Heck, when I'm able to sit still for 5  minutes, I read the NY Times on the thing! 

Oct 30, 2010 04:19 PM
An Bui
DocuSign - Seattle, WA

Tom - LOVE this story! I hope the splinter didn't do too much damage!

An

DocuSign Social Media

Nov 01, 2010 06:46 AM