Real Estate Technology & Tools

I make notes and checklists on my phone constantly. Whether talking to a client, showing property, going to listing appointment - virtual or physical - making notes on the phone is something I am so used to! I want to share my top note and todo apps. FYI. I am possibly one of a few realtors using android phone, to be specific - OnePlus, but I believe all these are great on both iphone and Android platforms.Microsoft TODO. After trying MANY(dozens) and searching for the best todo app, I finally stopped at Microsoft TODO. This app works on all platforms, including Apple computers, Windows, Android. It's simply the best (for me and my team). It's simple enough, fast enough, shareable, allows for sub-categories - steps for each task, allows for deadline, allows for reminders, allows to add ... 05/18/2020

Many Real Estate agents are unaware of what structured data is, why Google loves it, and how it can literally boost your traffic overnight. I'm going to give you a crash course today on what it is, why it matters to Real Estate agents, and how you can begin incorporating it into your own website to improve your SEO and your web traffic. 1) What is Structured Data?Stuctured data is code written in a certain format for the search engines specifically. Search engines like Google are able to interpret the structured data and use it for a variety of different things like populating Rich Snippets which are an SEO game changer.2) OK, so now I'm completely confused, what the heck is a Rich Snippet?Rich snippets are extra features that get appended to a search result by Google. See examples of R... 05/28/2020

There is no doubt that the coronavirus outbreak is changing our daily life, including the real estate market. Having an open house via Zoom or Skype is the new norm in the real estate industry. Not only that, as experts already notice, the housing market is also changing. Due to the uncertainty of these times, buyers and sellers are on the fence. Real estate agents already report that the interest in real estate listings is differing from the pre-coronavirus period.Times change and so does the real estate business. That’s why it’s so important to track the interests and preferences of your audience right now. Today we will focus on Market Reports Add-on which helps you to stay updated about current real estate data.What Is Market Reports Add-on?Market Reports Add-on is an extension of R... 05/29/2020

Created in 2003, Squarespace is one of the most popular website builders out there nowadays. Recently, many real estate agents have started asking whether Squarespace may be the best website builder for real estate companies, even better than WordPress. As research shows, WordPress is still one of the most popular real estate website builders, and it will remain in this position for quite a long time. Let’s find out why Squarespace is so popular and whether it’s suitable for real estate agents.We will discuss both the benefits and downsides of WordPress and Squarespace.Squarespace for Real Estate Website Benefits Squarespace is known for one of the most beautiful and sophisticated templates. Templates are searchable by categories, so you can find basically every template for every taste... 05/23/2020

As the year began we had a demonstration in our office on a new program our MLS system is offering; REMINE. This is a technology that will dramatically reshape the way REALTORS® and real estate consumers experience the process of selling and purchasing property. Using predictive analytics in this program can help you discover where your next leads will come from. It takes all the big data and compiles it in one place. It pulls in public records, appraisal estimates , demographics for the area, mortgage information and if you upgrade to REMINE PRO you can track up to 10,000 properties and it provides contact information.  Predicting how the local market will develop can help save time and money. With REMINE's "sell score " you can home in on the properties that are most likely to sell. T... 03/23/2019

Choosing the right camera definitely makes a big difference for a real estate photography business. Capturing high-quality, first-class photo is very important to real estate agents because they know that it’s the key to attract potential buyers. Having the best camera for the business can be very challenging because you need to set aside money for your budget, not to mention the difficulty of choosing what unit fits best for you. But you need not to worry because below is a list of the top 7 cameras for real estate photography this 2020. Photo Credit to Phixer Real Estate Photo Editing Company 2020’s Top 7 Most Expensive Cameras for Real Estate Photography We will categorize the top 7 most expensive cameras into two categories: mirrorless cameras and DSLR cameras.1. Best mirrorless cam... 01/23/2020

When businesses start reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic, company executives must develop strategies to ensure that their companies continue to operate normally. With the coronavirus pandemic, businesses have had to adopt new practices. Remote working is one of the most significant ones. Executives have had to embrace creative solutions to stay afloat. As employees start getting back to work, it is essential to prepare for them. Dallas IT Services professional, Tristan Stewart shares his reopening checklist which may help your business resume normal functioning.1. Office CubiclesEven though your employees may be getting back to work, they still need to observe social distancing rules. Generally, there should be a distance of at least six feet between the employees. While open office ... 05/26/2020

Today, the role of such a type of educational activity as homework is growing, since the completion of homework by students complements the academic work in the classroom, provides preparation for the study of new material, broadens and deepens already acquired knowledge, forms new and consolidates existing skills. Moreover, a characteristic feature of this type of tutoring activity is the lack of direct tutor guidance, which ensures the absolute independence of all assignments.When doing individual work at home, students often have a variety of problems, so they often need help. As it is known, today there are a huge number of different websites designed specifically to help students complete their homework. But, it should be noted that not all of them are highly reliable. Therefore, i... 05/26/2020

Air Compressor for Impact WrenchA pneumatic impact wrench demands that an air compressor of a minimum size operate. But how do you find the right air compressor for your particular impact wrench? In this article, I will try my best to help you get through this surprisingly complicated process by telling you what you need to know about the impact wrenches air compressors.Impact Air Compressor Wrenches What size air compressor do you need for an impact gun?Air compressor with 4 to 5 CFM @90 PSI is usually required to operate a 1/2 inch impact wrench. I would also recommend that you buy a 20-gallon capacity compressor to avoid delays between tasks. For other measurements, please refer to the CFM chart at the end of this section.Now let me explain why you need this tank size and minimum CFM... 05/26/2020

There has been a recent wave of phishing attacks that try to trick you into opening "secure documents". If you receive an email that looks like it is a DocuSign, EchoSign or Secure Adobe PDF notification with an important document attached that needs to be looked at.My company has recently experienced this, but we caught it in time before anything major occurred. I really urge you to be careful what you are clicking on and make sure it is legit before you click. The bad guys try to trick you into opening and clicking the attachments, and "enable macros" or "enable editing" but when you do, your workstation gets infected with malware or ransomware.In some instances, the attachments will not contain viruses, allowing it to bypass the anti-virus software.  However, the attachments will con... 03/23/2017

1. Take a Few Moments to Breathe and MeditateWe are all told to do this, especially in times of stress. However, now is the most crucial time to start practicing this. It is important to reflect on happier times and stay in the present. Take a few moments to breathe and think positive thoughts. If you don’t see yourself meditating, try a few other tactics to help combat stress. Drinking a cup of tea, doing some form of physical exercise, sitting out on your patio, or even just reading a book will surely do the trick. This will help clear your mind and keep you focused when you are working on your real estate business.2. Find Activities to do that don’t Involve Watching the NewsIt’s very easy to succumb to the influx of news stories, social media posts, and articles about COVID-19, but i... 05/12/2020

As the real estate industry continuously incorporates more advanced technology in marketing properties, it has taken a massive step towards creating a high-end viewing experience for prospective clients. This is made possible through Matterport, a three-dimensional camera system that allows the creation of accurate and realistic virtual tours. With this refined system, potential buyers can take an in-depth tour of residential or commercial real estate properties anytime, anywhere through their computers, mobile devices or even a VR headset. Never has viewing a property been more accessible and immersive as it is with Matterport!Matterport works through a simple but sophisticated process. With a Matterport subscription plan, you can easily produce a 3D twin of any property. This allows y... 05/25/2020

The online gaming industry has become one of the most popular forms of entertainment and has enabled individuals all over the world in order to play a number of games from any location. Millions of players are engaged in playing online casino games and are also earning money at the same time. Because of the number of game options and convenience factors, online gaming is gaining immense popularity. Similar to the traditional land-based casino, the online casino industry has a lot of interesting facts that are not known to most of the people. Here are 5 interesting facts about the online casino: - Online casinos are still not legal in some countries to make it legal in a country; it depends on a number of factors. One of the main factors is that in some countries, online gambling is not ... 05/22/2020

Entering the real estate market can be a challenge, especially in light of recent uncertainty. Luckily, starting your career as a beginner in real estate does not require fancy college degrees or certificates in most cases. So, there exists an equal opportunity for both experienced agents and beginners to make a living. New agents can easily enter the market and with the aid of well-known agencies work, learn and prosper at the same time.  In this article, I will explain the most basic and cost-saving techniques to create your own real estate website and expand your business successfully.What Is The Best Way to Attract and Communicate With Your Leads or Clients?I believe the most important way to gain exposure as a reliable agent is having a high-quality website. Your real estate websit... 05/20/2020

Interesting article regarding Keller Williams attempt to stay on top in the world of real estate tech.  What do you think the results will be?     Keller Williams is building a new consumer-facing app to challenge Zillow and Redfin REPOSTED DIRECTLY FROM INMAN NEWS. THIS CONTENT HAS NOT BEEN MODERATED BY Glen Mitchell Group . Keller Williams has acquired SmarterAgent, a mobile-first platform that connects more than 650 multiple listing services and allows brokers and agents to create branded real estate search apps, Inman has learned. The move to acquire the technology platform, which currently serves more than 300 brokerages, will allow the real estate franchisor to compete directly with search giants like Zillow and Redfin, Keller Williams Chief Innovation Officer Josh Team told Inma... 09/18/2018

In the past experts touted Google+ as the end all be all method of creating hyper local marketing for search and social media. In the end, it did what many of Google's previous attempts to establish a social media network have done - it failed. Google has decided to sunset Google+ without any further elaboration. I know that I'm certainly not the first to deliver this news, however it seems as if folks have been slow to catch on that Google+ is really dead - I mean for real this time.RIP Google+ you were action packed with features nobody used or cared about. Communities & Circles Hangouts Google Plus Mobile YouTube Integration Let's Be Honest Google+ Was Doomed From The StartNot a single one of these features was clearly laid out or easily defined on how to use. The often cumbersome ro... 05/22/2020

After reading my good friend, Linda Barnett's blog on her adventures with all this technology we use to run our staging businesses "The Technological Travels of one Indianapolis Home Stager-and the Journey Lives On!", I was inspired to share with all of you one of the technologies that I cannot live without! I'm seriously in love as it makes my life and business so much easier to manage. It's called "Evernote" I have NO IDEA how I lived my life without this beautiful program. If you've never heard of Evernote, after I tell you what this can do for you, you won't be able to click over to the website fast enough! Let's face it, as home stagers (and agents too!), we are managing many projects, clients and all aspects of business simultaneously. We need to keep track of so many things and o... 10/22/2010

Youtube is an important channel in any digital marketer's plan for reaching the consumer. Many of us use the channel to promote properties, but the real value in Youtube is the ability to brand ourselves and gain trust with the consumer. Where else can we gain an audience that will watch and listen to us for minutes, hours, even days worth of video? The cost to acquire something like this on TV would be astronomical.I have been working to improve my Youtube channel for the past month, and I've learned a lot and have a lot more yet to learn. Among my many goals is to learn techniques to get people to watch my videos for a greater duration, and to watch more of my videos.Are You Embedding Videos In Your Blog?One great way to do this is to embed videos in content. An even better method is ... 05/07/2020

YouTube Thursdays - Video Playlists    Today, we're happy to highight AR member, Joe Manausa. Joe recently wrote a helpful post about embedding a playlist, instead of just a video, into your blog posts. The goal, of course, is to get viewers watching more of your videos.  It's a great idea, and here is his tutorial.    However, unlike Joe, I (Debb) use the video embed option. It's the button between the add photo and special character options.  It's quick and easy.     However, when using Classy Nemisis embed generator to get rid of outside video suggestions at the end of this four video playlist - it didn't work. I'll keep looking for a solution.  YouTuber of the Week. Joe!  Please take a moment to subscribe to Joe's YouTube Channel,  Joe Manausa Real Estate.   Be sure to like his vide... 05/14/2020

I'm trying to write an article for my website about which drones Real Estate agents prefer and why.  Was hoping to crowdsource the data I need for this from professionals on Active Rain.I was intending to post this article as a kind of open poll to get some feedback from Real Estate agents about which drone they use and why they chose the one they did. Would love to get some examples of drone footage that Real Estate agents have taken of their own listings. If you'd like to contribute, please respond to the following questions. What type of drone do you use for your Real Estate business and why? Has using a drone been a game changer for your Real Estate business? If so, how? Do you find that you're able to sell homes faster using a drone than without one?  Thanks to any and all Real Est... 05/16/2020