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How to Manage your business from the cloud

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Mobile, Paperless & the Cloud for Real Estate

For today’s REALTOR to truly succeed, they need to be as mobile as possible. And if you can learn to embrace cloud based software, mobile devices, apps, etc. it can allow you to not only be more efficient in your job, but go paperless at the same time! By utilizing the power of the Internet or Cloud you can free yourself from the office and be mobile, not have to worry about syncing multiple devices, eliminate expensive software, reduce or eliminate paper and truly run your real estate business from anywhere, anytime on any device. In this section we will help guide you through the many choices so you can figure out how to run your real estate business on mobile & the cloud.

Top 5 Reasons to Utilize an iPad in Your Business

Do you want a competitive advantage for your real estate business? If used properly, an iPad can give you that edge over the competition by making the home buying process more interactive and seamless. To appreciate an iPad’s full value in the life of a real estate agent, let’s first consider the fact that every potential buyer wants to find the perfect place to live. Agents know that the search involves more than just looking for a house. It’s about finding a place to grow a family, to make dreams manifest, to connect with a community, to retire and the list goes on. An agent, occupying the driver’s seat of this process, recognizes the importance of a smooth ride, from the initial consultation to the closing. This gives the client something to later brag about to family, co-workers and friends. Translation: a referral is waiting in the wings at the right time. With the help of the iPad and a few key applications from the App Store, an agent can successfully steer around several bumps in the road. Let’s discuss five key ways that an iPad can be utilized by real estate agents.

1. Increase Productivity

It’s hard enough to keep up with one client’s preferences, concerns and issues, so imagine managing several clients simultaneously without technology. The iPad with the Evernote app loaded is able to keep your productivity, memory and organization on point. With Evernote you can create a digital filing cabinet, complete with notebooks and notes. Within each note you can type to-do lists, capture photos, record conversations (What did you think?) and later add contracts, business cards and mortgage calculator screenshots. The best part: everything is completely searchable from your PC, iPad or smartphone.

2. Manage Transactions

Using your iPad and apps, such as DocuSign Transaction Room, ZipLogic, DotLoop, etc., you can create a “Transaction Room” online and invite all relevant parties to join, including your buyer and seller, closing attorney and loan officer. One of the slickest features of this app is the ability to receive SMS and email alerts when someone views a document.

3. Working with Buyers and Sellers

There are a few apps that you should consider to help you work with your buyers and sellers. • Glympse (Free): You have arrived at the house but your client is lost. Use this app to give them a glimpse of your location. Running late to a listing appointment? Send your potential client a glimpse of your location and your ETA if you desire. • Homesnap (Free): Snap a picture of a home and get details and info instantly. • Skitch (Free): The ideal sketch pad on your iPad and so much more. Use it to create maps and write on images, among other features.

4. Improve Response Time

Time is everything when it comes to a real estate deal. Imagine this: an agent arrives at a hot new listing that she knows will not be on the market for any length of time. Her clients want the house. The agent whips out her iPad and retrieves a contract from one of her favorite apps. Before they leave the house, the agent has submitted an offer. Before they drive away, the offer is accepted. With the aid of apps like PDF Expert and Dropbox you can pull this off.

5. Taking Care of the Small but Important Stuff

Agents can use their iPads to easily handle small but critical matters. Saying “thank you” is important when someone gives you a referral or goes beyond the call of duty. Every now and then words are not enough. Apps like ThankYouPro allow you to express your gratitude by sending a sturdy “thank you” card right from your iPad or iPhone. The app is free but the cost of the card and mailing is $2.99. Now you can also add gift cards and other greeting cards. Sure, there’s a boatload of apps to consider, but you should not download apps too quickly. Ask yourself if the app will honestly help you facilitate a task that you are currently doing or one that you need to do. Avoid what I call “the new app itch” a condition that users catch when someone raves about an app. Months later, you stare at the app icon and can barely remember what it does. Instead, focus on keeping your business goals top of mind. This will motivate you to invest time in learning apps that are key to your success – apps that will save time, streamline your operation, lower costs and increase your overall profitability. As such you will always keep a leg up on the competition!

Top Apps for Real Estate

AM Open House (FREE on both IOS and Android) is the best app to use at your Open Houses (as well as Broker opens). It is a modern sign in sheet (which will increase the number of registrants and more importantly make them all readable), provides the person signing in an incentive and instant reward to do so (as digital flyer is instantly emailed to them) and provides you an easy way to market/follow up with them after fact. All of this makes AM Open House a great app to use in the field. AM Open House for Buyers (FREE on both IOS and Android) – Have you ever worked with a buyer who is a bit overwhelmed by the property shopping process where after bringing them to a handful of properties, they can’t remember the details of one from another. Well enter AM Open House for Buyers, the best app for the Buyer to use to help them stay organized and on top of each property you bring them to.

When Apple launched the original App Store with the slogan, “There’s an App for That” it seemed perfect because there were so many apps to chose from. Well that was 2008, now there are literally over 2 million apps in the IOS App Store as well as in the Google Play Store. And there are thousands to choose from that are tailored just for the real estate industry. This can be pretty overwhelming, not know where to start, which ones to use, which are a waste of time, etc. Well the RETI Team is here to help with our breakdown of the Best Apps for Real Estate!!!


GoConnect for Real Estate (FREE on both IOS and Android) is the best task management app around because it is so quick and easy to use. With just a few swipes of your finger, you are able to create a schedule of all activities you need to do for your customer/lead. That way you don’t drop the ball to better serve your current clients’ and focus on generating new business.

Homesnap (FREE on both IOS and Android) – If your at a property with a client, within seconds, Homesnap provides you data on the recent property sales (from local tax roles), school information (from GreatSchools) and walking and lifestyle scores (from on OnBoard). Plus as a REALTOR you can create your own account and connect with your clients in many ways.


HomeStyler by AutoDesk (FREE on both IOS and Android) – Are you listing a vacated property but can’t afford to stage it? Or maybe working with a buyer who is having problems seeing the true potential of a home because it is empty or needs some work/TLC. Check out HomeStyler and be able to virtually stage it by adding virtual furniture, changing flooring, wall colors, etc.

Magic Plan (FREE on both IOS and Android) – What if I told you, you could measure a room standing in one place and without moving any of the furniture. And not only one room, but all of the rooms and create a floor plan of the entire property. Well be prepared to be amazed by Magic Plan

NAR RPR Mobile (FREE on both IOS and Android) – RPR is an amazing set of tools provided by NAR that is only available to members’ that allows you to create Property Reports (residential, commercial and rental), Neighborhood Reports, Buyer Reports, Seller Reports, Investor Analysis & much more. And the App is not only great for creating these reports, but also for presenting them and working with consumers in the field.

Top Apps for Real Estate Office & Productivity

When Apple launched the original App Store with the slogan, “There’s an App for That” it seemed perfect because there were so many apps to chose from. Well that was 2008, now there are literally over 2 million apps in the IOS App Store as well as in the Google Play Store. And there are thousands to choose from that are tailored just for the real estate industry. This can be pretty overwhelming, not know where to start, which ones to use, which are a waste of time.

CamScanner (FREE on both IOS and Android) – is a great app to use in the field because it turns your mobile device into a portable scanner. So if you are with a customer and they sign an agreement or you need to send them a form, just take a picture of each page and then use the app to combine them into one pdf or image file.

Contactually ($35/Basic User, App FREE on both IOS and Android) -Contactually is an excellent CRM solution. While it is not specific just to the real estate industry the way some other offering are, it is powerful and flexible/customizable enough to be an excellent option for REALTORS. One of its key strengths is integrations with several external sources, social media profiles, etc.


Dropbox (FREE on both IOS and Android) – Dropbox is the most popular cloud file storage program as it is very easy to use and does a good job of syncing your files from multiple devices. While it does have some security concerns it is very easy to use with clients for things like sharing photos or not sensitive files.

Evernote (FREE on both IOS and Android) is an amazing program that works on all devices and acts like a computer running on the Internet/Cloud. It can be used for folder/file storage (called Notebooks and Notes), note taking, audio recording & transcription, etc. Evernote, is so powerful it can be a bit confusing/overwhelming,

Expensify (FREE on both IOS and Android) – Imaging having one tool that will consolidate all of your expenses (regardless which card or account you use), receipts & mileage in one place and tie into most major tax preparation programs. Now imagine it’s free and you have Expensify, it is awesome!


Genius Scan ($1.99 on both IOS and Android) -Genius Scan is a great app to use in the field because it turns your mobile device into a portable scanner. So if you are with a customer and they sign an agreement or you need to send them a form, just take a picture of each page and then use the Genius Scan app to combine them into one pdf or image file. Then email the file, upload it to most cloud storage programs or even wifi beam it to someone else if they are with you. And this app does an excellent job on documents (ie pages of words) which makes it a great fit for real estate.

Google Apps for Work (FREE on both IOS and Android) – Google Apps for Work is the business version of a Google account, which means you get the full Google eco-system (including Google Docs which is a totally free replacement for Microsoft Office that works on all devices) and 24-7 support directly with Google at your disposal to run your business mobily and on the cloud. Packages for $5/mo or $10/mo.


Google Drive (FREE on both IOS and Android) – Google Drive is the best cloud file storage on the market. In fact, check out this article we did on 6 Reasons Why Google Drive is the Best Option (over Dropbox, Box, Sugar Sync, etc.)

HelloSign (FREE on both IOS and Android) -Hello Sign is an app &/or online tool that allows you to digitally sign documents on the go from your mobile devices for free. That’s right, no need to print or go back to the office, with HelloSign you can execute an agreement or form paperlessly.

LastPass (Service is $12/year, App FREE on both IOS and Android) – Saves your passwords and gives you secure access from every computer and mobile device. Also helps you update your existing weak passwords with new ones that are much tougher. Basically it is your best tool to helping you secure all of your accounts with unique and complicated passwords. Additional users can be added to your account (and you can choose which sites to provide them access to) for an additional $12/year.


TeamViewer (FREE on both IOS and Android) – Sometimes when you try to do things on a mobile device, you run into challenges where certain websites won’t work or the apps are a shell of the full software. In other words if you were on a regular computer, you wouldn’t have any issues because everything typically works on a computer. Well what if you could log onto any of your computers from a mobile device and use it just like you were sitting at your desk. Well with the TeamViewer app you can as it allows you to use the app as a remote control.

Top Apps for Real Estate Photo & Video

Animoto (FREE on both IOS and Android) – Animoto is the easiest to use video editing mobile app (or website on a computer) there is if you want to create one kind of video, a commercial with music. While not a powerful or versatile as WeVideo, this program is just easier so might be a better option for users with low tech skills or that just want to be able to quickly build professional looking commercials for their listings. $8/mo or $30/mo packages are available.

When Apple launched the original App Store with the slogan, “There’s an App for That” it seemed perfect because there were so many apps to chose from. Well that was 2008, now there are literally over 2 million apps in the IOS App Store as well as in the Google Play Store. And there are thousands to choose from that are tailored just for the real estate industry. This can be pretty overwhelming, not know where to start, which ones to use, which are a waste of time, etc


Enlight (Free Chrome Browser Extension) – Enlight is an excellent photo editing app. So if you take a picture of one of your properties and it is poorly light, overcast, etc. now you have a quick and easy way to fix it up.

Camera Plus ($0.99 on both IOS and Android) – Camera Plus is the best app for enhancing your photos on a mobile device as it adds a lot of settings and filters that you would typically find on a standalone digital or DSLR camera.

IMovie ($4.99 for IOS) IMovie is Apple’s own video editing tool and while the software comes free on MAC computers, the app is only $4.99 to put on an IPhone or IPad. And it is a great video editing solution if you are an IOS user.


Photofunia (FREE on both IOS and Android) – How would you like to be able to insert yourself into a famous painting or take a totally ordinary picture and turn it into a really cool social media post and do it easily without any design skills. Then you’ve got to check out Photofunia.

Photofunia (FREE on both IOS and Android) – How would you like to be able to insert yourself into a famous painting or take a totally ordinary picture and turn it into a really cool social media post and do it easily without any design skills. Then you’ve got to check out Photofunia.

Videolicious (FREE on both IOS and Android) – Videolicious is a great video editing & production app.

WeVideo (FREE on both IOS and Android) – is the best video editing & production mobile app (can also be used as a website on a computer) on the market. Very easy to use, extremely versatile and powerful it can create any kind of video and then allow you to easily save &/or post it to just about anywhere on the Internet.

Top 7 Video Conferencing & Webinar Solutions

1. GoToWebinar.com A commonly used platform that offers branded registration pages and notifications, webinar recordings, polls & surveys, screen sharing, video conferencing, and telecom options including local & toll free telephone or computer-based communication/ Price: $89/month with up to 100 attendees with rates going up as you require more seats for your webinars

In today’s digital world, video conferencing and webinars are becoming a standard, whether showing a home to an out-of-town client or hosting a first-time buyer webinar. Using technology can take your business to the next level, but to do so you need to master the platform you choose to use. Each webinar system has different features and nuances. Check out the list below to decide which video conferencing and webinar platform would work best for your business. Please note that these are not in order of preference and that there are no existing marketing arrangements with any of the companies listed below.


2. Google Hangouts A robust video conferencing tool developed and managed by Google. Google Hangouts allows for up to 10 people in a single meeting. If you want to record or live stream a presentation to your YouTube channel, you can use Hangout’s “On-Air” feature. Hangouts also includes the ability to integrate conference lines via Uber Conference for individuals that can’t join the video chat but would still like to participate via phone. Newer features allow higher resolution while screen sharing, variable bandwidth usage for your video and audio feeds, instant messaging during a webinar and live streaming of an Existing YouTube video during presentations, Price: Free for Google users


3. Webinar Jam An extension of Google Hangouts which offers additional marketing, registration and reporting tools. You can offer business or product promotions with their “Active Offers” buttons, live stream a pre-recorded webinar or host the webinar live, create and offer custom surveys, and generate analytics on your webinar attendees and engagement rates. Webinar Jam also allows for you to charge attendees to register for one of your webinars if that’s the route you’d like to go. Webinar Jam is a cost effective solution and does not require any special software as the webinars are hosted through your browser making it easy for attendees to register and login. Price: $397/year which includes unlimited attendees


4. Skype Skype was one of the first enterprise solutions for video conferencing. Focused more on conferencing as opposed to group webinars. Skype is about communication and collaboration and is not suited for hosting webinars. Skype allows you to call another Skype users using video, or you can dial any number world-wide through Skype so you can manage your communications through their application on a computer, tablet or smartphone. Telecom rates vary from country to country and are very competitive for international rates. A great tool for engaging foreign buyers/sellers. Skype also allows for screen sharing which has become a standard for any video conferencing platform in the 21st Century. Because Skype tends to focus a large part of their business with telecom, they offer international texting, call forwarding, caller ID for your dedicated Skype number and more. Price: Free for video calls – click for Skype telecom rates


5. Cisco WebEx Cisco WebEx is one of the most mature products in the webinar and video conferencing space. While their video conferencing solutions are free for 1-3 people, with varying rates up to 8, up to 25 and up to 100 people per meeting. However, if you’re looking for a webinar platform, you would have to start with WebEx Event Center which allows for branded registration pages and communications with your registrants and attendees. Event Center allows up to 3000 participants in a webinar, multiple presenters, video and screen sharing, polling, chat, and an easy-to-use Q&A module for your guests. WebEx also offers webinar and event recordings so you can share the presentation with registrants that weren’t able to join the webinar. With Salesforce and other CRM integrations, scoring and tracking your events and attendees has never been easier. Price: $109/month for up to 100 attendees, $249/month up to 500 attendees, and $369 per month for up to 1000 attendees.


6. Join.me Join.me is a really effective tool for small meetings, whether for a video conference or for screen sharing functionality. It is not designed as a webinar platform as it doesn’t have registration pages built into the system, but it does offer a scheduling tool for Outlook and Google Calendar users. Join.me is hosted on the web which requires no software or application downloads for you as the presenter or for your guests. This system offers basic reporting functionality as well to track the engagement levels of your attendees. While the system is not the most robust available, it’s a very simple and focused platform designed to help you stay face-to-face even if you’re an ocean apart. Check out the RETI Review of How to use Join.me Price: Free for up to 10 meeting participants, $20 per month for up to 50 and $25/month up to 250 participants


7. AnyMeeting.com AnyMeeting is a robust option for webinar and video conferencing services. The feature set is similar to GoToWebinar with branded email invitations and registration forms, video streaming, live polls, hand-raising, recording sharing, handouts and email follow ups. AnyMeeting also offers integration with common CRM systems, including Salesforce to share registration, attendance and event information. Some of the bigger differentiators are follow up quizzes and surveys that can be automated following one of you webinars, as well as a module to allow you, as the presenter, to take notes during a webinar. Price: $65 per month for up to 100 attendees, $107 for 200, $165 for 500, and $248 for up to 1000.

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