5 Surprisingly Useful Apps for the Agent+

Originally written and published for Inman News.

Are you an Agent+? In other words do you strive to maximize your time and profits while doing what you love, selling real estate?  I am sure you are!  And if so, then these seemingly unspectacular mobile apps laced with impressive capabilities will help you keep this positive status.  

Frametastic 

In real estate a picture may be worth a thousand views and several new clients. Scrap boring, hard to see photo collages and make them fancy with Frametastic in order to attract more eyeballs and get more exposure.  Frametastic is an app that turns your real estate collage photos into moving pieces of art.  Frametastic is for you if you are on social media (and you should be) and you are posting photo collages of your happy clients at closing, your listings, or other snap-worthy events in your business (and you should be). 

Check out Susan Lloyd’s snazzy example of how fantastic Frametastic is:

Bsafe

Safety is something we all want but may be too busy to properly plan for and monitor.  I love the Bsafe app because you can set it up once to keep all of your closest family, friends, and even broker aware of where you are.  The app also provides opportunities for you to get a fake call (if you need an excuse to walk away), send out a distress signal, automatically video record yourself and surroundings once you trigger a distress alert, and instantly alert your love ones of when you have made it safely to a destination.  After you initially install and setup the app, all you have to do is remember to keep your phone with you and your GPS on.

TourSimply

Do you have a client that is hard to reach?  Or, who may be prone to forgetfulness?  If so, then you may have a rough time trying to schedule home showings.  TourSimply.com is a great solution.  TourSimply.com allows your home seller to input the dates and times she is available for home showings.  Then, when you have a buyer ready to see the home, you add the showing to the seller’s calendar and they get reminders either by text or email. This is especially great if your client is not into using and sharing a Google calendar (which this works very similar to).

TourSimply.com can be used on any computing device (phone, tablet, desktop, etc.) as long as the device has internet access.  Easy!  

Click the video below to see what I mean.

Pushbullet 

Pushbullet is a productivity tool that can help you get away from bouncing between phone, tablet, and laptop.  There are still some things that can only be done on your laptop and instead of having to look at every alert, ding, and buzz on your smartphone or tablet, Pushbullet allows you to see the alerts on whatever device you are on.  

For example, from my laptop, I can see who is calling me and who just sent me a text with Pushbullet (see the screenshots below).  Of course it does not take much time to check multiple devices but checking your phone for 5 seconds can throw off your thought process - it is an interruption and distraction that can reduce your productivity.  There are many other free app features than this so explore Pushbullet to see how it can benefit you.

Screenshot of getting a call that can be answered on laptop

Screenshot of reviewing and writing new text messages from laptop.

Autodesk Homestyler - 3D Room Designer App

You know real estate and you know when a home is missing decor that could get it sold faster.  Help your clients understand how to take their home from livable to sellable with the Autodesk Homestyler 3D Room Designer app.  

Does your client have an empty bedroom that looks smaller in pictures than it is because nothing is there?  Or, could some rooms stand to be repainted?  This app can help you convey for free the impact a little redecorating or a professional home stager can make in getting sold at top dollar.  

Click the video below for a short demo.

 
I hope you see how these apps can benefit your business. Get more tips and techniques by following me on Facebook and Google+.

Plus, if your business is lacking a strategy, get a complimentary copy of Plan to Win! (the workbook that will help you transform your sales game plan) for the first 8 hours after this story was originally published.  Claim this offer before the deadline by simply following me on Instagram (IG) and then sending me a IG direct message requesting your complimentary copy.

Here's to your success!