Top 6 iPad Apps for Real Estate Agents and Realtors
There are few – if any – industries that have not been helped greatly by a wealth of industry-specific apps. The real estate industry is no exception. Much like stock brokers, real estate agents have to stay on top of a wealth of information in an industry that is changing minute by minute. From changes in mortgage rates to rising and falling property values to local and world events that affect them, real estate agents need to have their finger on the constantly changing pulse of the local real estate market. Apps can help you do that. There are a variety of apps for real estate agents that can help realtors and their teams stay up-to-date on the wealth of information they need to have at their disposal to help their clients make the most informed choices. Here are 5 apps that every real estate agent and realtor should have on their iPad.
Zillow
The first in the list of top apps for real estate agents is Zillow. While the Zillow “Zestimate” may cause a firestorm of controversy in the real estate world, there is no doubt that the app itself is incredibly valuable. Even the sometimes vastly skewed Zillow “Zestimate” is an important piece of information for realtors and real estate agents to have, because it will give you an idea of what both buyers and sellers are looking at to set their expectations. Knowing what their expectations are based on can be a valuable tool to help you help them to set more reasonable expectations and make more reasonable offers. In addition, however, the Zillow app contains powerful search tools with a wide range of filters that can help you stay up-to-the minute on listings that may or may not show up in other places. In addition, the app also offers a number of other features including mortgage calculators and even access to “hidden.” properties.
Get it: Zillow
Vert
Our second in the list of top apps for real estate agents is Vert. Real estate agents and realtors work with a wide variety of clients with a number of varying needs. This means they often need to convert a number of different units for their clients for various purposes. From converting sale prices into Euro, Francs or Yen and even the increasingly popular Bitcoin, to converting miles to kilometers to help European clients understand their commute or even feet and inches to meters and centimeters to help a foreign client figure out if their grand piano will fit through an interior door.
Get it: Vert
Dropbox
Our third in the list of top apps for real estate agents is Dropbox. During the course of a sale, there are an almost unlimited number of documents you need signed by an almost unlimited number of parties. With Dropbox, you can not only store and file fresh copies of every type of document you might conceivably need, but also store signed copies of all of them. Best of all, the new regular iPads are compatible with the Apple Pencil now, so you can have everyone sign documents right on the spot and store them away for printing later. With dropbox, you can also have professional photographers and videographers upload photos and videos for virtual tours of your listings. With the wide range of digital tools available, who needs an office anymore?
Get it: Dropbox
Dotloop
Our fourth in the list of top apps for real estate agents is Dotloop. Not all documents are as critical and sensitive as others, but for those that are, Dotloop is the digital solution. Unlike Dropbox, Dotloop is a real estate industry specific app that will not only store all your documents, but also generate them. With Dropbox, you can store boilerplate contracts and disclosures, but with Dotloop you can generate specific documents that contain all the pertinent details specific to a particular sale. Best of all, Dotloop requires signatories to sign in and create an account, which help verify their identity and guard against fraud. Dotloop also offers the highest levels of digital protection to ensure that any and all sensitive data that must be exchanged in the course of a transaction remains safe and secure. With Dotloop, having to gather all concerned parties together for a closing may soon be a thing of the past.
Get it: Dotloop
Mortgage Calculator
Our fifth in the list of top apps for real estate agents is Mortgage Calculator. Real estate agents and realtors have to wear many hats. While your clients may be working with a mortgage broker, that doesn’t mean they won’t have on-the-spot questions about mortgage payments that you may be called on to answer. This is particularly important in “hot” markets, when clients have to move quickly in order to get the best deals. As every agent and realtor knows, however, what may seem like a good deal at first doesn’t always turn out to be when the numbers are actually crunched or all the pieces and parts added up into one lump sum. Mortgage calculators can help you and your clients understand not just what the mortgage payment will be, but also what the total will be after all the other expenses such as property taxes, HOA fees and mortgage insurance are all factored in. In some cases, a property with a higher initial price tag may actually turn out to cost less in the long run than a lesser-priced property with higher property taxes or hefty monthly HOA dues.
Get it: Mortgage Calculator
OnSpot Social
Selling houses has a ton of paperwork and contact information that needs to be kept organized. The way to collect contact information at events like open houses traditionally included a pen and paper sign-up form or just business cards. Not the best way to capture information. Our app gives realtors the ability to capture sign ins at their open house and gather contact information directly at events or networking dinners, and add it to their email marketing list or CRM for future marketing opportunities.
Get it: Download OnSpot Social App
While managing clients and expectations may be as challenging as ever, the logistical details of buying and selling a home have never been easier. From access to a wide range of mortgage information right at your fingertips to virtual tours that allow you to quickly select or weed out homes your clients do and don’t want to look at to being able to sign documents on the spot, a wide range of tools are available to help agents handle more clients with ease. And more clients means more commissions!
