Have suggestions for products that you’d like to see reviewed by our real estate technology expert? Email Craig Rowe.
Real estate agents can benefit from software that wasn’t necessarily built for the industry.
There are tons of business tools that can supplement enterprise investments in both mobile and on-premise environments. Expense capture. Photography. Note-taking. Social media plug-ins. That kind of stuff.
I try to review one of these products at least once a week. Here are a few that I think warrant another ride around the arena.
CHARLIE
This powerful people-researcher combs calendars for meetings, then sends you an personalized background summary on who’ll be sitting at the other side of the table.
An hour or so before a meeting, you’ll receive an email that lists things like current job title, interests, previous career points, professional memberships and even some personal notes. You may know the basics already, but maybe it’s been two weeks since you scheduled the meeting. Quite helpful.
Key benefits
Always on: It may take a few weeks to get used to Charlie because it’s not omnipresent in your daily workflows. It tends to get noticed only when you need it, and that makes it lightweight, easy-to-manage software.
Filing system: Charlie makes sure each meeting file is nicely organized for quick perusal. Information is encapsulated under “Summary,” “Key Points,” “Interests & Hobbies” and “Headlines.”
Charlie’s dashboard.
JOTFORM
Bookmark JotForm if you haven’t already. It’s the answer to online forms complexity and is much more powerful than probably even its developers realize.
JotForm can create tablet-based versions of any document in your transaction library, from agency disclosures to listing agreements. Drag and drop fields, and add radio buttons, text boxes and signature fields, and in minutes you have a functioning, trackable digital document.
Key benefits
Ease of use: Trust me when I say you can work your way through building some forms in a matter of minutes, but help is there if you need it.
Web integration: Code is generated for every form you build. Copy and paste it to emails, websites or landing pages.
Jotform’s property inquiry.
STUDEO
Studeo diligently walks the line between traditional graphic design and digital art in creating gorgeous online presentations for property listings.
These digital documents can be linked, sent and shared, and they come with an array of presentation options and additional versions for printing. You can drag and drop Vimeo or YouTube videos, panoramic home tours, high-end photography, cinemagraphs (still photos with instances of motion) and even Matterport footage.
Key benefits
Don’t touch: Studeo limits user edits to text and images. The layout or functionality of your digital listing presentation can’t be altered.
Embedded video: Any Studeo document can feature video alongside static images and text, making for a unique way to introduce a listing, yourself or your brokerage.
So much cool stuff out there. Do you have a favorite?
Do you use any of these tools — and what do you think? Leave a comment and let us know!
Do you have a product for our tech expert to review? Email Craig Rowe.
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