Technology is evolving even as I write this, so double check prices and services when you look into these services. But, right now, six of these are free, and the other four are really inexpensive. Combining them all will only cost around $10/month, and you'll be managing your real estate business on the road with efficiency and covering all the bases.

I am constantly testing and playing with the latest in online, software and hardware, but there is this core group of services that seem to stay on top of my list because they're simple and easy to use, as well as free or inexpensive.

1. Gmail - The Foundation for an Entire Management System

Gmail is simply the best email platform around, allowing realtors to organize their entire business around it and the various set of tool that are integrated with it.

• All of my business email, and Gmail checks multiple POP email accounts so I can use my domain email addresses.
• Filing and easy retrieval of all email, now more than 30,000 of them.
• Integrates with my Calendar and Tasking.
• Provides simplified contact management capabilities.
• Replies with email address to which email was sent, keeping that branding.
• Several of the tools below are tied into Gmail as well, so it's the first and most important tool in the box.

GMail is still a totally free service now.

2. Google Calendar - Tight Integration With Gmail

You can use Google Calendar to manage your meetings, appointments and events. There's the added benefit that it ties into your overall business management system (Gmail). The high points are:

• Integration with Gmail, including ability to add events from an email, and display upcoming events and appointments next to your email.
• Takes voice appointments from Jott, which I'll talk about in this group of tools.
• Lets you set up custom reminder systems for text messages, email and popups.
• Integrates RTM, Remember the Milk tasks (later in this tool list) into your calendar.

Google Calendar is free now as well.

3. Remember the Milk - Task Management the Easy Way

The top four or five articles at this link will show you how RTM, Remember the Milk, works. I use it for transaction task management because:

• It integrates with Gmail and displays my tasks in Gmail's screen.
• With my calendar appointments, email and tasks all on one screen, I'm more organized.
• It allows me to import via email an entire list of dated tasks when I start a new transaction.
• RTM tasks can also be picked up in Google Calendar, so my one calendar view tells all for the day, week or month.
• Alarms via text or email for tasks deadlines.

The free level of RTM should work for most people.

4. Evernote - Simply Fantastic for Information Gathering & Storage

I can't begin to tell you in this space how many things I do with Evernote. At $45/year for the Premium level service, it's worth many times that. The following video describes a massive 50 ways to use Evernote in your real estate business.

5. Xpenser - Simple Bookkeeping In the Cloud

Just one article at this link tells it all. Do simple accounting for your real estate business in this free online service. And, it takes voice input from Jott.com, just like the Google calendar and Remember the Milk.

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Mike Wheatley

Mike Wheatley is the senior editor at Realty Biz News. Got a real estate related news article you wish to share, contact Mike at [email protected].

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