1. MagicPlan

Floor plans are an essential part of any real estate listing. With MagicPlan, you can quickly generate detailed floor plans using your iPhone or iPad’s camera. After a quick calibration process, the phone can accurately determine dimensions based on a few pictures of each room. Then you simply arrange the rooms on the grid. Floor plans can be saved to the phone, sent to contacts or emailed to you in PDF, JPG or DXF formats to make updating listings, clients or investors a snap.

2. Videolicious

Videolicious makes it easy to capture and edit video using your smartphone. Support for narrations, captions, music tracks and slide shows make it easy to create professional property previews without having to spend hours at the computer. Templates and video filters allow you to create engaging video and highlight key features of your property for increased impact as well. When you have finished your video, you can iCloud and iTunes integration makes retrieving your videos straightforward and simple.

3. Dragon Dictation

If you frequently use your phone to communicate with clients or take notes on a property, Dragon Dictation can help streamline the process. Unlike other dictation software, Dragon Dictation requires no lengthy voice training. The app can export entries to many popular iOS apps as well. This makes it easy to respond to emails, send a quick text message or create notes for later use without having to using the on-screen keyboard.

4. 360 Panorama

360 Panorama eliminates the expensive software and equipment needed to take panoramic images. The app works by taking pictures at specific intervals and then combining the images into one file. On-screen guides tell you when to shift your camera and help to avoid distortion and warping of the image. Once you have taken the picture, it is added to your image roll to make sharing or uploading your panoramas simple.

5. CardMunch

Powered by LinkedIn, CardMunch provides a convenient way to manage business card contacts. Using your device’s camera, the app sends a copy of the business card to a transcription center. The information is then added to a contact file and stored within your iPhone or iPad’s contact list. You can also set up an auto-response service through CardMunch that sends a digital copy of your contact information to any contact that you scan into your phone. This makes it easy to follow up with clients and improve response times.

6. Evernote

Evernote provides a central location to store and sort video, images, text, website snippets and other information that you collect throughout your day. The app automatically synchronizes all of your items with your Evernote account and computer applications for easy access from the home or office as well. Everything you enter into Evernote can then be sorted into albums and is indexed for easy searching later.

7. Property Evaluator

In-depth calculations, formatting and other aspects of creating a property evaluation take a significant amount of time. With this app, you can complete much of the process from your device while you are on location. Templates include a coversheet, multiple photos, GPS maps, expense, profitability and many other items. The Pro version allows branding and template customization for added flexibility. Once you have entered the required information, the app creates a PDF file that is ready to email to clients, investment partners and lenders.

We hope these apps help you develop a more efficient, profitable real estate business.

About the Author: Jennifer D’Angelo has been writing about the real estate industry for companies like Right Residential for nearly a decade. When she’s not writing, Jen enjoys relaxing by the pool with a good book!

*Screenshots taken from iTunes

Real estate apps becoming vital tools in the realtor arsenal! © Suriko - Fotolia.com

But what if you’re one of those people who hates text messaging? You may be outnumbered, but now iPhone and Android users have a sweet little application, which just may bring “non-texters” and “texters” together. TalkBoxApp is a text messaging application perfectly suited for people that don’t like text messaging.

1. A free application, TalkBoxApp allows users to leave a short, 1 minute voice message that displays as a text message on the recipient’s phone. Realtors are often on the go, and they don’t always have the time to send a text message, but with TalkBoxApp they can leave a quick message and get back to what they were doing. For example, if a realtor is showing a house she can let her broker know she’s got an interested buyer, and then get back to discussing the details with her client without missing a beat. Users can even send their exact location with this app so there’s no question which house is being discussed.
2. AroundMe is a GPS type of application that lets the searcher find out what kind of amenities are near a particular location. A realtor can easily determine the best features of the neighborhood to add valuable content to her listings.
3. Calculators are a realtor’s best friend, but add complex calculations to the basic functions of a calculator, and you’ve got a new best friend you won’t want to give up! Consistently rated among the top 10 apps in finance,  MyOwnLoan will calculate monthly mortgage payments, effects of rate changes over the life of the loan, number of payments remaining and important information to help borrowers determine which loan suits them best. A realtor can use this information to get a “ball park” estimate of the seller’s loan information until she receives hard data from the mortgage company.

Realtors who take advantage of the numerous technological devices and applications designed to make their lives easier have a distinct advantage over those professionals who may not realize how these applications can add value to their services.

The mobile web. Image courtesy of Will Lion

A new application has just become available through the real estate content giant, The Real Estate Book.com that will meet the mobile browsing needs of consumers. A free iPhone application together with an information packed website allows buyers to view detailed information about thousands of properties which are listed on the website. Individuals can sort through the properties using various criteria and then connect with the agents or individuals listing those properties.

The Real Estate Book new application. Image courtesy of The Real Estate Book

The search criteria and listings are exactly the same for both the website and the mobile version. Some of the features include:

• Easy to navigate and read screen displays that work with the iPhone, BlackBerry, Android or any other kind of smartphone.

• Detailed information on the properties, including location, price, floor plans, amenities, photos and descriptions

• Users can set up a “favorites” category

• Keeps a history of searches done recently

• Search by price, square footage, number of rooms, date listed, zip code or proximity to current location

• Link to map showing property location, virtual tours and realtor contact information

Scott Dixon, president of the Real Estate Division of Network Communication Inc. shared his thoughts on the new technology,

“This new mobile site makes our property listings a breeze to navigate. It’s a plus for everyone. The mobile site gives homebuyers the freedom to search wherever and whenever they please, and it allows our customers to extend their reach to more consumers while they’re in search mode. It’s all about making connections with ease and accessibility.”

Source:   MarketWatch.com

Dick Helminiak, a real estate agent with RE/MAX Preferred Associates, is advocating a new kind of technology to attract home buyers to his firm’s offerings. All of his listed properties in Toledo, Ohio, now carry a bar code on the for sale sign at the front of the house.

QR Code apps. image courtesy of Branding Brand

“Buyers want instant information”, Helminiak claimed, as he showed off his new real estate app. “All you need now is a smartphone, and you’ll get that information. Simply walk up to the sign, scan it with your phone, and you’ll be granted access to a virtual tour of the property, along with access of all the available information we have”, he said.

How the QR barcode looks. Image courtesy of eurotechnology.com

The new QR code (Quick Response) technology allows interested people to find out all they need to know about any interesting listed properties they come across immediately, without needing to call out the Realtor or disturb the owners.

Information given includes videos, pictures, dimensions and prices, which can even be stored into your smartphone’s browsing history, so you can recall it later.

RE MAX. Image courtesy of Media Point

One of the requirements is that you need to turn your smartphone into a bar code scanner, but there’s already an app to do that.

Helmniak hopes that not only will his new real estate app make things easier for buyers, it will be easier on the environment too, as paper flyers will be consigned to the dustbin if it takes off.