Now, as a REALTOR®, you’re wondering how to integrate your Apple products with a real estate CRM (Disclosure: I work for a company that sells a real estate CRM, IXACTContact). In this blog post, I’m not going to discuss the merits of a CRM or why you should use one, but in case you’re interested, you can read an article I wrote on this topic here.

In this post, you’ll learn what to look out for when shopping for a real estate CRM to ensure that there’s a perfect synergy between your CRM, your Mac computer, your iPhone, and your iPad.

First, you’ll want to make sure that your CRM (or contact management system) is compatible with the Mac operating system and Safari (if it’s a web-based system). If the solution is Mac-friendly, make certain that all the features are 100% compatible. It’s common for CRM companies to claim to be Mac compatible when in reality certain features do not work as well as they do on a PC.

Second, you’ll want to ensure that the real estate CRM is fully optimized for the iPad. Many CRM systems are not, especially if they’re not supported by Safari.

Being able to utilize the full real estate contact management system on the iPad is essential. The iPad has proven itself to be a tremendous tool in assisting REALTORS® with their business while they’re on the road, greatly increasing their productivity. When you can use your real estate contact management system on your iPad, your productivity will increase exponentially.

Make sure that you can use the entire CRM on your iPad and that you don’t have to download an app. Why is it more beneficial for you to have a real estate CRM system that’s fully optimized for the iPad versus going the app route? Here’s the big reason: when you’re required to use an app, your functionality is usually limited. You don’t have access to all the features of the full CRM. And on an iPad, with its nice sized screen, you’ll want to benefit from everything the CRM has to offer.

Another big consideration as an Apple user shopping for a real estate CRM is iPhone synchronization. Does the system synchronize with the built-in iPhone applications, like the calendar and address book native to the device or are you required to download an app?

It’s best if your real estate CRM syncs with the built-in applications on the iPhone for two key reasons. First, when you sync with the native applications (calendar, address book), you don’t have to learn how to use an app (who wants to learn how to use a brand new CRM on their computer AND how to use a separate app on their phone?). Second, it’s more efficient because access to your data will be quicker and easier (simply pull up or add a contact in your address book or add a calendar entry on your iPhone calendar like you normally would).

As a Mac user, you’re likely using Mac Address Book. Ideally, you’ll want a real estate contact management system that will Sync with this software. It’ll make your life A LOT easier.

In my article in SoftwareAdvice.com, where I’m a member of their Software Advisory Board, I mentioned that it’s crucial to have access to the data you need on the road paired with the correct systems in place in order to save time and increase your professional efficiency. As an Apple user, searching for a Mac friendly software that accomplishes what you’re looking for it to do can be hard enough. But when in the market for a CRM, compatibility with the iPad and iPhone also becomes an important factor to take into consideration.

I hope this article has given you some food for thought. Choosing a real estate CRM can be confusing and when you’re a die-hard Apple fan (like I am) it’s sometimes tricky to know the right questions to ask when in the market for a real estate contact management system. Good luck!

Before you go to buy a dongle from your local MLS office, you should download the eKey app from the iTunes store.  It’s free and easy to install.  The problem you will run into is when you go to purchase the dongle from your local MLS.  During the process, they will probably ask you to enter an authorization code that they provide you with and then they will want you to sync your device.  At home, you have your wireless router so this is not a problem in the long term but at the MLS, I doubt they will give you their wifi encryption key to allow you to sync your device on their wireless network.

To solve this problem, I borrowed my wife’s Verizon Mifi.  This is a fantastic little device that acts as a wireless hotspot for up to 5 computers at once in any location that you can get 3g cellular service.  I went through the process, hit “sync now” and everything fired off without a hitch.  There are a few other solutions that I can think of, but most of them are a little clunkier than something like the Mifi.

Certain devices available from Clear might be able to serve the same function or if you have an air card for your laptop, you can take your laptop in and set it up to provide an adhoc wifi network connection to your iPod Touch however the details for that are a bit beyond the scope of this article.

If you are lucky enough to have an iPhone, the eKey setup process should work flawlessly without a hitch.  If you have an iPad, you may have to jump through some of these hoops to make it an eKey depending on which model you have.

Here are just a few of the details announced:

iOS

• 100 new features
• Multi Tasking
• Release 6/21 will support 3G and 3GS but multitasking will be limited on 3G, most other features will work. Upgrade is free.
• Bing and Yahoo added as search options, Google will remain default.

App Store

• There are now 225K apps in the store.
• 95% of the 15K new apps released weekly are approved within 7 days.
• Support for apps via HTML 5 in addition to the App store.

iPhone V 4

• New display is 326 ppi (pixels per inch)
• Resolution is 960 x 640 with a 800:1 contrast ratio
• 24% thinner than previous models
• New engine is the A4 chip whose power capabilities to increase talk time by 40%. Overall battery life promises to be considerably better than previous models.
• Antenna wraps the entire device.
• 3 axis gyro promises increases in app capabilities, especially games
• New iMovie app to edit videos on the phone
• iBookstore will be the newest store accessible on the phone
• Camera captures video at 720p at 30 frames per second
• New camera system has a 5 megapixel sensor
• Front & Rear Cameras / Portrait and Landscape
• A video chat feature called “FaceTime” (wifi only) Is based on open standards which Jobs announced Apple will be releasing to standards bodies tomorrow.
• 3GS price drop to $99
• 16 & 32mb versions of the new phone are $199/$299
• You can have it one of two colors, black or white.

iAds

• An “in app” advertising platform that allows app developers to sell advertising that doesn’t take users out of the app when banners are clicked.
• Over $60 million in iAds sold already with a number of large brands that have been participating for over 8 weeks already.
• Jobs stated “Our goal is to help you (developers) earn money”.

]]> http://www.geekestateblog.com/steve-jobs-announces-new-iphone-more/feed/ 4 http://www.geekestateblog.com/how-to-sync-and-share-important-stuff-between-your-desktop-your-notebook-your-ipad-your-iphone-and-the-mysterious-cloud/ http://www.geekestateblog.com/how-to-sync-and-share-important-stuff-between-your-desktop-your-notebook-your-ipad-your-iphone-and-the-mysterious-cloud/#comments Mon, 24 May 2010 18:52:33 +0000 kenbrand http://www.geekestateblog.com/?p=4301 Read More »]]> Like you, I’m In and Out, on the Go, and in a hurry.  I need my important stuff handy wherever iGo and whenever I get there.

I searched around for something REALTOR® friendly.  Something simple and affordable.  Something that works smooth-like-real-butter, on my desktop, my notebook, my iPad and my iPhone.

I  and settled on a beautifully simple application called Dropbox.  The process is straight forward. If you’re looking for a simple synching solution, I think you’ll like this.

1. Sign Up for your Drobox account.  2Gigs for free.  50GB for $9.99 per month. Or, 100GB for $19.99 per month.  There are discounts if you pony-up a year in advance.
2. Simply download the software to your computers/mobile devices and launch.  Computer, iPad and iPhone applications are free.
3. Drag previously saved files into your Dropbox folder (See below) and begin saving new important files to your Dropbox folder and you’re good to go.

Most of my important stuff, listing presentations, .PDFs, letters, contracts, photos, slide-decks, etc., I create on my desktop or notebook.  For things I want to have handy anywhere (my desktop, my notebook, my iPad the cloud or my iPhone), I save it to the Dropbox Folder.

Here’s what you get on your computer when you install the Dropbox application.  Notice the Dropbox folder on the left hand side (red arrow).  To sync your files on all your geek stuff, either save new files to the Dropbox folder or drag previously created files from another folder to the Dropbox folder.  The little green-for-go check-mark means the file has been successfully synced (the syncing magic happens quietly in the background).

After you save something, the Dropbox application automagically syncs your stuff to your high-security Dropbox cloud account.  In the unlikely event that you need something important, and heaven forbid, you don’t have your computer/phone/iPad with you, just log on to your secure Drobpox account and get what you need.  Here’s what my Dropbox cloud-account web site looks like:

After you save a file to one of your Dropbox enabled devices, or the cloud site, the next time any of your devices is connected to the internet, your files are synced.  You can open any file, change it, save it, and it’ll be good to go on all you devices.  Plus everything you need is everywhere you need it.  Very simple, very affordable and very cool.  The Dopbox app for mobil devices has some cool forwarding and sharing features too.

For the iPad, I recommend you buy (.99cents) the GoodReader.com application.  This cool app, syncs with Dropbox and gives you magical viewing powers. You can open and read the most popular and common file types. Yes, Mac and PC.

OK.  That’s it.  I imagine there are other solutions, this one works great for me and I know it’ll work great for you too.  If you get started, within a few minutes, all your important stuff will be everywhere you are, whenever you need it – Geek Sync completed.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers.

From the website: “The MapQuest 4 Mobile downloadable application provides easy access to Directions, Maps, and Local Search. With MapQuest 4 Mobile you also have the ability to integrate your saved maps and directions on MapQuest.com to the MapQuest 4 Mobile mobile application. To start saving your maps and directions generated at MapQuest.com”

Mapquest 4 Mobile

Via Lifehacker: MapQuest 4 Mobile features voice guidance, off-route assistance (it can automatically re-route you), point-of-interest integration, and plain-text search. (being able to simply search for a location by name is great.) The maps and directions are all downloaded as you go from MapQuest, so it’s also a very lightweight download (“offline” GPS apps are often several gigabytes); the downside to that is that it won’t work if you don’t have a data connection.

MapQuest 4 Mobile isn’t as polished as Google Maps Navigation. It doesn’t rotate the map based on the direction you’re heading, no Street View, no search by voice, no traffic information.

MapQuest 4 Mobile is a free download.

It’ll be interesting to see whether this competes at all (either in its current form or what it morphs into) with vehicle tracking systems in the future.

“Line2 adds a second number to your iPhone that works over 3G, WiFi or Cellular networks using the same number… an industry first. Ideal if you have poor cell reception or just want to reduce your cell bill.”

Here is a video from Line2.com’s CEO Peter Sisson:

Take a moment to check it out. The first 30 days are free to play around with it.

Sadly, I can no longer recommend “Loan Calculator – What If?” because it’s been trumped by a new competitor, offered at $0.99, called Mortgage Calculator Pro by SVT Software. [iTunes Link]

I -love- this app for a few reasons including the option to create separate pre-filled loans (I’ll explain more in a minute) and the option to email all of this info to your client. Check out more of the app in screenshots below:

Longwood Model Loan Scenario

In the screenshot above you can see the last loan you used before closing the app. In this case I used a pre-created loan for one of my models at Brighton Green called the Longwood. Because the community is FHA approved I used presets including a 3.5% down payment with the monthly HOA of $220 and annual taxes estimated for that model.

This is particularly useful when you’re touring one of the models and need to run quick numbers for a client! Editing your loan scenario is also super easy with the clean number and percentage interfaces shown below:

Easy Number Panel

Down Payment Scroll Panel

Aside from ease of input, you have the aforementioned option of emailing loan details to your client. If you want to stay within the application you still get a full breakdown of interest, principal etc. paid over the course of the loan in addition to the total cost of everything factored into the loan at the bottom. Have a look at an example for the Longwood model:

Payment Schedule

Lastly, creating a new loan type is a simple one click on the bottom menu which brings you to a ‘New Loan’ window. You write in a name for your loan and then you go to your ‘Favorites’ menu to choose from all of your saved loans. Here’s a look at the saved loan page:

Loan Selection Menu

There are a few things missing from the app that would be useful like PMI but for $0.99 you can’t go wrong. It’ll also serve you well in the field when your clients want quick numbers on a potential property. Click here to learn more about the Mortgage Calculator Pro app. [iTunes Link]

Do you have any preferred real estate iPhone apps that you use?

Gifts Under $50

There are a ton of great gifts available for less than $50. From a 7-port USB hub that keeps all your gadgets connected at once to a double dose kick in the ass from phenom Gary Vaynerchuk, the under $50 list will keep your geek busy well into 2010.

Kensington 7-Port USB Hub [Amazon Link]
Kingston 16GB Flash Drive [Amazon Link]
Trust Agents Book by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith [Amazon Link]
Crush It! Book by Gary Vaynerchuk [Amazon Link] and Vook [$6.99; iTunes Link]
iTunes Gift Card
Griffin AirCurve iPhone/iPhone 3G Amplifier [Amazon Link]
Dolica 62-inch Tripod [Amazon Link]

Gifts Under $100

Video is fast becoming the medium for getting to know each other online. With all that video comes editing. An external hard drive is good for keeping excess clips from weighing down computer performance.

The Roku HD media player is a cutting edge way to put digital video (Netflix/Amazon on Demand) in your living room without all the intricacies of a traditional home theater PC.

Samsung Story 1TB External Hard Drive – $99.99 [NewEgg Link]
Roku HD Digital Media Player – $99.99 [Amazon Link]

Gifts Under $200

Audio Technica AT2020 USB Microphone – $101.97 [Amazon Link]
Flip UltraHD (120 Mins) – $151.98 [Amazon Link]

One rite of passage for real estate techies is to develop their own online brand. Podcasting and video blogs can be done in half the time once you’ve got the right equipment listed above.

Klipsch iGroove SXT iPod/iPhone Sound System – $149.99 [Amazon Link]

After experimenting with podcasting and video blogs it’s only natural that you’ll come away with a little more rhythm. The Klipsch iGroove is a cool way to keep the party going.

Motorola Droid – $199 [Verizon Wireless Link]/ iPhone 3GS – $199 [Apple Store Link]

All-in-one devices are all the rage these days which makes the Motorola Droid (Verizon Wireless) and iPhone 3GS (AT&T Wireless) the hot stocking stuffers to have this year.

Gifts Under $300

Garmin Nuvi 765 – $209.99 [Amazon Link]

If you’re looking for a dedicated GPS unit the Nuvi 765 serves as your North star, in-car bluetooth communication system and traffic guidance via FM updates. Now you’ll never get stuck in rush hour snarls while on tour again.

1-Year Lynda.com Subscription – $250 [Link]

How did I go from video editing slow to pro within 3 days? Lynda.com. The site offers up an all you can watch buffet of video tutorials on computer software like Adobe Lightroom 2, Photoshop and iMovie ’09. The videos are short, educational and clearly laid out which means you can find what you’re looking for in a snap.

Amazon Kindle – $259 [Amazon Link]

For the tech savvy bookworm, Amazon’s Kindle can download the hottest new books in under a minute. There is even PDF support so you can read ebooks, contracts and other documents on the go.

Xbox 360 Elite – $299 [EBGames Link]

The Xbox 360 isn’t just a video game system anymore. Featuring Facebook, Twitter and Last.fm integration alongside Netflix Instant movies, the 360 will help you stay on top of your social media empire without leaving the living room recliner.

Gifts Under $500

The real estate photo bar is on the rise and you (and your geek) should be ready to dazzle future sellers with outstanding photos. Newer point and shoot cameras can capture professional quality results with ease. Check out the hot new Canon S90IS and it’s primary competitor to see how you too can attain listing photo euphoria.

Canon S90IS Digital Camera – $399.00 [Amazon Link]
Alternative: Panasonic DMC-LX3K – $436.17 [Amazon Link]

Gifts Under $1100

Video editing, podcasting, photo enhancing. All this -ing will require some beefed up computing power. Refurbished Macs are an awesome way to put the preferred tool of digital creatives in your hands at a price you are happy with.

Refurbished Macbook Pro – $899 [Apple Store Link]

Desktop Alternatives:
HP TouchSmart 300-1020 20-Inch Black Desktop PC – $848 [Amazon Link]
Refurbished 24-inch iMac – $1,099 [Apple Store Link]

Gift Under $27,000

Finally, if you’re really looking to make a big impression on that special someone or have been rolling around in a clunker waiting for the perfect intersection of value and clickity clack gadgetry, I present to you the 2010 Mazda 3.

Complete with cool geekery like push button start, adaptive lighting system that steers the headlights as you turn your wheel and highway mileage of up to 33 mpg (29 mpg on 2.5L models), the Mazda 3 will give you a fresh dose of style and tech.

Such a delicacy isn’t for the price conscious as a full spec model will set you back nearly $26K but if you’re car shopping this pick should make your short list.

What do you think about our top 20 gift guide for real estate geeks? Do you have any gifts you would add to our list?

Business applications for the Smartphone, Blackberry and iPhone are becoming more of a necessity for today’s Real Estate Industry Professional and Brokerage. Consumers are able to download these applications right from their portable/mobile phones and devices for FREE.  The question is what should be included in your Real Estate Business App? Recently, I had a Business Card app designed by me and built by MobileAppLoader Inc.  At the time, there were only 3 or 4 Real Estate Related Apps available from the iTunes store for the iPhone.

Today there are literally hundreds of Real Estate Related apps online and most are free to the end user, the consumer.  With the explosion of mobile devices and wireless technology, 3G, edge, and others, now is the time to consider having a mobile application created for you or your business. You need to have more than just an online business card these days. You need to have something that offers value, useful tools, something to “equip” your clients and prospects, and on ALL platforms.

Why have a mobile App? To promote your business. To keep your customers updated. To encourage customer loyalty with rewards. To set up M-commerce. Some tools to consider for your mobile app might include: Direct Contact Info, Text Messaging, Auto GPS Locator, Property Search, Hyper-Local Information, Video, Website and Blog Access, Instant Chat Capability, Featured Listings, MLS/IDX Access, Loan Calculators, and any other tools you see fit to provide a unique and rewarding mobile experience.

A couple of weeks ago, I attended the REBarCamp in Silicon Valley, I was able to meet with owners representing companies like SmarterAgent and MobileAppLoader.  These folks can design custom apps for mobile devices and cell phones.  After attending their session, I was convinced that it’s time to evaluate your Company’s Mobile Technology Products and tools, as well as your current and future clients needs.  In my honest opinion, I think this is the hottest and fastest growing arena in business today. “Mobile Technology!” You should consider getting YOUR Company or Business on board right away.

It won’t be a choice for long, it’ll be a business requirement and Industry Standard.