My Favorite Real Estate Tools

To get any job done, tools have to be used. Tools can be high tech, low tech, or no simple tech. Below is a list of the seven most important real estate tools that I use both in my work as a real estate agent here in Tallahassee, Florida, and in my personal life as a real estate observer.  I share this information as you may want to use these tools too. There are many other tools, but I like to list things in sevens. Here they are:

1. My smart device, which is a Treo 700wx. It keeps my contact database, notes, tasks, calculator, and provides me with my email on the fly, text messenging, Multiple Listing Service application, so I can view properties when with buyers or when studying neighborhoods. I have Google Maps, to view streets, neighborhoods, homes. I also have  a brower on my Treo device. I use it to blog, read blogs, particularly WordPress blogs,  and access websites wherever I am. I can research real estate sites. I can also view PDF files, and excel spreadsheets which I use to document neighborhood real estate data.

2.  A Blog. WordPress is my favorite blog platform for posting blogs,  and for learning and   keeping up with  real estate issues, from other bloggers. WordPress has a lot of dynamic content on so many topics. Buyers, sellers, as well as real estate agents use the blogging service. It is a learning experience to read peoples’ comments, and post comments on others’ blog posts. I consider this a people to people tool. Blogging is about sharing and interacting with others.

3. A digital camera to photograph properties. I have the camera on both my smart device and I have a more powerful stand alone digital camera.

4. A good email account. I use Gmail. I like the folder option, search option, and the filter control. I can also use Google talk and instant message with customers, and prospects while in my Google email account.

5. Google Calendar. I can text message Google Calendar and input events, or appointments, and get a text message back with the input as well as the input on my online Google Calender. So,  the event is recorded in two places. I also use the calendar tool which comes with my smart phone device. 

6. Three property date sources. I use Leon County Property Appraiser website. Most if not all counties, have public information from the local county’s property appraiser website, in which property data can be found: approximate square footage, age of home, dimensions, last sold date, sold amount, owner information, and more information. Also, Housefront offers a great service for accessing pertinent property data from you cell phone via a text message. I use this regularly. Trulia offers a public database of homes sold and homes on the market in localities around the country. It offers an excellent mapping tool, in which you can identify where the homes that are on the market and have recently sold. You can select criteria for searching, such as zip codes of interest, size of home, number of bedrooms, to name a few options for a search.  I use Trulia daily, but also use the Multiple Listing Service whcih offers detailed information, but you have to be members of the service. This is one of the most valuable tools of any real estate agent.

7. A measuring device certainly comes in handy. Buyers needs to measure room dimensions, even if the listing has the dimensions recorded. Mistakes can be found, and it is always in the buyers best interest to make sure the rooms, garage, property size are correct. There are a number of good measuring devices on the market. You can get simples devices or high tech devices. Sellers need to make sure the dimensions are correct before advertising their property.

If you want to know more about the tools I use, or have real estate questions, please contact me.

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR, ePRO
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor
1607 Village Square Boulevard, Suite B 103
Tallahassee, Florida 32309
Direct/Text 850-339-5753  Blog: http://KennethFach.wordpress.com

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