Where to start? Seems to me the obvious answer is at the beginning. At least for the purpose of the 90 Day Challenge the beginning is to address where you are now and examine your environment. Do you have the things at your disposal everyday that make the real estate business work for you?
So then let’s begin with the most fundamental of our tools… our cell phones. Can you imagine your day without a cell phone? How many times have you felt the panic associated with a lost or missing phone? Incredible when you consider that the cell phone as a business tool has been around less that 20 years. Let’s look at the last 20 years of cell phones…
What does your cell phone say about you? What year are you stuck in? Like it or not your cell phone identifies your tech adaptation. It is the most obvious statement about how connected you are. So, what do you need in a cell phone in real estate?
- Of course, you need for the phone to work as a phone. We need to make and place calls. The telephone is still the lifeline of the real estate business.
- Text messaging – the communication of the immediate and in real estate – it is essential. Many of the new tools call for the texting of information. Teach yourself to use the keyboard and start texting!
- Email – yes – I think we need to be able to get emails whenever you need to wherever you are. Understand that you can lose business by not staying on top of your emails. Once or twice a day is not enough anymore.
- Internet – Access to the internet on your cell phone is optional, but can be quite useful. MLS access and tax roll info is now available for you.most of the new phones will allow internet access through WIFI, or wireless interent – which is popping up everywhere. (TIP: want the MLS on your phone? Click here for all of the info)
- Applications – the latest and greatest. These are optional, but applications are the future of the cell phone. As the evolution continues, the cell phone assumes more and more functions of a computer.
- Hands Free – yes, we all need to be hands free in the car. Safety for you and your customers is a must!
- GPS – knowing where the phone is at all times. A bit scary, but ultimately quite useful for real estate – just think of the saying Location, Location, Location and you can begin to understand how important Geo Locational and Positioning is to our business. Trulia has come up with an awesome GPS application… watch this video to understand.
Lesson for Day 1 – Maybe it’s time to upgrade your cell phone. What will it be?
Some resources for your search…
- About the Blackberry
- About the new Google Phone
- A great source for cell phone comparisons
Love your phone? Comment about it…
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