A Real Estate Agent’s Story of a Happy Birthday iPad

The original iPad is now two years old. As an early adopter, I floundered a bit, two years ago, when I started using mine for my real estate business. My friend and mentor, Howard Chung, proposed a thought: real estate could become paperless with the iPad. That may now, actually be true.

There’s an expression that says: “knowledge is power” – while that may have been true, with access to the internet from most mobile devices – that has become less true. The more real estate has become a real-time contact sport, the more I appreciate my iPad.

One of the many benefits to the iPad, is the ability to share information among two to three people at once. Buyers can look at the information requested, un-edited, so that they can assess a particular property – this is huge. Being able to include or exclude a property, helps greatly in the decision process. The GPS based apps available, makes searching easier than from behind a desktop machine.

More than once, I’ve been at a property with buyers that felt that the property was “the one for them”. What they needed, was the assurance that the value was there. Being able to perform an analysis with them right there, in that home, is so much more beneficial than going back to a desk and printing out and looking at static data. The benefit to the buyer is not to be missed. They can be part of the process, they can see deeper information, and they can feel confident in their decision.

Sellers enjoy similar benefits. Gone are the days of a printed packet of “comps”. B.I., before iPad, I used to show up to a consultation appointment with a seller, and give them a caveat about the data.

“The market could have changed since I printed this”, I would say.

That was true; a pending property may have closed or reverted back to active. New homes may have come on the market; actives may have received contracts etc. When looking at the competition via the iPad, and going into those homes, virtually, that the buyers would be judging their home against, was revolutionary. Allowing the seller to judge their particular market in real-time has made our relationship as seller and seller’s representative, much more collaborative.

There are 100s, if not 1000s of apps that can be used for real estate on the iPad. The Keynote presentation tool is my favorite. Being able to access my consultation materials and share them at a moment’s notice is something that I value.

It is not an exaggeration to say that I cannot imagine being out in the field with clients and not have my iPad. Sure, it’s cool, and everyone wants to touch it. Cool factor aside, it allows for trust to be built. When information is shared, and conversations are about what is best for the client, their trust in me, as advisor, grows. This is a piece of technology that provides for connection at its deepest level.

Part II of Happy Birthday iPad: What apps you must have, if you are using the iPad for real estate.