The new digital age of real estate and further uses of the Apple iPad for real estate professionals

Nearly four months have passed since I wrote an article about the benefits the Apple iPad brings to real estate brokers and agents in Coeur d'Alene and throughout the world. Things such as size, weight and ease of use were all major factors that made me realize the iPad could be a valuable tool for Realtors. And after months of use and finding ways to implement the device, I am pleased to say that the Apple iPad has transformed the way that the business of selling real estate is conducted in our office.

Here are just some of the ways that Black Rock Properties has implemented the device into our daily routine:

1. Wireless email anywhere: Yes we all have cell phones that can send and receive email on the go, but how many times a day do you wish you could manipulate the document you just received without having to go to a laptop or desktop computer? Editing the new PowerPoint on the go or finishing the memo to employees is possible on the Apple iPad. Not to mention the ability to always be connected to your clients.
2. Staying educated: Brokers undoubtedly have questions during the day regarding real estate law, license law or any other real estate topic. With the iPad, pulling up a copy of the Idaho Real Estate Laws or a text book from your International Real Estate class to answer a specific question is possible.
3. Client tracking and listing reports: Using a custom database solution, Black Rock Properties has the information of every client to ever tour one of our listings. Furthermore, we are able to log when agents visit listings and show property and input any necessary information without having to wait until the agent is back at their desk.
4. Digital office: Offers to purchase, agency brochures and listing agreements fly around an office on a daily basis. Pulling up old files to look for a specific contingency, sending a copy of a listing agreement to a client or even signing purchase and sale contracts are all possible on the iPad without even having to be at your desk to dig through the stacks of paper. Using digital filing software, Black Rock has digitized and backed up every necessary piece of information. Those files are then synced in real time via our secure network to the portable device. When clients ask for a copy of their listing agreement, we send it in seconds via email. When a buyer wants to make an offer, they can sign the paperwork right on the iPad using their finger and we can forward the offer to the seller without having to waste anytime with the old fax machine. The Apple iPad helps keep your clients engaged and eliminates the clutter on your desk!
5. Helping clients find properties: As I mentioned in my first post, when a client visits a property that isn't to their liking or wants to see another in a different location, simply pull up the MLS right on the iPad and browse with them instantly. We don't waste time going back and forth from office to property to find the best home for our clients.
6. Listing presentations: When we sit down with our clients, we don't simply hand them a stack of paper and ask them to sign the listing, we show them what we are going to provide. From stunning photography to directed videos of each listing, we can show our clients in real life exactly what we do. From pulling up the sites our listings are featured on such as WSJ.com and the New York Times, to showing different video formats we can use to showcase their home, we don't let pictures and creative writing do the talking.

These are just some of the ways the Black Rock Properties Group and Tomlinson North Idaho Sotheby's International Realty uses the Apple iPad to continue separating us from the status quo and enables us to unite extraordinary properties with extraordinary lives.

To see how Black Rock Properties can market your home, contact us today or visit Black Rock Fine Homes.com