Category Archives: Education/Coaching
Education/Coaching
Follow Up or FAIL! by Brad Pearson
So, you had a great conversation with a homeowner while door knocking, lot’s of open house visitors, or a great appointment with a buyer or seller prospect, and you’re convinced that the conversation went so well that they “will call you” when they are ready. While this may be true, and they probably mean it at the time they said it, the reality is that the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality will inadvertently set in, and they will not call you. In fact, they will meet more Realtors at open houses, or through friends and family, etc. and the saga begins. You drive by their house, or bump into them weeks or months down the road and you find out that they listed or bought with/from another agent. That sinking feeling sets in and you immediately feel betrayed, then calculate the commission you lost, and ultimately kick yourself wondering what you could have done differently or better to have not lost the opportunity.
Many agents will over analyze the above scenario, blame the customer, feel hurt, feel angry, etc. and even 
search out other agents and even their manager to share in their plight and lament in their disappointment while never really determining the actual failure and moving forward with a solution to limit these situations from happening again. This is why I am writing this article! If I can convey the solution well enough, and the magnitude of this practice, and save some of you this loss, then I will have succeeded in my mission.
As many of the things I share with the agents I coach, most solutions to growing a business are pretty simple, but require action, and this is no different. The lifeblood of sales in any industry regardless of what you are selling, is FOLLOW UP! Without FOLLOW UP, you are fully dependent upon a prospect making a decision and signing a contract on the spot. Since we know this does not always happen, the ONLY way to dramatically improve your odds of getting a signed contract, is to FOLLOW UP consistently, and until you obtain it.
Again, as with many strategies I share, it is often the simplest ones that so many agents do not do, or they depend on some form of technology to do for them, leading to low return and ultimate increased failure rates. This is important to understand… It’s pretty well known that almost 50% of sales people never follow up after the first contact and only about 10% of sales people actually follow up more than three times. Hmmm… Is it a coincidence that the top 10% of Realtors covet so much of the business in an office? Now accepting that about 80% of the sales made happen between the fifth to twelfth contact, I think we have discovered one of the leading reasons why so many real estate agents struggle in this business. THIS PARAGRAPH IS KEY! Prospecting is critical as we discussed in my last post, but without follow up, the return/success will be substantially smaller!
So, what we know is that a good, consistent, semi-aggressive/aggressive, follow up plan for each client that DOES NOT RELY ON EMAIL alone, but rather in person or by phone contact, is a winning strategy that will yield HUGE financial returns to those who make this a vital part of their business strategy!
How much should you follow up? Great question! 🙂 My professional opinion from not only a Realtors perspective, but from a consumers perspective as someone who “buys stuff”, a follow up strategy should be tailored to each prospect based on their time frames for what they wish to accomplish. If a seller says they will be listing their home 9 months from now, then you are probably safe contacting by phone monthly, mail (or other form) bi monthly, while increasingly looking to determine if/when they are going to buy/sell, and when they are 30-45 days away, contact in person or by phone weekly. As a general rule, I’ve told salespeople that a good measurement of whether you are following up enough, is to do it just right up to the point that you feel uncomfortable and maybe a little past that feeling. This is a good natural way to know that you are growing in the process and as long as the clients don’t get irritated with you then, your feelings aren’t an issue, but rather a measuring stick.
In closing, I’d ask you all to think about the last commitment you made, whether it was a personal or financial commitment. Did that salesperson “close” you on the first contact? Likely not. It’s also likely that you actually felt obligated to the salesperson who followed up with you the most and best and felt that they “earned” the sale. Now, just do the same thing they did, but with your own prospects, and you will see your business skyrocket!
Thanks for taking the time to read this post and just know that I am here for all motivated real estate agents who are looking to grow their businesses and I am happy to offer a free coaching session to you regardless of company affiliation. At Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, we provide the tools and leadership to help you grow and would love to discuss your affiliation with the #1 Real Estate company in America if you’re not already here!
Brad Pearson
(714) 782-2723
Click to learn more!
How to DRAMATICALLY increase your success in Real Estate sales! by Brad Pearson
I hear it all of the time… “I mail, I drop, I email, I use social media, I advertise, etc. but I’m just not getting enough listings. What more can I do?” My response is always the same… “How many people are you talking to face to face and over the phone each day in your prospecting efforts?” And this is where the conversation begins to slide. “But Brad, I hate door knocking, I hate cold calling even more, and I feel like I’m bothering my past clients and SOI by calling them all of the time, and I mail them and email them all of the time so they don’t forget me and my last manager told me that was enough, in fact my last manager told me that I just needed to mail more, more often, and better messages.” At this point I realize that I am fighting an uphill battle and it’s very likely that everything I say from this point forward will land on deaf ears since it’s so easier to follow the “mail more” advice than it is to do the work that I will suggest. Sometimes though, I am pleasantly surprised by the agent that “get’s it” and says, “OK, I’ll do what you are telling me to do.” And those are the agents that keep me going on my mission to build careers.
If you have an open mind and strong desire to dramatically increase your success and income, then continue reading…
What I will share will seem like common sense, but in an industry where there are literally thousands of companies selling the “next best thing” to get agents business, it’s easy to drift off track and forget the most simple of strategies that cost NOTHING but time and a little sweat!
It’s well known that over 50% of communication is Non-Verbal, and more about body language and tonality, and that the #1 highest form of communication is FACE to FACE, yet as Real Estate agents we spend so much time buying products and services that limit that form of communication. i.e. mail, email, texting, smart phones, social media, and all kinds of fancy stuff. Managers bring these services to sales meetings and push them on the agents in hopes that $29.95 month will solve all of the agents woes. Presentation boards, brochures, flyers, etc. that frankly no one will ever read or care about if you don’t TALK to them, present well, and get FACE to FACE at some point.
Here’s where the world has been and has come to when it comes to forms communication by usage:
1. Email, Texting, Social Media
2. Post cards, form letters, bulk mailers
3. Personal handwritten notes and letters
4. Telephone calls. Voice to Voice
5. Face to Face in person initial conversations
Whats wrong with this picture? We have become so reliant on making things easier and less personal that 50-80% of our email in boxes and regular paper mail is JUNK! I don’t know about you, but if I don’t check our mail for a few days, I end up with a plastic bin full of JUNK and have to sort through it, tossing anything and everything that isn’t personal and important. Same with email. Heaven forbid we don’t check our email for a day, we would have hundreds to delete to get to the good stuff. But how many VISITS, CALLS and PERSONAL NOTES do we get anymore? Our lawmakers even had to create laws to stop us from texting while driving because we are so averse to making an actual call that we risk our own and others lives to avoid it.
Actual Coaching Notes
Now here’s the success strategy to change and improve your business. Flip that list above, upside down! Get out there and actually knock some doors when people are home between 3-6pm, or anytime for that matter. Meet people, get to know them, establish relationships, and impact their memory banks so when they do get your mailers and emails they actually look at them more than 3 seconds. Make your first contact with a prospect or neighborhood in person.
Think of it like this, if the majority of the Real Estate agents/industry are working the above list in the order I wrote it, then YOU need to do the opposite!
That is how you will grow your business exponentially, and frankly that is how you will beat your competitors hands down!
So, go buy some comfortable shoes, and figure out how to use your smartphone for something more than facebook, twitter, email, texting, youtube, pictures, music, etc. etc. and start making some calls to your SOI, Past Clients, Farm, and all prospects and start off with “Hi, my name is ______ and I just wanted to meet/talk to you instead of only mail and email you….”
I posted a great and inspiring video below about a successful “door knocking salesman” that should help alleviate any fears you may have towards knocking doors. As always, I’m happy to provide free coaching to agents with a strong desire to grow their businesses! I look forward to SEEING you and TALKING to you soon! 🙂
Brad Pearson
(714) 782-2723
Bill Potter, Door to Door Salesman
How to succeed in the luxury real estate market! by Brad Pearson
So you’ve looked through the luxury home magazines, the mls, around the internet, and day dream about what it would be like and what it would take to get a salable listing for $3.9 million or even $10+ million, and then as quickly as you began, you dismissed the thought and went on with your day. Sometimes you’ll hear about some agent in your office or market that listed something enormous and for a split second you cringe wondering why it wasn’t you, and then you dismiss it with “well, it probably won’t sell anyway”, and shake it off.
I’m writing today to shed some light on these elusive dream listings, and the agents who take them. After years of working with agents from the newest licensee to the ultra mega producers, I have had the benefit of witnessing, first hand, agents who list and sell the high end and ultra high end properties. While I certainly don’t know it all, I believe I can shed some light on this subject and help those of you who wish to enter this market with some information that can help you do so.
First and foremost, this is not a price range that you should enter unprepared. Unless you were raised in this lifestyle or are currently living it and already speak the language, then some preparation is advised. But don’t worry, I’m not saying that you have to spend a year researching the ultra-wealthy like a National Geographic explorer! What I am saying though is that you need to get very curious and learn as much as you can about their world. While it’s true like my plumber father always said “everyone puts their pants on the same, one leg at a time son”, it’s important to realize that the pants he’s referring to were likely substantially more expensive than mine, not to mention the surrounding environment where the pants were put on.
Here are some first steps that I have learned are critical to implementing a luxury home marketing strategy:
– Know the high end market inside and out! Scour the MLS and know every comp in the entire area and surrounding areas over the last year or two. Look at every Active, Pending, Expired, and Sold/Closed. Read the entire MLS printouts and gather information on these areas and these homes. Remember, you can have a $7 million home right next door to a $2.5 million home, so this isn’t like comp’ing out a tract home. There’s more about “feel” and knowledge of amenities than you could imagine.
Click to download Report
-Learn how to speak the language! Subscribe to luxury publications like, Robb Report, Dupont Registry, WallSt. Journal, 1stdibs.com, PreviewsInsideOut.com, etc. and just start immersing yourself into the articles. Know more about what’s happening in the business world than you know in the sports world and you can’t go wrong. Yes, I know, there are athletes who would appreciate your knowledge of sports, but that is the exception, and even they will appreciate your knowledge of the global and US business happenings that could affect the luxury marketplace. At Coldwell Banker/Previews Int’l we publish a luxury market report that you should read and share with your high end prospects. (Click the image to the right to view report)
-Get certified by your company’s luxury home program! Most large national brands have a secondary brand that’s focus is the luxury market. At Coldwell Banker, we have Previews International. Some companies make this easy, some make it difficult, but don’t think that you can go up against an agent who uses the luxury brand with the standard brand and win. With a potential six figure commission on the line, it’s not worth the risk. At Coldwell Banker, Previews International is so well known in the luxury market that it is critical to use when working the luxury market. You can literally lose the listing opportunity in the first few seconds by introducing yourself with the wrong brand. Remember, these are often people that ONLY buy brand name, and while there are plenty of boutique companies out there that list high end, they have been established in their communities for years and have established a local brand themselves.
-Dress the part! No, you don’t have to wear a tuxedo or even a full suit and tie, business suit, prom dress, etc. But you need to look professional and well put together. Let’s be real here, a goatee doesn’t inspire trust or scream out wealth. Yes, there are exceptions to every rule, but why not just play it safe! Remember the size of the commissions we’re talking about here… Why bank on the exception to the rule and not just go with the rule. Remember, you’re applying for a job, so dress the part.
-Walk the Walk AND Talk the Talk! Look at all of your marketing, business cards, flyers, websites, social media, etc. etc. and ask yourself, “Does this all look high end?” “What image am I projecting?” “Do the last 10 posts to my social media reflect the luxury image or do I look like everyone else?” Do I have the typical salesperson screaming big photo glossy business cards that look obnoxious or do I have the smart classy subtle high end image business cards? Is my marketing ego driven, or image driven? You’re focus needs to be shifted from ego (if that’s the case) to IMAGE driven marketing. And your image needs to be consistent to ALL clientele regardless of price range. Remember, a high end image will not hurt you in the lower end price ranges, but a low end image will kill you in the high end price ranges. Besides, all clientele deserve the best, so why not fall to the high end image/approach for every client?
-LEARN your company’s luxury marketing value proposition and key differentiators from competitors! Know the listing presentation inside and out. Know WHY a luxury homeowner NEEDS to be listed with you and your firm! At Coldwell Banker Previews Int’l we make it very simple to convey this to the customer with MORE advertising and marketing for the high end than any other company in the WORLD! Use the office Marketing Coordinator to put together your listing presentation tools and show and tell pieces and practice the listing presentation! Practice with your manager!
-Be fearless!!! Now that you’ve done the above, you need to just let go of any fear you are harboring towards this market. The company your with should help eliminate a lot of it! If your company has a strong high end strategy and powerful value proposition to the luxury market, then you should walk with confidence into any appointment or prospecting conversation knowing that they NEED to be listed with you and your firm to get their home sold. IF YOU BELIEVE THIS THEN THEY WILL! If you try to wing it or “sell” them, they will smell it and run! CONFIDENCE WILL COME FROM KNOWLEDGE OF YOUR UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITIONS AND BELIEF THAT YOU ARE THE RIGHT AGENT FOR THE JOB OF SELLING THEIR HOME! NOTE: As a Coldwell Banker Previews Int’l agent, you can walk proudly and confidently knowing that you are with the largest and most successful Real Estate Company in the US with the strongest high end luxury marketing tools available in your market place! You WILL be able to demonstrate to the luxury client that there is NO other choice in their price range to list with to achieve the results they are looking for!
Where do you get these prospects? Yes, it’s true that many of the luxury agents are well established in the high end, and a lot of their business is from referral and networking with other luxury clientele. You’re probably not going to spend tens of thousands of dollars to join the local country clubs. So what is your angle of entry into this market? Here’s some ideas:
-Expired listings! These high end listings often expire. Why not go visit all properties over $2 mil that expired in the past year?
-Direct mail! Don’t just hammer them with post cards, but rather why not pick a few hundred and send them the Luxury Market Report with a cover letter?
-Specialized lists! Coldwell Banker Previews Int’l has lists of Millionaires, Yacht Owners, Airplane Owners, Celebrities, etc. with home addresses, etc. on the NRTGateway. Just sort these lists by area and start connecting with them on Social Media, via mail, etc.
-Successful Business Owners! Always get to know the owner of a business where you frequent. Car dealers, restaurants, etc. Ask to meet the owner and complement them on their company. Then follow up by mail and Social Media.
-Other Luxury Realtors! At Coldwell Banker you can email Previews Int’l certified agents across the world directly and introduce yourself as a referral source for the luxury market, while offering to do the same in return. Create a non-intrusive schedule to make these contacts.
-Knock Doors! Yes, that’s right. It takes guts to knock a door on a $2 mil home, but if you knock with a purpose then it’s not going to backfire. Ex. Knock to hand out the Luxury Report as a courtesy to the neighborhood. Obviously some areas you cannot for obvious reasons, gates, rules, etc.
In closing, just start “being” a luxury agent. Make it who you are. Think like one and you’ll be amazed at the business that comes your way in all price ranges!
Note: At Coldwell Banker, the manager has the authority to certify and designate agents as Previews Int’l agents without any delays in processing. Marketing materials can be ordered immediately. Training is available as well as an office marketing coordinator that will assist you in building this aspect of your business.
For more information, contact Brad Pearson directly at 714-782-2723
“Secret” to success in Real Estate sales and technology! by Brad Pearson
Why do some agents seem to just get listings easier than others? What is their secret? If I had a nickel for every time an agent asked me how another agent seems to get so many listings so consistently year over year, then, well you… The truth is very simple but there isn’t a single answer. After 21 years in real estate and almost 15 in leadership/coaching, this is what I have discovered;
-Some agents success is the result of many many years of consistent hard work, prospecting, lead follow up, and incredible customer service ethics that have resulted in an accumulation affect that now results in consistent referral business year over year. When I’m asked “What does Jane Superagent do to be so successful?” and the agent they are asking about has been in real estate for 20+ years, I make it really clear that the way they get their business will not be the way they get their business…. YET. Like any established business with a book of clientele over a long period of time, like a good restaurant, doctor, or lawyer, they likely don’t have to prospect as much as someone brand new in the business with zero or much fewer clients.
-Some agents who are extremely successful and only in the business a short period of time, and seem to have come out of “no where” with huge production, were either very well connected with a strong SOI, or created and are following a very disciplined business plan with someone in place to hold them accountable. They adhere to a schedule and focus most of their time and energy on activities that will yield them the highest return. Those activities are proactively prospecting for new business, follow up with leads/prospects, and being in front of clients doing presentations.
It’s that simple. There isn’t a magic bullet or “secret”. In 21+ years, I have never met a top producer who attributes their success to the internet, social media, or some piece of technology, yet some do utilize the internet, social media, and technology to support their business and assist in becoming more efficient and effective in their efforts. In short, this is a people business, and therefore proactively TALKING and CONNECTING to PEOPLE as much as possible with a genuine motivation to help them with their real estate needs, is the “secret” to success in real estate sales.
Now, with all of that said, times have and are constantly changing! And it is becoming more and more 
necessary to be open minded to utilizing tools like social media, blogging, video, to CONNECT to more and more people in the way that THEY wish to connect to you. It is becoming more and more important to adapt and learn what your customers are using to stay connected nowadays. While Facebook is considered a “time waster” by some, it’s hard to ignore that there are currently 500 million users on Facebook with 250 million logging in each day, and with 317,227,000 people in the U.S., it might a little absurd to be the guy or gal that says “oh, I don’t use Facebook in my business”. This is a tool that cannot and will not replace your need to reach out and TALK to your prospects. But rather it is a phenomenal way to CONNECT with your prospects and clients in a place that they are very comfortable with and already using DAILY.
Let’s imagine for a second… You have a great appointment with an expired listing prospect, they decide to wait another two months before listing, but tell you that they “will stay in touch and will likely list with you”, you leave and add them to an email drip campaign and “plan” to call them in a few weeks and “follow up” consistently, now after the first follow up call they tell you “we will call you when we are ready” basically nudging you to “don’t call us, we’ll call you”… now what??? You know they won’t read your emails, and will very likely NOT call you. Let’s now connect with them on Facebook! Now you can learn all about their lives, like their posts, “get to know them”, and they can “get to know you”, your follow up calls can be much more “WARM” and you can jump right in with “so I just saw your post about your son making honor roll, congratulations! So, I wanted to touch base and just say hi and see if you had any questions about the market?”. You can also send a handwritten note now and say the same thing. Also, every single time you “like” one of their posts, they are reminded that you are there in the least intrusive way.
Start thinking of all of the other ways that you could use this strategy to bridge the gap between being a “pushy” sales person, to simply becoming their “friend” in a way that they are comfortable with. For Sale by Owners? Past Clients? Open House prospects?
I know, I know, some of them may not accept your friend request, this is true, but MOST will, and as long as you don’t overwhelm them or come off like a stalker, then they will not only accept you but they will start liking your posts too!
We won’t get into this yet, but once you get a solid group built of prospects that you are “friends” with, I can show you how to unobtrusively advertise to them right in their news feed!
Keep an open mind and embrace the new exciting tools available to us as Realtors, while continuing to stay in touch with the good old tried and true strategies of the past, with just a few tweaks for good measure!
Is your manager or coach sharing cutting edge strategies with you? Is your business just not taking off as fast or strong as you’d like it to? Remember, a manager/coach can and should have a significant impact on your business. Keep checking back on this blog for tips and strategies that will help your business grow, and never hesitate to call me (Brad Pearson) to sit down and have a free coaching session to get your business on track!
The Truth about the 3.8% Obama’s Healthcare plan
I’m sure you’ve gotten the chain e-mails, read the websites, or had your clients, friends, or family ask you about the 3.8% tax under the “Obamacare” plan. Needless to say, I’ve had many of our agents forward them to me from their clients asking if I “knew about this”. Every time, I simply forward the truth from NAR’s website. These chain e-mails have ridiculous examples like “if you sell a $100,000 home after Jan. 1, 2013, you will have to pay $3,800 in tax”. This couldn’t be further from the truth! I’m a devout Republican, so putting politics aside, these emails are complete fear tactics created to detract from the Obama Administration and Obama’s Health Care initiative. They’re not true and end up getting believed by people who don’t know how to use Google to verify facts before panicking. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t like the tax, I don’t agree with it, but it’s not AS bad as it’s being made out to be and I simply don’t want us to get caught up in spreading incorrect information received in chain e-mails.
Of course as Realtors, we can NEVER give out TAX advice, and should always refer TAX questions to the appropriate professionals, but we can simply forward the correct information as published by a reliable 3rd party.
Below I have attached a link to download the National Association of Realtors PDF booklet that very clearly and simply explains the new law. It has simple scenarios as well as examples to make it easy to understand who this tax would apply to.
Click image to download PDF
Great new iPhone photo app! Perfect for Realtors!
I just came across a new app called “PicFrame”! This app allows you to combine multiple photos in many different frame layouts in seconds.
Too many photos to be able to put on the MLS or your flyer? Just select a frame layout and combine 3, 4, 5, or more photos in a very cool looking frame. You can even widen, eliminate, select the color or choose a custom pattern for the borders.
Every app similar to this that I’ve tried is difficult, confusing to use, and just not practical. You’ll find PicFrame incredibly simple and versatile.
Here’s a sample:
Now once you’ve created the picture, you can even share it on your Social Networks or via email with ease.
Ok… For you Android phone users, there’s a version of this for you too! It’s called PhotoGrid
I bought an Android smartphone! Is it good for Real Estate agents yet???
Don’t worry Apple iPhone friends, I still have my new iPhone 4s and I love it! I just HAD to get the new Samsung Galaxy Note after reading so many positive reviews and the chatter surrounding the new S Pen and giant 5.3″ screen. And thanks to Google Voice (google.com/voice), if you call my number, both phones will ring and I can choose which one I wish to answer.
This post is for all of my Android fans who refuse to, or are still waiting for the opportunity, to move to the iPhone after hearing me rant over and over about how much more the iPhone is built for business and specifically Realtors. So I am going to share my thoughts about the progress Android has made as well as some of the reasons the iPhone is still the best choice for Realtors.
On Thursday, I traded in my HTC Inspire Android smartphone in on the Samsung Note. While the Inspire was a 
large phone, this Note is enormous in comparison. It also has the “S Pen” that intrigued me in the first place.
Immediately my goal was to see if there was a way to accomplish some of the critical tasks that made the iPhone so attractive to the Realtors. Ex. Signing contracts, easy video editing, creating contracts, taking notes, and of course SIRI (voice interaction).
First of all, I was able to find two signing/signature apps… One is called Significant, and the other is 
SignMyPad. Both of which I’ve used before. Significant I found to to be fairly worthless, despite the interface being great, because once you sign the PDF document and email it out, if the person receiving it is on an iPhone or iPad, then they will not see the signature at all. I believe this is due to their possible requirement of Adobe being used to view or something. Nevertheless, it’s worthless since millions of people use iPads and iPhones. SignMyPad, works very well. This app is also available on the iPhone/iPad, and I found it to be a bit buggy there, but on the Android it appears to work great and solve the problem of signing PDF documents on the fly. You can open PDF files from your email by holding down the file attachment and selecting this app for it to work. Unfortunately though, you must first SAVE the file you signed and then go back and send it, unlike the iPhone and iPad that makes it very seamless to just sign and click email and you’re done.
The great news is that Zipforms Mobile works great! So creating contracts on the fly is very simple now. Two small problems though… 1. Zipforms sees this giant phone/tablet as a phone rather than a tablet so their new signing feature does not work on it. 2. To use SignMyPad to sign contracts, you must first email the completed contract to yourself from Zipforms Mobile and then open it up in SignMyPad. Unlike the iPhone and iPad where you can simply click “View” and then “Open In” SignMyPad/Other signing app, and you’re done in seconds.
Taking notes is incredible with this phone! With the S Pen you just open the notes app and start writing. There are nice apps on the iPad and iPhone, but you need to buy a Stylus and the sensitivity and accuracy is not comparable. The Samsung Note allows you to press a little harder to darken or lighter to thin the line. It’s simple to sync with Evernote and/or send your note as an image straight over to someone. Drawing on any image or map makes it easy to point things out to people and convey info to someone in seconds by just writing on the image with the S Pen.
FINALLY, it appears that there are some good Video Editing Apps on the Android “PLAY STORE” (Market). I found two that seem decent and somewhat comparable to Apples iMovie (but that is a stretch)… One is AndroMedia and the other is VidTrim. AndroMedia looks the best and easiest so far, but because it’s free, it is fettered with advertisements surrounding your work area. Thank goodness for the giant screen on the Note!
When it comes to Voice Interaction with a smartphone, Siri is hard to compete with, but I am completely impressed with the Voice Talk and Voice Search apps on the Samsung Galaxy Note. So far they work almost flawlessly and while they are not as witty as Siri is, they get the job done!
In closing, I’ll say that I love my new phone… It’s very unique and a lot of fun, and it appears that Android app developers as well as Samsung are working to attract the business users a little more than before. I’m still blown away that I still cannot easily wirelessly mirror my Android phone to a TV like I can with my iPhone/iPad via a $99 Apple TV box! I guess we’re supposed to do our Powerpoint presentations ON the phone or with a VGA or HDMI cable/cord stretched all the way to the phone. If there’s any confusion on the difference in mindset between Apple’s focus, and Androids focus, then just look at the name of their “Stores to buy Apps”… Apple has their “App Store” and Android has their “Play Store”. Something tells me that they are trying to sell more Games than business apps to the Android users. I’m just pointing out the obvious here!
I still say that if you are a Realtor, then you need either an iPad or an iPhone to actually have the ultimate 
mobile office.
Top Apps for Android Tablets and Smartphones Nov 2011
Click to go to the Android Market!
1. SIGNificant by Xyzmo
2. DropBox
3. Scan to PDF
4. Google Earth
5. ZipForm Mobile (CAR.org)
6. Mobile Fax by Burrotech
7. MLS Touch
8. Documents to Go by DataViz $14.99 MS Office Excel, PPT, pdf
9. Google Translate
10. Fidelity National Title 1-2-3
11. Photaf Panorama by Oren Bengigi (Free)
Note: While there are great apps for the Android devices, I have found some difficulty in getting them to work seamlessly in comparison to the iPhone. Ex. Taking a contract from ZipForms Mobile and getting it into SIGNificant was challenging. Could just be me!
Please feel free to comment on your thoughts and experiences. Share the apps that you have found to work great for Real Estate!
Top iPhone Apps as of Nov. 14, 2011 for Real Estate Agents
Click image to go to the App Store!
2. Scan to PDF – Scan and send documents in PDF format from anywhere.
3. JotNot Fax – For those who “still” use faxes. This is a great app!
4. AgentFirst (First American) Get property info and order profile from your phone.
5. BottomLine (Fidelity) Provide buyers with payment and approximate closing cost info.
6. MLS Touch – Get info on any listing, stats, agent info, maps, etc. instantly.
7. ZipForm Mobile – Create, revise, sign contracts directly from your phone in a pinch. (CAR.org $9.95/year)
8. Keynote – Show your listing presentation at a moments notice or project to TV.
9. Google Earth – Show clients aerial picture of any home & save snapshots for use on MLS or other marketing.
10. 360 Panorama – Take wide panoramic pictures of your listings.
11. iMovie – Create video fast and easy.
12. MagicPlan – Create floorplans of your listings for marketing.
13. Pages – Use this app to create letterhead, flyers, personal notes, etc. from anywhere. And then send as PDF or .doc files!
14. Cards (Apple) – Everyone should be doing personal notes! Here’s a great and easy way to send very personalized notes without ever going to the post office or touching a piece of paper.
15. Google Translate – Don’t get caught not being able to communicate with someone no matter where you are! Translate any language just by talking to it or typing in your sentence.
16. Sign n Send – Sign anything directly on your iPhone.
Brad Pearson's Blog 