Best FREE Android Apps for Real Estate Professionals
Realtors and smartphones go together like peas and carrots. It’s an absolutely crucial tool for agents, since it allows them to get their email, search the web, and keep in regular communication with their clients. Nowadays, the most popular smartphones are Android devices.
There are more than 50 Android phones currently on sale in the U.S. alone. In fact, Google’s Andy Rubin – Senior VP of Engineering who oversees Android – recently said that there are more than 500,000 Android device activations daily.
Android currently holds more than 39% of the world’s smartphone market share according to IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, making it the most widely used smartphone in the world.
The Android Market is home to more than 400,000 apps that can be used on all Android Phones. These run the gamut from entertainment to business to lifestyle. I’ve put in some research and talked with Realtors to put together a list of the best FREE apps for real estate agents.
eKey – This one’s a no brainer. With the purchase of an eKey adaptor and download of this free app, you can get rid of your ActiveKey altogether. Plus, the app allows you to keep track of your lockboxes from your phone!
Google Maps Navigation – There are plenty of navigation options out there, but I swear by Google’s own Navigation app. Utilizing Google Maps, it provides you with a completely free, voice guided GPS navigation system… Crucial if you don’t have a navigation system!
CamCard Lite – Are you tired of that stack of business cards piling up? CamCard allows you to simply scan a business card using your phone’s camera, and then it reads and adds the data to your phone! It makes adding someone’s info to your database a breeze.
Karl’s Mortgage Calculator – If you’re looking for a simple mortgage calculator, this is the app to use. It’s easy to use, and gives you all of the information you need.
Zillow – There are plenty of real estate apps out there, but Zillow’s is especially useful because of the statistics they include such as their Zestimate® values.
Evernote – This isn’t just a note taking program, it’s an “extension of your brain”. It let’s you take notes, capture photos, create to-do lists, record voice reminders and more, and makes them all searchable. In addition, it syncs your notes across the computers and devices you use.
Dropbox – If you like having your photos, docs or videos at your fingertips wherever you go, this is the app for you. Simply save your files to the Dropbox on your phone or computer, and you can access it anywhere! Plus, you can edit your documents from your phone.
The Weather Channel – Although there are hundreds of weather apps, I prefer The Weather Channel app due to the excellent animated radar. It’s great for seeing if that dark cloud
is a storm about to roll in, and the interface is easy to use.
Qik – This app isn’t only used for video chat; you can also take video and instantly share it with your friends or to your favorite social networking site. Make your own virtual tour and load it to your Facebook page! The possibilities are endless.
QR Droid – If you’re in the market for a QR code reader, look no further than QR Code. Rated “5.0 out of 5 stars” by PCWorld. Plus, it allows you to create and share QR codes from your phone!
Another app you may want to try that I’ve heard mixed reviews about is Safe Neighborhood, which maps sex offenders in a neighborhood. However, I still recommend giving clients the Georgia Bureau of Investigation website address (www.gbi.georgia.gov) for better results.
Do you have any must-have, free Android Apps that didn’t make the list? Sound off below!
By Tisha Gay
