To-Do
The A List(back)

The B List:
The next tier of technology investments may add just as much productivity as the "A-List" but generally not until you've fully integrated the previous level of technology into your business activities. Technology is like most other aspects of life in that learning to walk before you run will usually make you a faster runner in the end.

• Presentation Software - More and more of today's real estate professionals are successfully taking their technology into the field. Armed with a notebook computer and the real estate presentation software available from either Top Producer or PREP, any agent can easily utilize outstanding presentations for their buyers and sellers.  The value to the agent is that both of these software packages come with over a dozen top-quality presentations that can be easily customized.  This drastically reduces the amount of time required to prepare for client appointments and makes a professional statement that cannot be matched by paper alone.
• Phone Directories - The days of using a printed cross-reference are over. Pro CD Select Phone is just one example of an electronic directory that contains every business and personal address in the country, cost less than $100 and can be updated quarterly if you like. Not only is it faster than using a book to look up others by phone number, address or zip code, but you can print out search results on standard label sheets as well. While the Internet is great for looking up one number at a time, the real power of this software comes from mass searches. For example, within five minutes you could lookup and print labels for the 500 neighbors closest to your new listing. As if this wasn't impressive enough, you can also export this information to your contact manager software! Every serious real estate agent needs this kind of marketing and prospecting power.
• Digital Cameras - Few technologies are a satisfying to use as the digital camera. Not only does it save both time and money, but it also represents one of the few technologies that can directly impress your customers and clients as well. When you tour a prospective listing taking digital photos, and then import them into a marketing flyer right before the seller's eyes, you're building a lot of credibility in the process. And, when you e-mail a photo of your new listing to an out of town buyer, the same day the home comes to market, they're going to be impressed!
• Portable Printers - If you're going to go portable with your technology, then a portable printer is a eventual must-have purchase.  While showing buyers and seller property flyers and MLS searches in their living room is a great use of technology to enhance customer service, nothing matches the lasting professional impression made by actually printing color copies to leave behind.  When you realize that a good portable printer can be had for under $300 and that that these units really are portable, it doesn't take much calculation to realize their true value to today's mobile professionals.
• Financial Analysis - Most agents seem to shy away from offering financial advice, instead simply referring financial inquiries to a loan officer.  Unfortunately, this runs counter to growing consumer demands for one-stop shopping and expert advice from all of their business contacts.  While no one is saying that agents need to become mortgage underwriters, having accurate answers to all of your consumer's questions and offering un-iased and expert advice certainly goes a long way towards adding value to your services, and creating satisfied customers. The financial software programs from both Top Producer and PREP both make the task of mortgage counseling extremely simple, effective and accurate.  If any agent doubts the vaule of adding such software to your current lineup, simply consider the proposition from the customer's perspective.  What buyer wouldn't want to know the real financial differences between choosing a fixed-rate or an adjustable rate loan?  Who wouldn't want to understand the true impact of paying discount points? How could your buyer not be impressed by a simple, yet accurate, demonstration of the long-term impact of making small additional principal payments on a monthly basis? Finally, the real question is how will the buyer feel about the professionalism and value of the person who can provide then with this valuable information?

Stephen M. Canale, CRB, CRS, GRI, RAM is a real estate educator and trainer from Ann Arbor, Michigan.

In addition to serving on the GRI faculty for the Michigan and Tennessee REALTOR® Associations, Stephen offers a wide variety of seminars on sales, technology and marketing.  For more information on his educational offerings visit: www.canale.com or contact him at either 734-481-9000 or Stephen@Canale.com