Chapter 2. The Right Connections

Issues Covered

In This Chapter

• What kinds of phones do you need?

• What kind of Internet connections do you need?

• What mobile and wireless technologies should you consider?

• How can you work well in multiple locations?

Real estate is very much a business of networking, developing personal and professional relationships that introduce you to possible clients. But modern real estate also involves the other kind of networking: the kind that connects computers and information together.

Clients expect you to have information on listings and the real estate market at your fingertips, and they expect you to be able to work on contracts and disclosures at their office, their home, or properties they're interested in, not just at your broker's office. Most real estate agents need to be "road warriors," professionals who use technology to do their jobs on the road.

Several technologies support mobile professionals such as you: the cell phone and voicemail, e-mail and Internet access through a variety of methods, and data synchronization. A tech-savvy agent will use several of these technologies to remain productive no matter where she happens to be. But connectivity technologies are also rife with over-promised, undelivered benefits and frequently changing standards. Those realities suggest you not leap into latest and greatest gadgets and services when they first become availableyou could easily spend precious time and money on dead ends if you move too fast. After all, a key issue with connectivity technology is that it requires all involved parties to use the same technology, so being ahead of the pack may simply isolate you. Instead, rely on established technologies when putting together your connectivity toolkit.