Real-estate agents and
brokers
have been deluged in recent years with hundreds
of different software applications promising to make them more
efficient, competitive and successful.
The problem with so many options is figuring out the best tools
to choose and learning how to use them, according to
representatives of the organization that maintains the Phoenix
area's real-estate listings.
In an effort to provide information and guidance, the Arizona
Regional Multiple Listing Service, or ARMLS, hosted its fourth
annual Technopalooza, a daylong conference highlighting the latest
real-estate
technology
and how best to take advantage of it.
"Technology has infiltrated virtually every facet of real
estate," said Chris Heagarty, ARMLS director of communication and
professional and
business
development.
As a result, ARMLS has since 2009 hosted two annual events:
Technopalooza, to showcase the latest technology tools; and in
October the Learn-A-Thon, which focuses on high-tech training.
One of the instructors presenting to about 700 attendees at
Wednesday'sTechnopalooza was Victor Lund, founding partner of
real-estate consulting firm the WAV Group, in Arroyo Grande,
Calif.
Lund walked the audience through more than a dozen software
applications many real-estate agents and brokers regard as the best
and most useful tools available to the profession.
He also encouraged the group to adopt technologies that
incorporate cloud computing, scannable QR codes, mobile alerts and
digital social networking into their businesses.
"Some people have resisted getting on social networks," Lund
said. "Don't resist -- this isn't going away."
Among the applications Lund presented was Open Home Pro, which
lets agents and brokers create listing pages for their properties
and manage open houses from an iPad,iPhone or
Androidsmartphone.
Another app, called Cloud CMA, allows agents to quickly create
and send electronically to their clients reports known as
comparative market analyses. A comparative market analysis uses
information about recently sold, similar properties in the same
area to estimate the value of a client's property.
"This is the coolest technology that has ever happened," Lund
said.
Another application, although still in relatively rough form,
represents a sort of Holy Grail for real-estate professionals known
as transaction management, he said.
The software, called DotLoop, lets all parties to a real-estate
transaction upload, download, edit and sign digital documents, as
well as monitor the progress of the transaction.
"Transaction management has been the dream of real-estate people
forever," Lund said.