The real estate market is very fast-paced, and it’s important for any real estate agent to stay on top of their game. Luckily, there are so many incredible tools available to agents to make work easier. We’ve rounded up some of the best tools for real estate agents to make use of in 2022. These tools will help you communicate with clients, market your business, and stay productive.
Devices
In today’s tech-driven world, there are certain electronic devices that everyone can benefit from using. These devices are particularly important for real estate agents, as they help you stay connected to your clients and other real estate agents. You’ll also need these devices to access many of the other resources on this list.
Smartphone
A smartphone is arguably the most important device for any real estate agent since you spend so much of your day on the go. With a smartphone, you can manage communication with all of your contacts, take photos, manage your social media, and more.
Tablet
Many agents eschew tablets and opt just to use a smartphone, but there are many advantages to using both. You can use a tablet on the go, just as you would with your smartphone, but the larger screen makes it much easier to edit photos or social media posts. A tablet can also be very helpful when you’re working with clients in person. You can use your tablet to show your clients property listings or to review paperwork.
Laptop
A quality laptop is another must-have for any real estate agent. You’ll need a laptop to handle most of your communication with clients and real estate professionals. Since you will use your laptop very frequently as a real estate agent, it’s important to invest in a model that is durable and will last you for years to come.
Office Tools
These office tools will help you and your team stay productive at work. As a real estate agent, there are many different tasks to juggle throughout the day. These office tools will streamline your workday and make it easier to get things done.
Zoom
Zoom is the world’s leading video conferencing software. This app is a must for real estate agents, because it allows you to video chat with clients regardless of their location. This has become particularly important in the event of the COVID-19 pandemic. You can even use Zoom to show clients properties remotely via video. Zoom is known for providing high-quality audio and video calls as well as a robust in-app chat feature.
Features:
- HD audio and video
- In-app chat features
- Option for private chat rooms and workspaces
Pricing:
Zoom’s basic features are free. They have paid plans starting at $149.90 per year, per license, ranging up to $240 per year, per license for enterprise features.
Google Calendar
Juggling real estate appointments can quickly get challenging. To make sure you never miss an appointment, you’ll need a robust calendar app that you can trust. While there are plenty of calendar apps to choose from, we recommend Google Calendar because it is free and easy to use.
It is very easy to integrate this calendar with other Google products that you might use, such as your Gmail account or Google Drive. You can also create shared calendars with your entire team to use together.
Features:
- Shareable calendars for businesses
- Free app is available for phone, tablet, or computer
- Detailed calendar entries
Pricing:
Google Calendar is completely free to use.
Dropbox
Dropbox is a file sharing service that can help you keep track of your contracts, listing documents, and other important pieces of information. With Dropbox, you can securely store all of your documents in the cloud and share them with other people as needed. Dropbox also has an e-signature feature that allows you to sign your contracts digitally.
Features:
- Cloud-based file storage and sharing
- File backup and recovery services
- E-signatures
Pricing:
Dropbox has free plan called Dropbox Basic, and paid plans for personal use start at $9.99 per month. Professional plans start at $16.58 per month and go up to $20 per user per month for enterprise plans.
Trello
Trello is a productivity tool that real estate teams can use to keep track of their tasks. Trello boards allow you to define your workflows by assigning certain tasks or projects to individual members of your team. You’ll be able to see everyone’s progress in one place. Trello also integrates with many other popular productivity tools to streamline your workflow.
Features:
- Detailed project boards with due dates, attachments, and more
- Automated features keep your team organized
- Integrates with Google Drive, Slack, and many other popular tools
Pricing:
The basic version of Trello is available for free, but plans with advanced features start at $5 per user and go up to $17.50 per user for enterprise features.
CamScanner
CamScanner is a popular Chinese app that is available for iOS and Android around the world. This app allows you to scan physical documents and convert them into PDF files on your phone. This scanner offers HD quality and advanced editing features to give you the most accurate scan possible.
Features:
- Convert images to PDF, Excel, and other formats
- Features specifically for books, IDs, and collages
- Integrates with Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote and more.
Pricing:
CamScanner is free to download.
Marketing Tools
A strong marketing strategy is essential for success as a real estate agent. These tools will help you manage your marketing strategy so you can reach the clients you want.
Facebook is one of the original social networking services, and it’s still a must for real estate agents. This is a great place to share updates about your business and even post the latest listings.
Features:
- Make text, photo, or video posts to communicate with your community
- Facebook Marketplace allows you to post property rentals and other listings
- Events feature is perfect for open houses.
Pricing:
Facebook is completely free to use. However, you can opt to pay for Facebook ads to reach more potential clients.
Instagram is another must-have social media platform. Instagram focuses entirely on photo and video posts. It’s an ideal place to share your favorite photographs of your properties, as well as short video tours to get people interested.
Features:
- Beautiful photo feed with editing tools and filters available
- 24-hour story posts for casual communication
- Reels and IGTV video posts
Pricing:
Like Facebook, Instagram is completely free to use. You can also pay to boost your posts or take out Instagram ads.
LinkedIn is a professional social media platform. It is very helpful if you want to network with other real estate agents in your area. LinkedIn also has a huge library of helpful written content from other users, which can be handy if you’re looking to learn a new skill.
Features:
- Connect with real estate professionals
- Review and post job listings
- Read content by other professionals
Pricing:
Creating a basic LinkedIn account is free, but if you want to post job listings or access premium career building features, you’ll need to pay for a membership starting at $29.99 per month.
Pinterest is a fun social media app that will help you tap into your creative side. With Pinterest, you can create boards to save images and content from all over the internet. As a real estate agent, you can use Pinterest to save homes you’re interested in, marketing ideas, and much more.
Features:
- Save content from around the internet
- Browse popular content from around the world
- Share boards with friends
Pricing:
Pinterest is free to use.
Mailchimp
Email is an incredibly effective form of direct marketing, especially for real estate agents. You can create your own email newsletter to share the most exciting new listings with your potential clients. Mailchimp is a user-friendly platform for email marketing campaigns. They provide beautiful email templates as well as automated marketing features to help you better engage with your audience. In addition to email, Mailchimp also offers social media marketing features and even website templates.
Features:
- Sophisticated email templates
- Analytics to track your performance
- AI email features to help you stay organized and better communicate with your audience.
Pricing:
While Mailchimp offers free accounts, you will need a paid plan to access most of their features. The Essentials plan costs $11 per month, while the Standard plan costs $17 per month. For large companies with over 10,000 contacts, they offer a Premium plan for $299 per month.
Wordpress
A good website is another essential for any real estate professional. For many people, your website will serve as their first impression of you online, so you’ll want to make it a good one. Wordpress is a great place to start if you want a simple but professional site. They offer templates that you can customize yourself and provide high-bandwidth hosting. When you’re ready to upgrade your website, Wordpress makes it easy to add advanced plugins.
Features:
- Customizable templates with blogs and plugins available
- Professional email linked to your website
- Custom domain names available
Pricing:
You can create your own website for free, but if you want to access advanced features, you can subscribe starting at $4 per month. Plans go up to $45 per month for eCommerce stores.
Google My Business
A Google My Business profile is another must-have for any real estate agent. When potential clients Google your name, the first thing they will see is your Google My Business listing if you have one. With this listing, you can add your business address, phone number, website link, available hours, and much more. You can also add photos and have previous clients leave you reviews. Having a Google My Business profile is one of the easiest ways for new clients to find you.
Features:
- Share important contact information
- Customers can leave reviews
- Add photos to make your business more attractive
Pricing:
Google My Business is free to use.
Realtor Tools
These tools are particularly helpful for realtors. They’ll help you stay on top of your listings and market your property effectively.
Google My Maps
This is an underused feature of Google Maps that can be incredibly helpful for realtors. With this app, you can create your own custom map and save places that are of interest to you. For example, you can use this feature to save properties you want to show to a buyer.
Features:
- Create custom maps to save places you’re interested in
- Add car, bike, or walking routes as needed
- Multiple layers allow you to sort your properties
Pricing:
Google My Maps is free to use.
RICOH360 Tours
RICOH360 Tours is a comprehensive virtual tour software program. Virtual tours have become very important over the past few years, as many people no longer want to tour properties in person. AI features enhance the quality of your virtual tours and help you create videos as well.
Features:
- Create 360-degree virtual tours in minutes
- AI image enhancement creates high-quality photo and video
Pricing:
RICOH360 Tours offers a free two-week trial. After your trial, you can choose from a Pro membership for $39/month or a business membership for $59/month.
Floor Plan Visuals
When shopping for a home, one of the first things that consumers look at is the floor plan. Floor Plan Visuals is a service that creates high-quality floor plans for real estate agents. They conduct on-site measurements to create both 2D floor plans and 3D renderings. The floor plans can be fully customized and are delivered electronically.
Features:
- Both 2D and 3D renderings available
- Floor plans are completely customized to suit your needs
- Available in many major cities throughout the US
Pricing:
Pricing for Floor Plan Visuals varies widely depending on your location and the type of floor plan you need.
Sierra Interactive
Sierra Interactive is a marketing CRM designed specifically for real estate professionals. This platform helps you create your own real estate website complete with a blog and SEO-optimized landing pages. Their CRM features help you keep track of leads and communicate with them via mass messaging. This platform also integrates with Google Ads.
Features:
- Website templates designed with real estate in mind
- CRM features help you manage leads
- Integrates with Google Ads
Pricing:
Pricing for Sierra Interactive starts at $299.95/month for CRM features only and goes up to $499.95/month for the complete package.
Creative Tools
As a real estate agent, you spend a lot of time putting together your own marketing materials. Here are some of the best creative tools for real estate agents.
Canva
Canva is a user-friendly graphic design platform that is known for its sleek, modern templates. You can use Canva to create marketing materials, social media posts, business presentations, cards, and much more. You don’t need prior graphic design knowledge to use Canva - the platform walks you through the process.
Features:
- Beautiful visual templates for many different types of marketing materials
- Video editing available
- Your whole team can collaborate on design
Pricing:
Many of Canva’s features are available for free. Their Pro plans start at $12.99 per month for advanced features.
WeVideo
Developing a presence on YouTube, TikTok, IGTV, or other video platforms can be very helpful for agents trying to grow their audience. WeVideo is a free online video editing platform for your phone, tablet, or laptop. WeVideo offers templates and stock media to help beginners get started. They also have a green screen feature to help you change your backgrounds.
Features:
- Easily edit video clips in many different formats
- Templates available for marketing and education
- Stock media available to help you get started
Pricing:
WeVideo is free to use, but you can upgrade your storage for $4.99/month. More comprehensive business plans are available for $29/month.
Skitch
Skitch is an app in the Evernote family that lets you annotate photos and documents. It’s very helpful for visualizing floor plans and furniture layouts with your clients.
Features:
- Allows you to mark up photos using your touch screen
- Easy to send completed markups to other apps
- Add text, shapes, and much more to your photos
Pricing:
Skitch is free to use.
When you’re running your real estate business, it can be difficult to stay on top of everything. These tools can help streamline your business so you get more done during the day. If you’re looking for even more helpful tools for CRM, lead generation, and more, be sure to check out this article!