There’s a long list of things that can kill or delay any part of a real estate transaction.
Clients understand when factors, like the weather, delay a deal. But, for everything else they want you to have a solution. That includes having the tech you need to do business from anywhere.
When it comes to real estate tech, portability is king. Here’s a list of smart spends from the cutting edge for 2013 that will help you ensure technology never stands between you and closing a deal.
Options for Extending Your Battery Life
Forget worrying about a battery drain leaving you out in the field with a lifeless cell phone, tablet, or laptop. These tax-deductible options from this year’s, Consumer Electronics Show, are great for making sure your devices stay alive.
1. Mobile Electric Generator With Two Weeks of Power
The Nectar mobile power source is a great options for agents who want to roam free of wall outlets.
The fuel cell cartridge technology from Lilliputian System can be used to power Smartphones, tablets, Bluetooth headsets, digital cameras, and more. In addition, the cartridge is touted as boosting the run-times on mobile devices by ten times more than a traditional charge.
The Good News: This charging cartridge will be a lifesaver for office-less agents
The Bad News: You’ll have to wait until the summer and pay $299.99 to get it.
To pre-order yours, visit Nectar Power online.
2. Rob Your Tablet to Charge Your Phone With Device-to-Device Chargers
The way you charge your devices while on the go is about to undergo a radical change.
At the Consumer Electronics Show, Fulton Innovation debuted a new technology its still developing that can do wireless charging device-to-device. “eCoupled two-way wireless power” works by placing devices back-to-back to transfer power wirelessly between them.
For example, if your Smartphone was running low on power, you could place it on top of your tablet and harness power from your tablet to charge up. Watch this video to see how it works.
The Good News: With this technology charging will become a ton easier.
The Bad News: We scoured the Web and could not find a release date for this new tech tool.
Accident-Proof Essentials
If you work in an area that experiences rain, sleet, and snow your devices are bound to run into the risk of damage. And, if you’re not, for some agents your purse or briefcase can be a dangerous zone in between listing appointments.
Here are two agent essentials that are up to the test, no matter what environment they run into.
3. The “Survivor” Style Camera for Listing Photos
If you need a rugged camera, the Olympus’ Tough TG-2 iHS is being touted as one of the industry’s best heavy-duty options. The 12-megapixel camera not only shoots HD videos but it’s also
- waterproof in up to 50 feet underwater,
- freeze-proof down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit,
- crush-proof up to 220 pounds, and
- it won’t break from drops from lower than 6 feet.
The Good News: This camera hits the market just as many of your tax returns will come in – March 2013.
The Bad News: To get the best, you’ll pay a pretty hefty price at $380.
4. A Smartphone That Swims
If you need a hardier Smartphone, Sony also debuted the Xperia Z at the CES this year. This 4G LTE, Android Smartphone can withstand dunks in up to three feet of water. You’ll never have to worry about a coffee or any other spill ruining your phone again.
The Good News: Rumor is this phone will hit the market in the next few weeks.
The Bad News: The cost for this device is still under wraps.
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High Accessibility
5. Hard Drive in Your Pocket
If you’re opposed to cloud-based services for storing documents, consider carrying some heavy-duty storage that’s easily transportable on your key ring.
With the Kingston DataTraveler HyperX Predator 3.0 you can bring practically every document you have with you on a device the size of your thumb.
This is way more than normal “thumb drive” with up to 1TB storage on a USB flash drive (double that of most laptops).
The Good News: You can keep HD movies of your listings and photos and retrieve them at super-fast speeds wherever you go with “the world’s largest capacity flash drive,” according to the company.
The Bad News: Again, we have no idea how much this one will cost.
6. Double-Duty Tablet-PC Devices
This year, you don’t have to make the “tablet vs. laptop” decision when it comes to buys for your business. Tech companies are rolling out more all-in-one devices that lighten the load in your briefcase.
Our pick to check out from this year’s CES is the Asus Transformer AIO P1801. It’s a PC that features an 18.4-inch display screen, but also transform into a tablet by removing the screen when you need it.
The Good News: It features dual OSes — Windows 8 and Android 4.1 Jellybean for just $1,299.
The Bad News: There isn’t any as long as you don’t mind having a widescreen on the go.
7. Battery-Saving Dual Display Smartphone
Another multi-purpose device debuting at CES this year: A prototype of the YotaPhone, a 9mm, Android 4.1 Jellybean Smartphone that has an e-ink display on the back.
What’s “e-ink?” E-ink displays won’t drain a charge. They mirror anything displayed on the main, HD, display screen to save you major battery life.
The Good: You’ll be able to read a lengthy article or contract without burning your Smartphone’s battery life.
The Bad: You’ll have to wait to at least September to do it.
One wise agent said, “If you really want to close a deal, try to go on a trip or vacation.”
This next generation list of tools can help take the hassle out of those moments and help both mobilize and disaster-proof your business. Tell us what tools you’re using now to make your business more mobile or disaster-proof.
