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By the Center for REALTOR® Technology
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
With the recent announcement and upcoming release of the Apple iPad, there has been much discussion about how this new tech toy can be used. The real question for REALTORs®, of course, is "Would the iPad be of any use to me in my business?" And while it's still a little early to see all the potential benefits, I think that the iPad or a similar device can be of great use to a REALTOR®; perhaps even better than a laptop when you're on the road.
One of the first reactions that people had with regard to the iPad was something along the lines of "Oh, it's just a giant iPhone." I admit that I had the same reaction at first. Then I realized, "Wait, that's awesome!" The idea of a device that is in between a smartphone and a full-fledged laptop actually makes sense for a REALTOR®.
To see what I mean, let's take a look a couple of scenarios where a device like the iPad could serve you better than a smartphone, laptop or netbook.
First, let's say that you are showing a property, and in the course of the showing, the potential buyer asks for some information that you don't have in hardcopy, but that's in your email or online. With a laptop, you could find the information and show it to the client, but it can be a little time consuming: you have to open up the laptop, find the information and then show it to the client. And unless you have a flat surface available, handling a laptop is awkward. With a smartphone, it's much easier to handle, but not so good for viewing: you and the client would have to hunch over a tiny screen. But with an iPad, you have an easy-to-handle machine with a much larger screen. No hunching required!.
This ease of use could also apply to any other information you only have in soft copy. With an iPad, you could cut down on the amount of paperwork you would need to carry around with you while out showing properties. Simply preload your device with any information that you might think you'll need for the showing. You can always go online if you need to. Even better, you can easily email this information for the buyer to look at later, if needed.
Here's another situation where an iPad might come in handy. Perhaps, while out showing properties, you find that your client has new criteria for the property they want. Your current list for them doesn't meet those criteria, so you need to do a quick search that takes this new information into account. Sure, any smartphone can take you to your MLS's web search page, but again, it's difficult for more than one person at a time to look at the device. A laptop or netbook would work well in this role, but only if you have a good place to put it. But the iPad could handle the search just as well as a laptop, without the need for a flat surface. And should a tabletop be available, you can attach a physical keyboard that makes typing on an iPad as easy as it is on a laptop.
In addition, the iPad, as a new device, is sure to inspire new types of applications, some of which will probably come in handy for REALTORs®. I wouldn't be surprised if someone developed an application that would allow a buyer to make an offer on a property electronically. Also, applications that allow one to sign documents electronically would greatly reduce the amount of paper work you need to carry about. Plus, the iPad is able to run the thousands of apps that have already been developed for the iPhone and iPod Touch. If you have one of those, and there's an app on it that you love, you could put it on the iPad as well.
The biggest downside to the Apple iPad is its price, it starts at just under $500 for the cheapest WiFi only model and it is tied to AT&T for the 3G models. However, its release will undoubtedly inspire competitors to create similar devices, which will help make this kind of tool more affordable and give you a better choice of mobile carriers. If you don't wish to wait, you can get the WiFi only model and buy a mobile WiFi hotspot from another provider.
So the Apple iPad is something that could, once it has been released, prove very useful to a REALTOR®. It could make showing properties easier, while reducing the amount of paperwork you have to carry with you. It gives you the option of easy-to-handle web access that you can share with other people. And new applications and devices are sure to bring even more functionality to an already useful type of tool.
