We know that real estate agents strive to offer the best service to their clients in any real estate transaction. Whether your clients are selling their home and/or buying a new one, there are numerous apps that can be handy in almost any situation. Here is the list of the 10 best real estate apps to help you, the Realtor®, stay organized and also ensure your clients have the best transaction possible.

Click the app icons below to download!

Homesnap
This app allows you to take photos of any home in order to capture special details about each home someone is considering buying. Once you take a snapshot of a particular house, the app will display home value estimates, interior photos, number of beds and baths, taxes, related schools, school ratings, and more. You’re also able to search for open houses by date. For real estate agents, Homesnap helps you keep track of the homes you’ve discussed with buyers all in one place. It also organizes all of your listings on one page.

ShowingTime
This app helps real estate agents schedule and manage their showings and provide feedback on properties. You can search for listings by specific locations, share listing activity with your clients, alert the sellers once the showing is completed, and you can sync these appointments with your personal calendar. ShowingTime also has an offline mode, so you are still able to access important information. The app’s description states that ShowingTime products (available via the app) are used in more than 250 MLS’s across North America, representing more than 750,000 members.

Real Estate Dictionary
This app is especially helpful for newer agents who are not familiar with real estate jargon. Even for seasoned realtors, the Real Estate Dictionary can be helpful when you’re on the go and need to explain a term or process with your clients. Learn about all aspects of the real estate industry, including commercial, residential, and industrial developments, risk analysis, investments, finance, market analysis, law, and more. You can even quiz yourself on your real estate knowledge.

Panorama 360
This app allows you to take high quality panoramic images and share them on social media. This can be useful while showing houses and you send them to your buyers. Or sharing photos of your listing on MLS, social media, email, etc. looking for a potential buyer.

Sherwin Williams, ColorSnap® Visualizer
With this app’s “Paint a Scene” feature, you can literally try a different paint color on any wall to get a vision of what it would look like. The app’s description says, “You can use augmented reality or a photo of your space, tapping the wall to change its color instantly.” Help your clients stay organized and figure out exactly what they’re looking for in their home with the Sherwin Williams app.

Dropbox
Just like the desktop version of Dropbox, the app allows you to access your files in a protected environment. You can also share your folders with others, use the document scanner to turn notes and receipts into PDFs, and you can sync and edit your files with Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

Houzz
Ready for some DIY projects? The Houzz app helps you improve and design the interior and exterior of your home. Houzz has you covered, whether you are building, remodeling, or decorating. Look through millions of photos to find inspiration. You can also save photos and share with others.

Houzz has millions of products available to purchase as well, such as furniture, cabinets, lighting, tiles, etc. You can discuss projects with other users, share ideas, and give each other feedback all through the app.

SlyDial
Skip the lengthy conversation and get sent directly to someone’s voicemail when you use the SlyDial app. This is especially helpful for when you are short on time, but need to get important information to your client, lender, or title office. The app takes you straight to their voicemail to leave a message. It also has a group messaging feature, which allows you to send a voicemail to up to ten people at once.

MileIQ
This app automatically tracks when you’re driving and logs your business miles. This saves you time as you no longer have to physically jot down each mile you drove showing houses or running errands for a client. Simply swipe left for personal trips and swipe right for business trips. You can run a report at the end of the year, allowing you to be prepared for tax season. The free version allows 40 drives per month and you can choose to upgrade to have unlimited logged drives.

FirstInAgent ONE
First International Title’s newly updated real estate app helps you with on-the-spot questions from clients, such as “How much will I need to bring to closing?” or “Should I continue renting or can I afford to buy a house?” Closing costs estimates, Rent vs. Buy, Net Sheets, marketing flyers, photo filters, and so much more that you can share on social media, or text and email directly to your clients. It’s real estate in the palm of your hand! Download it for free or pay $1 per month for the premium version.

All apps are available on Google Play for Android download.

Questions? Comments? Reach out to your First International Title Sales Executive today!

For real estate agents, there are countless programs and charities available nationwide for you to give back to your communities. If you’re looking for a more local program, Lead the Way Home Savings, founded by Jeff Parkerson, gives back to the people who serve their communities on a daily basis.

After settling down in Texas with his family, Parkerson began searching for ways to give back to his community. As a former Marine, police officer, and air marshal, among other positions, Parkerson decided this was something he needed to do.

“I looked at some other programs,” Parkerson said. “But I wanted to do something a little differently.”

So, in 2015, Parkerson started Lead the Way – Home Savings Program. His program offers qualified applicants 25 percent of the realtors’ commission on real estate sales. Those eligible are active military, veterans, law enforcement, firefighters, teachers, professors, doctors, nurses, ministers, and all supporting personnel.

One important factor Parkerson noticed about other programs similar to Lead the Way was they did not include supporting personnel or ministry. For example, police dispatchers and admin personnel did not qualify. He wanted to be different. Lead the Ways Home Savings not only includes all folks who serve their communities with the above careers, but their entire supporting staff as well. 

“These people behind the scenes are very crucial,” Parkerson said. “Even though they don’t qualify for those other programs, I felt that they deserve it.”

He said the program has evolved a lot since its inception. At first, he was the sole realtor offering Lead the Way and it was a local program, serving the Dallas, Houston, and Austin areas. Now, he works with realtors nationwide that also have a passion for service. Additionally, many mortgage and title companies have joined the network of Lead the Way to offer even more benefits.

“We started working with agents outside of our area,” Parkerson said. “We’ve had great success but we’re still getting the word out.”

Any real estate agent from any brokerage is able to take part in Lead the Way. Parkerson’s goal for the program is to have agents, nationwide, that are ethical, and passionate about serving – no matter which brokerages they work for.

Parkerson also hosts a radio show called “Lead the Way Radio,” at KVGI Studios in Frisco, Texas. The show airs nationwide and is broadcasted live every other Thursday from 1-2pm CST and he said it’s not focused only on real estate, but that it’s just another way to focus on people giving back to their communities.

“It’s all about charities and nonprofits and great people doing great things for the community,” Parkerson said. “Our show demonstrates that the world is made up of good people, and we love being able to share those organizations and those people to the world.”

“We’re just passionate about giving back about those who protect us and add value to our community,” Parkerson said. “These are the types of people you want as neighbors.”

For more information about Lead the Way Home Savings Program, to join the program as a realtor, or to apply as a home buyer go to www.LEADTHEWAYhomes.com.

Questions? Comments? Reach out to your First International Title rep today!

If you’ve recently worked out a contract for your client’s listing, then congratulations! However, before you start celebrating, there is a lot of work to be done to ensure the transaction makes it through to the end. A big piece of the puzzle is having the inspection done. The inspection could be the difference between the buyer’s peace of mind or terminating the deal.

Now that we have your attention, there’s no need to worry! Here are some simple steps to make certain you and your client know what to expect for their inspection.

Curb Appeal
If your client’s home exterior has gotten ahead of them over the years, you might suggest they freshen up the outside in preparation. Have them focus on the property’s curb appeal by trimming trees and bushes, cleaning out gutters, power washing your house, re-painting the exterior, and properly seal up any cracks or missing pieces from the chimney and roof.

If your seller has the time and expenses, he or she can add some bright-colored flowers to make the home feel welcoming and grab a new front door mat that says, “Welcome Home” to, not only help with the inspection, but also make the buyers feel comfortable to soon be living there.

Back to the Basics
Keep in mind the everyday maintenance fixes like replacing burned out light bulbs and ensuring the smoke detectors work. Your client should check that vents are working properly, light switches turn on the lights correctly, windows and doors close completely and lock perfectly, and that all of the house’s outlets convey electricity as they should.

Your inspector will check all of these things. Even something small like a non-working light bulb could cause unnecessary problems. Make the process easier on you and your client by thinking ahead and making sure these problems are fixed ahead of time.

No Plumbing Problems
Your client should also look over all of the sinks and see that water flows down the drain quickly and smoothly without back-up. Also, have him or her check the water pressure in sinks and bathtubs – does the water come out too hard or not hard enough?

If there are leaks underneath a sink or water marks coming down one of the walls, have someone take a look at these and fix the leaks before the inspector comes and shares this information with the buyer. Many times, a leak is an easy fix that will save everyone a headache later on.

Clear out the Clutter!
Your client should strive to make it easy for the inspector to get to the places he needs to check without hassle. It’s helpful if places such as the attic, basement, heating or cooling systems, and electrical panels are clear of clutter. Have the sellers throw out what they can – hey, they’re moving soon anyways, right? – and box up what they can’t and set it neatly aside. This may also save your client the embarrassment of the inspector tripping over kids’ toys or newspaper stacks in order to reach something important.

Final Thoughts
On the day of inspection, have the doors, gate, and garage unlocked to allow the inspector to get in without any hassle. If your clients are not comfortable leaving the door unlocked, wait until the inspector gets to your house and you’re able to let him in.

If you can, take your client and go grab some lunch while the inspection is going on. It’s best that the homeowner is not present during the process so that the inspector can perform his job safely and without distractions.

If there is a dog or other pet, it can be brought to a pet hotel for the day or simply put up in its travel cage just until the inspection is over.

Thanks to Bruce Grissom of Burgess Inspection Group, Inc., we have provided a simple check-list for you and your clients to have throughout the inspection process. The inspector will be checking these things, so be sure to cross off each bullet point. First International Title wishes you the best of luck on your inspection!

[Click Here to Download the Checklist]

Checklist provided by Bruce Grissom, Professional Inspector “TREC” License # 20953. 214-251-5504.

Questions? Comments? Contact your local title rep today!