Jonathan Osman

By Jonathan Osman

No one would have guessed that REALTORS® would look back on 2009 as “the good ole days,” but as the real estate market continues to find bottom, that’s exactly what some are doing.  The reality for 2011 may be that we are all fighting for a smaller piece of the sales pie and remaining in business means implementing low-cost solutions to save money.

That being said, here are a five technology tools that brokers and agents alike should implement to help survive an uncertain 2011.

1. Cloud-based Phone Service

The telephone is still the most important tool of our business but for most brokerages, this can result in a huge monthly expense towards the bottom line.  Plus, every agent walks around with a phone attached to their hip so is the expense of a phone system and monthly service even necessary?

Services like RingCentral, Grasshopper, and Phonebooth offer users a plethora of options and features usually reserved for phone systems that cost as much as a BMW 550i for less than the cost of a cell phone bill.  Local number – check, 800 number – check, fax-to-email – check. “Find Me” features – check.  Best of all, whether you are a solo agent, small company working from home, or a mid-sized firm with 50 agents, you can still have the big-company presence which is could help in recruiting agents to work for you. Continue reading »