TECHNOLOGY -- The App revolution

 PETER BREWER
Company: peterbrewer.com

1. CAMERA+
COST? $0.99
DESCRIPTION: High-quality camera for your smartphone
WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? I use Camera+ for 95 per cent of my photos. It has an amazing editing suite on board and will turn a sow’s ear of a picture into a silk purse  
STAND OUT FEATURES? Framing, editing and adding captions using Camera+ makes all my photos look amazing

2. EVERNOTE
COST? Free
DESCRIPTION: Easy-to-use app that lets you take notes, capture photos, create to-do lists, record voice reminders and makes these notes searchable across all the devices you use
WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? Evernote lets me capture just about anything I want while I’m on the move. It is great for sharing client notes with clients; ideal for a real estate agent wanting to share or collaborate a log of info with clients
STAND OUT FEATURES? The free base storage space is big enough to suit most people’s needs

3. OPEN HOME ASSIST (iPAD)
COST? Free
DESCRIPTION: An open home tool that allows you to place the information capturing role at open homes in the hands of your attendees. It then stores the information electronically
WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? Once your open home is completed you simply push the ‘generate report’ button and you have a fully-populated open home email report
STAND OUT FEATURES? It comes with eight default qualifying questions that a prospect needs to respond to while they are using the app

4. AGENT CALCULATOR
COST? $1.99
DESCRIPTION: A calculator specifically designed for Australian real estate agents. It takes into account the most common questions asked by prospective property owners and purchasers
WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? It answers and calculates almost any number crunching question that a 2012 real estate agent/salesperson might ask or be asked on a busy day  
STAND OUT FEATURES? It’s an agent’s best friend for calculating commissions, stamp duty, rental returns and land sizes

5. GENIUS SCAN
COST? Free
DESCRIPTION: Genius Scan turns your iPhone into a pocket scanner. You can quickly scan any document and email it as a JPEG or PDF
WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? If your pockets and wallet are starting to cram up with scrappy receipts that you’re keeping for your accountant at tax time, or if you have a doc of any sort that you need to scan and get somewhere fast, you’ll be hard pressed to beat this app. It is ATO-friendly, making sure you can claim all your expenses at tax time
STAND OUT FEATURES? Easy emailing function

DENIZ YUSIF
Company: Integrity Real Estate, NSW

1. PRICEFINDER
COST? Free
DESCRIPTION: PriceFinder gathers the most up to date property ownership and sales information
WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? During a presentation, or while down at the shops, I can access property information, showing clients that we have instant access to data
STAND OUT FEATURES? It generates accurate property sale, rental and potential yield estimates instantly for any property in Australia

2. INSPECTREALESTATE
COST? Free to subscribers
DESCRIPTION: An exclusive Inspectrealestate.com app that allows tenants to book in for viewings
WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? Stops clashing meetings and speeds up the process of filling properties for our landlords
STAND OUT FEATURES? Tenants receive confirmation notifications regarding times direct to their phone and email

3. INTEGRITY
COST? Free
DESCRIPTION: Searches for properties based on a number of different criteria including price, number of bedrooms, suburb/location etc
WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? When tenants apply for properties with us, we encourage our prospective tenants to look for properties via the Integrity app. This then eliminates them looking for vacant properties via other agencies
STAND OUT FEATURES? Each listing has a detailed description, colour photos, floor plans and a map locator

4. NOTES APP
COST? Free
DESCRIPTION: Allows the user to write and store notes without ever reaching for a pen or paper
WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? During appraisals I take notes on the property on the iPhone notes app, collecting detailed information that I can email directly back to the office and copy and paste into my database
STAND OUT FEATURES? Any follow ups that need attending to are emailed directly to my inbox, so I’m not relying on my memory

5. iPHONE CAMERA APP
COST? Free with your iPhone, but you can upgrade to better versions
DESCRIPTION: The camera included with your iPhone
WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? One of the points of difference that I have when listing properties is being able to video a pre settlement inspection for clients
STAND OUT FEATURES? I can, and do, video property inspections for investors, and upload them directly to their inbox for final approval

SAM NOKES
Company: Jellis Craig, VIC

1. FIELD AGENT
COST? Free
DESCRIPTION: Field Agent by apmasphere is a mobile property management inspection application designed by property managers for property managers
WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? It has easy and thorough condition reports and routines
STAND OUT FEATURES? It shows you last inspections so you can compare when you are doing routine and exit reports – plus, it is easy to use

2. REALESTATE.COM.AU
COST? Free
DESCRIPTION: Mobile listing site
WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? It is great for checking comparable properties STAND OUT FEATURES? It allows you to map search for when you are working close to suburb borders

3. APPLE SUITE: WORDS, NUMBERS, KEYNOTE
COST? $10.49 each
DESCRIPTION: The mobile application for Apple products
WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL? It allows you to complete reports, letters and presentations anywhere
STAND OUT FEATURES? Enables quicker response time

4. SELF HELP CLASSICS
COST? $0.99
DESCRIPTION: A library of self-help, inspiration or business success books
WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? Great when you need a quick mid-week pump up!
STAND OUT FEATURES? The auto scroll and ‘save quote’ functions

5. VIBER
COST? Free
DESCRIPTION: Call, text, send photos and locations for free
WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? Our overseas clients appreciate my staff having this app on their phone so they can contact us for free
STAND OUT FEATURES? Works with the contacts in your phone

GREG VINCENT
Company: Real Estate Professionals, NSW

1. EVERNOTE
COST? Free
DESCRIPTION: Easy-to-use app that lets you take notes, capture photos, create to-do lists and record voice reminders

WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? It’s great for seminars – you can record up to one hour and a half of audio
STAND OUT FEATURES? You can sync all your notes across the computers and devices you use

2. iMOVIE
COST? $5.49
DESCRIPTION: Creates HD movies on your mobile device
WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? Allows an agent to make quality HD videos that can be edited and uploaded quickly
STAND OUT FEATURES? Easy sharing ability

3. CHROME
COST? Free
DESCRIPTION: A quick and easy internet search navigator
WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? Chrome allows you to search the web using unlimited tabs
STAND OUT FEATURES? Chrome can sync your open tabs from your computer to your iPhone

4. FLIPBOARD
COST? Free
DESCRIPTION: A personalised magazine of everything being shared with you
WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL? You can fill the app with content you want to read, whether it be blogs, news etc
STAND OUT FEATURES? Makes reading content easier and the app provides a user-friendly experience

5. iTHOUGHTS
COST? $8.49
DESCRIPTION: iThoughts is a mind-mapping tool

WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS?Allows you to work through a project in a multi-dimensional way
STAND OUT FEATURES? You can convert a mind map to an image and share it at presentations

KEVIN MAGEE
Company: Raine & Horne SA

 1. iTRANSLATE
COST? Free
DESCRIPTION: Choose any one of 50 languages, speak into your phone it gives you a written translation
WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? I’ve sent short messages to business associates in their native language with very positive results
STAND OUT FEATURES? You can play an audible translation to a listener

2. SUBURBAN TAXIS ADELAIDE
COST? Free
DESCRIPTION: The official taxi iPhone app for Adelaide
WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? Jump the often busy phone queue and cab rank queue
STAND OUT FEATURES?Watch the cab arrive via GPS mapping

3. Any.DO
COST? Free
DESCRIPTION: A mobile to-do list to keep you on time.

WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? I use this app daily to organise my business.
STAND OUT FEATURES? When you miss several calls it allows you – with one click – to call each one, letting them know you’re available

4. DMD PANORAMA
COST? $1.99
DESCRIPTION: A panoramic picture app for your iPhone
WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? Great for taking panoramic photos that can convey a property’s description
STAND OUT FEATURES? Create quality panoramic photos quickly

5.FOURSQUARE
COST? Free
DESCRIPTION: Allows users to ‘check in’ by hitting a button; the app then immediately identifies your location, and how often you’ve visited, and posts it out to your social media network sites. It also tells you who else is at your location
STAND OUT FEATURES? It gives you ‘rewards’ based on your attendance

REB PICKS

INSPECTION MANAGER
COST? Free DESCRIPTION: An inspection tool designed specifically for property managers.

WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? Inspection manager allows you to produce inspection reports straight from your iPad or iPhone
STAND OUT FEATURES? Safety and security of your data is second to none. You can control who sees what

WB DEP CALC
COST? Free DESCRIPTION: WB Dep Calc helps calculate and estimate tax depreciation deductions available for certain Australian residential properties

WHY IS THIS APP USEFUL FOR YOUR BUSINESS? It is fast and easy to use, with accurate and updated estimations based on real property data

STAND OUT FEATURES? You can compare diminishing value versus prime cost methods of depreciation