Remember the last time you called a real estate company and were greeted with an automated attendant and given the option to dial by name to find the  agent you were looking for?  Not only is this extremely easy to set up, it is fairly inexpensive to do. (image by Library of Virginia)

What is a Virtual PBX?

A PBX is a Private Branch Exchange that allows you to manage your phone number(s) and / or extensions and because it’s virtual, there is no hardware to install.  A PBX allows your calls to be answered with a custom greeting, callers can access a company directory, calls can be automatically routed, and it can and take voicemail and receive faxes.

A virtual PBX is a fairly inexpensive solution if you have numerous employees that each need their own extension.  As real estate offices become more mobile, a virtual PBX is a great way to manage your voicemails and faxes (if you still receive faxes).

Key features of a Virtual PBX:

1. Customize Greeting.  You can set up a custom greeting letting callers know who they called and what extensions they can dial.
2. Multiple extensions.  Each employee can have their own extension and voicemail.
3. Customize Hours.  Route callers depending on what time it is or forwards callers to specific phone lines during certain hours.
4. Find me Follow me.  Ring multiple phones at once so you never miss a call.
5. Voicemail to email.  Have your voicemails emailed to you so you can listen to them at any time.
6. Have faxes sent to your email as PDF files.

Today there are numerous options for a virtual PBX.  Here are just a few:

1) RingCentral

RingCentral’s Plus plan offers 1,000 shared minutes and unlimited extensions for $24.99 / month.  They charge $0.044 per additional minute.  Their iPhone app is free.

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2) Grasshopper

Grasshopper’s Ramp plan offers 500 minutes and unlimited extensions for $24.00 / month.  They charge $0.06 per additional minute.  No iPhone app.

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3) eVoice

eVoice offers 1,000 minutes and 5 extensions for $29.95 / month.  They charge $0.039 per additional minute.  Their iPhone app is free.

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4) OneBox

OneBox offers 2,000 minutes and 4 extensions for $49.95 / month.  They charge $0.049 per additional minute.  Their iPhone app is free.

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5) VirtualPBX

VirtualPBX offers 1,000 minutes and unlimited extensions for $44.99 / month.  They charge $0.047 per additional minute.  They do not have an iPhone app.

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6) Phone.com

Phone.com offers 1,000 minutes and unlimited extensions for $39.88 / month.  They charge $0.049 per additional minute.  They have an iPhone and Android app.

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Questions to ask before signing up for a virtual PBX:

• How many minutes will I need?
• How many employees do I have and how many extensions will I need?
• Can I port my local number if I want to?
• Can I get a 1-800 Number and / or a vanity phone number?
• How much do they charge per minute if I go over my minutes?
• Is there a setup or cancellation fee?

Many Virtual PBX providers offer free trails.  I would suggest signing up for a free trial to test out a service before committing to it.

A really nice feature of some Virtual PBX providers is the option for unlimited extensions.  If your real estate office has unlimited extensions you could give every one of your listings its own extension.  Publish the phone number and extension on the for sale sign so home buyers can call to get more information about the house.

Depending on how many employees you have a virtual PBX might be overkill. Smaller real estate and appraisal companies might be able to use a less expensive VOIP service such as Vonage.

My real estate appraisal company uses Google Voice to handle all of its business calls.  Google Voice has almost replaced my need for a Virtual PBX, not to mention it is much cheaper (free).  Google voice is open to everyone, no invitation required.

What do you use for your business calls, a landline, VOIP, or your cell phone?

Most real estate appraisers probably carry a flashlight with them.  You might need a flashlight when doing a head and shoulders inspection of an attic or crawl space and definitely need a flashlight when appraising a bank owned property that does not have the power turned on.

You might not need your flashlight anymore if you have an iPhone 4.  The iPhone 4 has a LED flash on the back of the phone and there are several free iPhone apps that turn the iPhone’s LED flash on and keep it on so you can use it as a flashlight.

Click HERE if you can not see the embedded video above.

There are several free iPhone apps that turn the iPhone’s LED flash into a flashlight

1) LED Light for iPhone 4 Free

This app enables you to use the iPhone 4’s LED flash as a flashlight and strobe light.

2) LED-Flashlight

LED FlashLight for the iPhone 4 is the ultimate free flashlight for your iPhone 4. Forget digging for your keys with those dull screen lights!
Features:
- Instant-on flashlight on startup
- Simple one-button on/off flashlight
- Auto-Off while switching to other apps
- White-background for additional light

3) Free LED Light

The first Flashlight-App that uses the iPhone4 LED-Flash!

4) FlashLight4G

FlashLight4G is a very simple flashlight application,but very useful!
Flash LED for iPhone4 can be turned ON/OFF quickly.
Features:
・Blinking mode equipped
・Simple on/off button
・You can light while hearing the tune of iPod on the back ground.
・Cool real flashlight picture

5) CameraLight – See in the dark

NOW FREE! – because like 500 other people made this app!
CameraLight turns your new iPhone 4 into the brightest flashlight yet using the new LED flash!
Simply open the app, and the LED turns on.
You can switch it on or off, or even take low light pictures with the camera.

6) Flashlight 4: LED Light for iPhone 4

The absolute fastest, simplest LED flashlight app for iPhone 4.
It does one thing, and does it ridiculously well.
It quickly and easily turns on the LED flash next to the rear camera, and keeps it continuously lit.

7) LED Flashlight HD

– INSTANT ON -
Our flashlight is one of the FASTEST starting flashlights on the market. Don’t sit around waiting for your light in the dark.
- BRIGHTEST LIGHT -
The iPhone 4’s LED light on the back is incredibly BRIGHT. In a completely dark room you can see clear to the other side.

8) LED Flashlight – Brightest Flashlight for iPhone 4

Ever wanted to use your iPhone 4’s camera flash as a flashlight? Well, now you can with our LED Flashlight app!
This is the brightest iPhone flashlight you’ve ever seen!
You can even play music while the light is on. (Some others don’t do this.)

A LED Flashlight app for the iPhone 4 is a must have iPhone app for real estate appraisers.  The LED on the back of the iPhone 4 is very bright and is a great backup for your flashlight.

Do you carry a flashlight with you during real estate appraisal?

With the release of iOS 4, AT&T finally allows internet tethering on the iPhone.  This lets you share your iPhone’s internet connection so you can surf the web wherever you have a cell phone signal.  This will definitely be useful for any mobile real estate professionals that need internet access but are not close to a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Click HERE if you can not see the embedded video above.

How To Tether Your iPhone With Your Laptop in 5 Easy Steps

Step 1:

Upgrade your data plan with AT&T to allow tethering.  You can change your plan on their website or with the AT&T iPhone app.

You should know that if you change your plan from the unlimited data plan you will not be able to change back to the unlimited data plan.

Step 2:

Download the latest version of iTunes onto the laptop you want to tether.

Step 3:

Enable tethering on your iPhone.

Go to Settings > General > Network > Internet tethering.

You can tether your iPhone via a USB cable or a bluetooth connection.

Step 4: Plug your iPhone in your computer.  You might need to select “iPhone’ from the list of available networks on your computer.

You know you are sharing your iPhone’s internet connection because there will be a blue bar across the top of you iPhone that says, “Internet Tethering”.

Step 5: That is it!  Enjoy the internet wherever you have a cell phone signal!

You can view the new pricing plans for the iPhone that includes the ability to tether at ATT.com

You will have to monitor your data usage if you change from the unlimited plan.  AT&T will help you by sending you text message and email alerts. You will get an alert after you reach 65%, 90%, and 100% of the threshold.  You can also check your data usage by using their free iPhone app.

If you are curious about how much internet surfing you can do with the new data plan, check out our previous post,

AT&T Gives The iPhone Some Love With Tethering, that shows you how you can track how much bandwidth you use on your computer.

Will you be tethering your iPhone to your laptop now that AT&T allows it?

Mobile real estate professionals are constantly on the road.  Whether on the way to a real estate appraisal, home inspection, or open house it is important to drive safely.  Photo by BryanMcDee.

Here are ten useful smartphone applications to help real estate professionals drive safely, be productive, and save gas:

1) DriveSafe.ly

DriveSafe.ly^™ is a mobile application that reads text (SMS) messages and emails aloud in real time and automatically responds without drivers touching the mobile phone. DriveSafe.ly is the solution to texting while driving.

DriveSafe.ly is available on Blackberry smartphones and Android phones for free.  iPhones and Windows Mobile phones will be supported in the near future.

2) DriveGain

DriveGain is an iPhone application that helps you save fuel while you are driving.

Saving fuel not only saves you money – it reduces the amount of CO2 you emit and allows you to travel further before needing to fill up.

As you drive the application gives you visual and audio feedback on what changes you can make to your driving style to help you save more fuel.

DriveGain is only available for the iPhone and costs $6.99.  However, the company claims that the application will pay for itself in two weeks if used by the average driver.

3) greenMeter

greenMeter is an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch that computes your vehicle’s power and fuel usage characteristics and evaluates your driving to increase efficiency, reduce fuel consumption and cost, and lower your environmental impact. Results are displayed in real time, while driving, to give instantaneous feedback.

The app is available for the iPhone and costs $5.99.  The company claims the software can pay for itself within 1-2 tanks of gas.

4) Jott

With a simple phone call, Jott Assistant lets you use your voice to capture notes & to-dos, set reminders and appointments, send email and text messages, and post to your favorite web services, all on the go. Our voice-to-text service turns your voice notes, messages, and updates into text and sends them where you want.

There is an native app for Blackberry smartphones and iPhones but will work work with all phones and all carriers in the US & Canada.  Jott’s speech to text technology lets you use your voice to send emails and text messages to your contacts or groups.

Jott works with 50 different websites including WordPress, Facebook, Ping.fm, Google Calendar, Remember The Milk, and Twitter.  Jott has several different subscription plans ranging from $3.95 to $12.95 a month.

5) Vlingo

Vlingo delivers a voice interface and technology that allows users to instantly access services and content on their device. These services include the ability send text and email messages, call contacts, search the Web, update your Facebook or Twitter status and much more by just speaking into their phone.

Vlingo has both a free and paid app.  It is is available for BlackBerry smartphones, iPhone, Nokia phones, and some Windows Mobile phones.

6) iWrecked

Vurgood Apps has provided driver’s with an essential tool if ever in the unfortunate position of being in an accident.  It makes that tough event much easier and directs the user to the info they need.

This app takes the user through a list of what to do after a car crash, including taking photos and getting contact information from the other drivers.  It will also locate the nearest police station, taxi, or tow-truck service.

iWrecked is available for free for the iPhone and will be available on Android phones soon.

7) aCar

aCar is a handy tool for your Android supported device to effectively track the maintenance, fuel mileage and expenses of your vehicles.

Whether you want to track the fuel mileage or the expenses of your vehicle, or to simply know if your vehicle operates at its peak, or just want a reminder for maintenance services of your vehicle (be it changing engine oil, air filter, oil filter, or inspection, wheel alignment, etc), aCar is the right tool for you.

aCar is free for Android phones.

8) Fuelly

Fuelly is a site that lets you track, share, and compare your gas mileage. Simply sign up, add a car or motorcycle, and begin tracking your mileage.

Fuelly does not have a native app for smartphones but rather a mobile site so there is nothing to download or install.  Visit http://m.fuelly.com/ from your smartphone and add data right from the gas pump. Fuelly gives you instant feedback about your fuel efficiency.  You can search the site for other drivers with the same make and model as you to see how your fuel efficiency compares.

We reviewed Fuelly several months ago. You can view the video demo HERE.

9) RepairPal

Our iPhone App allows you to get the same estimates as RepairPal.com from your iPhone. You can also search for a repair shop in your area using the iPhone’s GPS, and you can view ratings and reviews to find the right shop on the go. If you happen to break down, you can search for a tow truck or roadside help in the RepairPal directory, or call your manufacturer’s helpline.

RepairPal’s iPhone app is free and they have a mobile website that can be accessed from any smartphone m.repairpal.com.

10) RSSpeaker

The app that speaks your favorite news and blogs to you. Don’t expect a robotic voice; this app uses the highest quality text-to-speech engine available. Now it’s even easier to stay informed. RSSpeaker™- Listen to the News You Choose.

RSSpeaker™ is perfect while driving or at the beach. Use it when your eyes are busy, but your mind is free. Best of all, you don’t need Internet access to listen to your news. Your subway ride just got more productive.

The app is available for the iPhone for $2.99.  It is available in several different languages and does not require any registration to use.

It is tempting to check email and text messages while driving.  Besides being dangerous some states have passed laws that make texting while driving illegal.  Fortunately, text to speech technology has improved to the point where most automated voices do not sound robotic.

Do you use any text to speech apps on your smartphone?  What are you favorite apps that help you drive safely and be productive while on the road?

Starbucks announced that starting July 1 it will begin offering unlimited free Wi-Fi.  The best part is that no registration is required.

At Starbucks, we love to give you more of what you’ve asked for. So soon you’ll be able to enjoy Wi-Fi at Starbucks in a way that goes beyond what we currently offer.  Starting July 1, you’ll be able to enjoy free, one-click, unlimited Wi-Fi at all company-operated Starbucks stores in the United States.

Currently if you want access to the free Wi-Fi at Starbucks, you have to have a Starbucks card.  Even with a card you only get up to two continuous hours of free Wi-Fi.  You don’t have to keep a balance on the Starbucks Card, but do have to log in with your username and password to use the internet.  Starbuck’s new free one click Wi-FI access will be easier to use.

Not only will you be able to access the internet at Starbucks, you will have access to some paid sites.

In addition to the new free Wi-Fi program, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz told Wired’s Chris Anderson that the company is also planning on rolling out a new Starbucks Digital Network in partnership with Yahoo later this fall. This network, which will only be accessible in U.S. company-operated stores, will offers customers free and unrestricted access to paid sites and services like WSJ.com and other content providers on their phones, tablets or laptops.  via Mashable

Being able to access the internet when out of the office is becoming a requirement of real estate professionals.  Almost all of the real estate agents and appraisers I know have smartphones and access email while out of the office.  But sometimes you need to access the internet for more than email.

How do you find free Wi-Fi hotspots?

Besides Starbucks, both McDonald’s and Panera Bread offer free Wi-Fi access.

There are several websites that list free hotspots if there isn’t a McDonald’s or Starbucks close.

There are also numerous iPhone apps to help you find free and paid Wi-Fi hotspots.  JiWire’s free Wi-Fi finder has a mobile version that can find free hotspots by zip codes.  Access the mobile site @ iphone.jiwire.com

Do you use Wi-Fi hotspots when you are out of the office?

MapQuest has released a route planner that will optimize a route for up to 25 addresses.  You can even view and edit your map on your iPhone.

Need directions for a trip with multiple stops or are you simply looking for the ideal road trip planner? You have found it with the MapQuest Route Planner, which can help you create your fastest driving route. You can decide your travel directions or we can recommend the best route, mapping out the order based on fastest driving route or distance.

Hands on with the MapQuest Route Planner.  Click HERE if you can not see the embedded video below.

How to use the route planner

Step 1: Enter the addresses.

Enter the addresses individualy, copy and paste the addresses from a file, or upload an Excel (XLS) or Comma Delimited (CSV) file.

Step 2: Optimize the route

After you have entered to the addresses, you can reorder the route for the shortest time or the shortest distance.

That is it! MapQuest will plan and optimize your route.

You can edit or reorder the map if you are not happy with it.

One of the best features of the Route Planner is that you can save your map to view on your iPhone or view later.

You have to create an account if you don’t have one or log into MapQuest to save your map.  Once your map is saved, you map will be listed under “My Places” in the MapQuest iPhone App.

It is a tremendous time saver to be able to map multiple addresses and optimize a route.  The MapQuest Route Planner and iPhone app are great tools for the mobile real estate professional.

Be sure to check out my review of the MapQuest iPhone and how to map multiple address on your iPhone with Google Maps.

What is the best way you have found to plan your routes?

Google has unveiled their Google Cloud Print that will enable you to print to ANY printer that is connected to the internet from ANY computer.

Our goal is to build a printing experience that enables any app (web, desktop, or mobile) on any device to print to any printer anywhere in the world.

According to Google, the cloud print will work with all printers, including those that are not themselves connected to the internet (referred to as “legacy printers”).  You will no longer need a local computer and printer drivers to print!

The Google Cloud Print is exciting news for the mobile real estate professional.

Click HERE if you can not see the embedded video above.

There are obvious security concerns with the Print Cloud.  Google already controls vast amounts of data through Gmail, Google Voice, and their search engine.  Their cloud print would mean they would control even more data as all of the printed documents pass through their cloud.  There would also have to be some control over user permissions.  You would not want anyone to to be able to print to your printer.

Let’s forget the security concerns for a minute.  The Google Cloud Print means that you could pick up your smartphone, laptop, or iPad, or any computer and print a document no matter where you were.  Not to mention printer drivers are a pain, especially when you upgrade your computer or operating system.  You might not have to every worry about printer drivers again.

There are numerous real world scenarios where the Cloud Print is useful: A real estate appraiser needing to print a document for a homeowner could use his/her smartphone and print the document while they were at the homeowner’s house.  Maybe you are sitting in Starbucks checking your email and realize you need to print something.  You can see there is an available printer at Kinko’s next door, print the document, walk next door and pick it up.

The possibilities go far beyond just printing from your smartphone.  With Google Cloud Print (or something similar) you might be able to print from any device. You might want to print a coupon that is on your TV, you could print the diagnostics test results from your car to your home printer, or even print photos directly from your digital camera without the need to hook it up to a computer.

While you might be moving towards a paperless office, there will always to be need to print and the Google Print Cloud appears to be a good solution, especially for mobile devices.

Bottom line: enabling any app to print to any printer is very exciting.

AT&T has announced a new pricing plan for the iPhone that includes the ability to tether. Above photo by BryanMcDee.

What does this mean for the mobile real estate professional?  It means you might not ever be without an internet connection.

There are two pricing plans, a DataPro plan that gives you 2GB of data and a DataPlus plan that gives you 200 MB of data.  It will cost an additional $20 to have the ability to tether your iPhone.  Tethering for iPhones will be available when Apple releases its new operating system this summer.

How much internet surfing can you do with the new data plans?

AT&T provides a data calculator to help you figure out how much data you will consume.  For example, 200 MB of data will be enough to send/receive 1,000 emails with no attachments, plus send/receive 150 emails with attachments, plus view 400 Web pages, plus post 50 photos on social media sites, plus watch 20 minutes of streaming video.

How much data will a mobile real estate professional use searching a MLS or tax assessor website?

Click HERE if you can not see the embedded video above.

I was curious to know how much data I would use searching my local MLS or tax assessor website.  There are numerous programs that help track bandwidth usage.

FreeMeter is a free program that tracks how much bandwidth you use.  You do not need to install the program, just download and run the progam to track your data usage in real time.

To determine my bandwidth usage, I opened Google Chrome, logged into my MLS, and searched for sales in a subdivision.  The search resulted in 7 sales in the past 6 months.  This search used a total of 397 KB.  I also searched the local tax assessor website for a property.  The search used 87 KB of data and looking at the electronic plat map for the property used an additional 80 KB of data.

So what does this mean?  Well, if you have the 200 MB data plan, you can search MLS 500 times a month or search the tax assessor website over 2,000 times.

Note: Be sure to turn off any additional programs running like ZumoDrive.  Searching MLS with ZumoDrive running in the background took an additional 20 MB to complete.

Check out the FAQ at MacWorld if you have some questions about the new AT&T plans and tethering.

I am a heavy smartphone user.  I constantly stream Pandora, use GPS, and browse the internet and am hard pressed to use more than 500 MB of data on my iPhone.  This is because I am usually connected to a WiFi network either at home or in the office.  For me, the change is welcome, at least for now.

But what about the future?  What about GoogleTV and Hulu?  Putting a cap on smartphone internet use could severely limit what people will do with their smartphones.

What do you think?  Do you have the need to tether your smartphone to your laptop when you are out of the office?  Will limiting the data slow down what developers will make for your smartphone?

It is becoming increasingly important to be able to access your data and files from anywhere.  One solution is to sync all of you files to all of your devices (desktop, laptops, smartphone, tablet, and even an iPad.  Unfortunately all of these devices have a limited amount of internal storage.

ZumoDrive can help solve this problem.

Zumodrive creates a drive on your device that is synced to the cloud. But service has a different twist-the service tricks the file system into thinking those cloud-stored files are local, and streams them from the cloud when you open or access them.  Via TechCrunch

Click HERE if you can not see the embedded video above.

You probably don’t want to sync all of your real estate files between your desktop and laptop or iPhone.  You just want to be able to easily access those files when you need them.

ZumoDrive allows you to store your files in the cloud or easily sync entire folders to the cloud so you always have access to them.  The big advantage of ZumoDrive is that the service practically gives all of your devices unlimited storage.

ZumoDrive Features:

Mobile Access

By storing your files in the cloud and not on your device, ZumoDrive essentially  gives your smartphone several gigs of extra storage.  ZumoDrive is available for iPhone, Android, and Palm Pre.

Folder Linking

Easily sync a folder to ZumoDrive by right clicking on that folder and selecting “Link Folder to ZumoDrive”.  That folder will then be synced to the cloud and the contents available on other devices.

Sharing

Share files with specific people by emailing them directly from ZumoDrive or create a link to send to someone.

Music and Photos

Access all of your photos and music from ZumoDrive.  ZumoDrive integrates with iTunes so you can listen to your iTunes from everywhere.

How much does it cost?

The free account gives you about 2 gigs of storage.  10 gigs of storage costs $2.99/month.  25 gigs of storage costs 6.99/month.  Click here for the complete price list.

I use ZumoDrive to access documents that I might need while I am out of the office.  I currently store an FHA Checklist on ZumoDrive that I can reference while doing an FHA real estate appraisal.  I also use it to store a copy of my appraisal license and E&O insurance.  I can easily email someone a copy of my license if I am out of the office.

How would use a service like ZumoDrive?

MapQuest released a FREE iPhone app that includes voice navigation.  Not only does the app work extremely well, but it also includes features such as auto reroute and the ability to map multiple addresses.

MapQuest® 4 Mobile brings over a decade of digital mapping experience to your iPhone® with unique features to help you get where you’re going. Try Voice-Guidance, our latest addition to Driving Directions, for a more hands-free experience!

Watch the video below for a hands on demonstration.

Click HERE if you can not see the embedded video above.

Here are some of the great features:

Voice Guidance

Voice guidance tells you when to turn and informs you of upcoming turns.

Map Multiple Addresses

Not only can you map multiple addresses, you can easily rearrange the addresses to optimize your route.  The picture below shows me rearranging the destinations by dragging the 3rd address to the 2nd position.

I previously wrote how to map multiple addresses on your iPhone with Google Maps.  Mapping multiple addresses with MapQuest is much easier.

Reroute Assistance

The app will ask you if you want the to be rerouted if you go of course.

Access Saved Maps From MapQuest.com

Maps created and saved on your desktop at MapQuest.com can be accessed on your iPhone.  All of you saved maps are located under “My Maps” on the iPhone app.

Clear Exit Photos

The map displays an exit photo when you need to exit the interstate.

Business Search

You can search for local business and have them mapped.

Search for addresses and businesses separately

This is a nice feature that lets the application knows you are searching for an address versus searching for a business name.

Pick Your Icon

Pick what icon to use to represent you on the map.  This might not be a useful feature but it is fun.

MapQuest raised the bar when creating this free app.  The app is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.  It requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later.  The app is free and available in the app store.

What GPS device do you use?