Google is the most recognized name in search engines but Google provides more tools than just searching online. One of our favorites is Google Docs. Google Docs are free online documents (think online Microsoft Office) that are stored and created online. Google Docs can be shared with anyone and can be accessed by any computer so you can cut that cord. 

What kind of documents can you create with Google Docs?

• Spreadsheets – think Excel
• Documents – think Word
• Presentations – think PowerPoint
• Forms – yeah, Microsoft doesn’t do that with an Office product
• Drawings – think Publisher but a much more scaled down version. 

How can you use Google Docs in your day-to-day real estate business?

• Listing marketing plans for sellers - Use Google Spreadsheets to give your sellers an easy way to see how the marketing is going for their home. Provide links to any online marketing so they can see it at any time. You could even create separate tabs in your workbook for showing feedback, inspection responses, etc. You can grant your sellers access so they can view this doc from the comfort of their own home – or the movie theater with their phone! 
• Listing maintenance – The marketing plan for sellers is just as valuable to you! Stay informed about your listing marketing status from anywhere you go! This is a GREAT tool for real estate teams or for collaborating with your real estate virtual assistant.
• Contact databases - Create and maintain your contact database with a Google spreadsheet. Contacts can even be easily imported from Outlook. (P.S. If you are still using Outlook we should talk.)
• Forms - Would an online questionnaire help you figure out what your buyers want? Would you like an easy way to gather testimonials? Google Forms allows you to easily create custom forms and provides a link to the form for you to send to people. You can even embed the form in your own website. The really cool thing about Google Forms is that once a response is entered on the form, Google creates a spreadsheet and collects and organizes all of the data for you. Uber easy. 
• Office sharing - Google Docs provides an easy way to share all of your office forms with your real estate agents, whether they work in the office or from their home office.

Getting started is simple.
Go to Docs.Google.com
You will need to create a Google account if you do not already have one for Gmail, YouTube, Docs, etc.
Create your first document by clicking on ‘Create’.
After you create your first document, you can click on the ‘Share’ button to share with the world or selected people you know. 

Do you have any other ideas about using Google Docs for real estate business? We’d love to hear them!

1. Google Chrome

If you are still using Internet Explorer I highly recommend you give Google Chrome a shot. It is a much cleaner internet browser that is much quicker than I

E. There are fantastic plug-ins that make it much easier to use, as well.  The crashes & freeze-ups that come along with IE are much more reduced in Chrome.

2. Gmail
Are you managing several different email account? A personal email & a business email PLUS others? Gmail removes the need to visit various email sites to check your different email accounts. If you know your password for say your Yahoo! email, Gmail can pull your emails straight into Gmail. One email account to check. Simple. Using Outlook? Do you find it a pain that you have to be at a certain computer to check your email? Gmail solves that as well since it is web-based. Want to switch without a ton of hassle? Ask us to help you!

3. Scribd
Scribd is an online document host. Upload your files and share them with the world. You can embed them into your website, email a link, and much more.

4.  Point2
Point2Agent provides agents with customizable template websites for a nominal fee. We use it daily to help agents syndicate their listings to over 40 real estate listings sites online. If you need a website or want to change your current host, check them out.

5. Grooveshark
Because sometimes you just have to JAM! Keeping your nose to the grind is difficult for any extended period of time. Having your favorite playlist in the background makes it more enjoyable. Grooveshark is a web-based music player. You can upload your own music or listen to the albums others have loaded. There is no downloading so it is legit. You can ‘store’ albums to your account, create playlists, and share your music with others via Facebook, Twitter, and other social media services. Find your jammin’ real estate virtual assistant on Grooveshark. Groove on!

This has to be the biggest complaint and hurdle I’ve heard from Gmail users – the inability to use photo signatures. So, many people continue to use Outlook. For many real estate agents, Outlook isn’t the most effective program since they usually have more than one computer and Outlook doesn’t sync itself (hint hint Microsoft).

Well, there is a solution – Wisestamp. Wisestamp is an extention/add-on for Google’s Chrome browser and Mozilla’s Firefox (as well as Thunderbird and Flock).

By the way, if you are still using Internet Explorer, I HIGHLY recommend you stop. Chrome is my preferred browser because of its great speed and infrequent crashes and freeze-ups.  However, the MLS still doesn’t support any other browser except IE so you’ll have to use it for that.

With Wisestamp, you install the extension, create your email signature and voila, you’re ready to go! Photo signatures in Gmail. Easy.

No, it doesn’t print pockets (although that would be amazing – who couldn’t use an extra pocket?).

The Polaroid PoGo ($149) is about the size of a deck of cards, and will print photos from your digital camera or Blue-tooth enabled cell phones.

What a handy tool! You may not think you need it but this would definitely help you stand out with your buyers. Out seeing a ton of homes and want to give something to your buyers to help them remember that great Master Spa they love or that not-so-great kitchen sink? Snap a photo and print it right there on the spot. Make a note on the back and hand it over to your buyers for reference later.

Do you find yourself sending the same type of email message repeatedly? I do. I have responses to inquiries about work. I have an email I send when I provide a proof on design work. I have invoice emails and custom customer emails in which I update them on their marketing plans. To type them out each time is time-consuming and sometimes I forget to mention something I should have. If you have this problem there is a very easy solution.

You can learn how to create an email signature here. We will be doing the exact same thing for common text in emails. 

In Outlook, go to ‘tools’ – ‘options’ – then click on the ‘mail format’ tab. 
Click on ‘Signatures’ 

To create a new signature (which is what this is) click ‘New’.
Enter a name for your new signature, such as ‘Invoice’. 

Enter in the text you’d like to be included in your form email and hit ‘ok’.

When you are ready to use your form email text, begin a new email and go to ‘insert’ – ‘signature’ – then select the signature you want to use. 

Now, you can only use one signature at a time and the one you select will overwrite any others you’ve used in the same email.

ADD YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNTS TO GMAIL

Maintaining several email accounts? Tired of logging in to each one? Use Gmail to access all of your accounts from one place. Simply create a Gmail account, go to ‘Settings’ then ‘Accounts’. Enter your email address & password. Voila!

Lists make me happy. I like planning out goals I want to accomplish and things I want to do. Problem is, I’m addicted to lists. They are everywhere. And I can’t find them. So, a lot of good they do me now, huh? Alas, the internet has come to my rescue! There are wonderful list-making, task prioritizing lists out there to help a list addict like me.

Ta Da Lists lets me keep track of all of my lists and prioritize them. An extra special feature for me is the ability to check off tasks and not have them disappear. One of the most fulfilling aspects for me of keeping lists is crossing them off. I feel a huge sense of accomplishment.

Cozi.com is a family calendar management tool that you can share with all members of your family. You can assign family members to tasks and set email reminders. Cozi also has a built-in list organizer but it isn’t one that I felt especially fond of because I couldn’t rename my lists. Probably one of the most unique aspects of Cozi is the ability to create a family journal. Had a really great family day? Want to jot down a particularly funny memory? Write it in your journal and everyone can save that memory for years to come.
Oh, did I mention both of these services are free? Take a few minutes to check them out and see if they might work for you.

Microsoft Office is pretty much the norm in computer world. Microsoft has a monopoly. Until now. OpenOffice.org is a free alternative to Microsoft Office. OpenOffice is made up of 6 basic programs :

Writer - a word processor comparable to Word
Calc - a spreadsheet editor and creator comparable to Excel
Draw – a graphics editor similar to Publisher
Impress – a presentation program rival to PowerPoint
Base – database program comparable to Access

Already have an older version or Microsoft Office or at least have some files others have created in MS Office? The great thing about OpenOffice is that is can easily integrate MS Office’s information into OpenOffice, meaning you can open MS Office docs in Open Office. If you are looking at purchasing MS Office, give OpenOffice.org a try? What do you have to lose? It’s free!