Real Estate Agent Resources
In the spirit of giving back to my profession, I thought it would be helpful to provide a list of the top real estate agent resources that I use in my daily business. Technology and marketing resources change constantly, but this list comprises the companies, software, vendors, etc that I currently use and have had great success with. I hope that you find something of value here and if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me–I am always happy to help!
Real Estate CRM
For several years now I have used Solve 360–it is a cloud-based project management and CRM solution; my team and I use it to manage our client database and buyer/seller transactions. Unlike real estate specific solutions such as Top Producer, Solve 360 is a more versatile system. The user interface can be easily customized and our team has found it to be an ideal solution for our real estate business. What Solve360 does best is to allow full control/creativity over project management–it also has a powerful contact management component.
Video Production
For listing videos, I like to use Animoto–it offers lots of music options, numerous video layouts and it does not take long to learn. Animoto is cloud-based and all your videos can be stored on online. For more custom videos, I use Video Maker FX–this software-based system is ridiculously simple to learn and you can create some pretty neat videos in very little time. The video you see in the sidebar of this site was created using Video Maker FX.
To find out more about this amazing software, click the image below:
For quick videos shot on a mobile phone or similar device, I like Videolicious–their paid app is only $10 or so a month and the video production/upload using your I-phone or Android device is really simple. You can download the app or visit their site at Videolicious.
For upload sites, I’m currently using a combination of You Tube and Vimeo (pro version)–for property videos/tours, I stick to You Tube exclusively, but for videos on my various websites, I like to upload to Vimeo and then use their embed code.
Graphic Design
For much of my print-based graphic design, I use a company located in Colorado called Snug Butter–don’t fooled by the quirky name–the principals of Snug Butter are really talented and have incredible design knowledge, aesthetic understanding (especially when it comes to real estate marketing) and great customer service–you can visit their site at www.snugbutter.com.
If you are looking for a talented graphic designer who is skilled in creating logos, graphics for web/print and social media covers for sites like Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, etc, try Elliyas Popatiya–you can find him on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Creative-Elliyas/289884057738050 or you can email him directly at elliyaspopatiya@gmail.com. If you reach out to Elliyas, please let him know that I sent you.
Web Design
Currently, my web design is handled by Waqas Ahmed and you may reach him waqas@speeditonline.com. Waqas is a very talented web developer and he has helped me with several WordPress projects including two WordPress multi-sites.
IDX
IDX is one of my favorite/least favorite real estate tech subjects:) If you have gone through the process of vetting IDX vendors for your WordPress site, you may have experienced some pain and suffering–at least that has been my experience. IDX is such a hotly debated subject that I intend on devoting an entire post to the matter in the near future. My current IDX vendor is Showcase IDX — I am running this platform on this site and on enjoygaineyranch.com. Like all IDX providers, the Showcase solution has a few drawbacks, but the customer support (by email) is very prompt and usually quite thorough. What I really like about this solution, aside from the support, is the clean display of photos and information–in my opinion, it’s very pleasing to the eye and one of the best in the IDX marketplace.
Full-Disclosure: A few vendors pay me affiliate commissions when referring leads. Most of the information here provides me no referral fee, but I want to be totally transparent. Keep in mind that I will never refer a company that I have not used and that I do not believe in. Feel free to contact me about any of the above companies or vendors.
