When you look back on the long history of invention and innovation that’s taken place alongside the development of the modern world, few things if any can rival the sheer impact that the smartphone has had on society as a whole. Mobile phones and cellular internet changed the game for virtually every profession and job, not to mention nearly every individual above the age of ten!
There’s a lot of debate as to whether this impact has been a positive one or a negative one as a whole, with good points coming from both sides. Some argue that the convenience and efficiency with which we can work and stay informed while mobile make smartphones a good thing; others say that we’re too dependent on them, that they’re making us lazy and passive.
But don’t worry; we’re not here to arbitrate this ongoing debate, however. Our goal today is to take a look at which smartphones are best for real estate agents! With dozens of new flagship smartphones being released each year, the sheer variety in selection and features are liable to leave you feeling dazed and confused. If you feel this happening, stay calm. We’re here to help!
What makes a phone suitable for real estate agents?
So, you're in the market for a new smartphone. Maybe your old one quite unexpectedly, or just became a little too slow and outdated to serve as your main communications link with clients and customers. Whatever the case may be, you’re now faced with a decision: which of the many, many smartphones on the market will you buy?
Before you can make this decision, you need to know what exactly makes a phone suitable for a real estate agent. What should you, as a professional real estate agent, look for in a new smartphone? To streamline the selection process, we’ve pinpointed several points of comparison: security, ease of use, performance, cost, features and status value. Let’s take a look at why and how each should be considered.
Security
As a real estate professional, you regularly send and receive sensitive information and documents, often from the convenience of your smartphone. If the security of this information were to be breached, it could result in a plethora of unpleasant surprises for both you and the person on the sending or receiving end.
In order to prevent this from happening, you’ll want to look for a smartphone that is secure in terms of both hardware and software. There are a lot of factors that come into play when assessing the security of a given smartphone, so research each candidate smartphone thoroughly before purchasing.
Ease of use
Working in an industry as fast-paced as real estate, a realtor such as yourself has no for poorly designed user interfaces, unintuitive controls or unnecessarily complicated hardware. Logically, this means that your next phone should be one that is intuitive, simple and easy to use, while still maintaining the functionality of a flagship smartphone.
This is a factor that is more subject to personal preference and past experience than any of the others on this list. Some flagship smartphones are more user-friendly than others, but each has its own unique advantages and disadvantages when compared to other competing products.
Performance
While ease of use can do a great deal to determine how efficient you are when working from your handheld base of operations, another factor that also can make or break your smartphone experience is performance. This encompasses a number of different specifications from how fast the phone processes data to how long the battery lasts, but is fairly easy to assess due to the empirical, “higher number = better” nature of performance comparisons.
Ideally, your new smartphone should have good battery life, a bright, high resolution, high contrast screen and a good processor at the very least. This will ensure that you can efficiently use your phone from virtually anywhere, without being dependent on any peripherals or external charging or network infrastructure.
Cost
Although cost may be less of a concern than other factors on this list, it’s still something you may want to keep in mind. Flagship smartphones from more well established manufacturers often offer few advantages over their competitors, while at the same time remaining prohibitively expensive. Additionally, phones that are costly to purchase are costly to service, so any routine or unexpected repairs are likely to cost you an arm and a leg.
While it can sometimes be difficult to determine whether or not a particular smartphone is worth its market price, there are a few ways to go about this task. One way to do this is by searching for used units in the classifieds or online; if the average prices are significantly below market value, the phone may not be as great as it claims to be.
Features
With hardware and software being pushed further than they’ve ever been pushed before, the differences between baseline performance when comparing flagship smartphones are often minimal. As the importance of this factor has diminished over time, another has emerged to take its place: features!
Features are what make or break many smartphones in 2022. Some models have optical zoom lenses and fast charging, others have tacky, overpriced magnetic accessories and 5G connectivity. When it comes to features, it’s usually best to look past the marketing and ask yourself which features will actually come in handy and which… just won’t. Trust us; this way of thinking can save you a lot of money!
Status
This may not seem as important as the other factors on this list, but trust us; as a real estate agent, a smartphone can be useful to help inspire confidence with your clients and project an image as a successful, wealthy real estate agent. When done tastefully, subtly showcasing your cutting edge flagship smartphone can make the difference between a deal struck and a deal cancelled!
As a realtor, image is incredibly important. Everything from the clothes you choose to wear to the car you drive affect the way that your clients perceive you. Considering the extent to which your job pivots on your ability to convince your customers of your trustworthiness, we’re of the opinion that a top-of-the-line smartphone is a great investment!
Buying your new smartphone
Now that you have a better understanding of what to look for in a smartphone and what to avoid, you can hop in your car and drive it down to the best buy in search of a new cellular device. If you want to make an official trip out of it, you can even find a real estate agent or two who you work with at the brokerage and bring them along!
Picking out the perfect smartphone can be a tedious, difficult process, but at the end of the day, it’s not that big of a deal. Even if you don’t end up purchasing the objective winner in all categories, it’s not like you’ll have the thing longer than a year anyway. With technology advancing faster than ever, your new phone will likely be outdated sometime before then!
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