Chicago Agent Managing Editor Stephanie Sims

A big part of technology is staying up to date with what can help you in your business and make your life easier, as well as knowing what the latest tech tools are that you should download and invest in. The question “What’s next in real estate tech?” is something that is asked constantly – especially with companies thinking about merging or acquiring others (Dropbox and Cartavi, possibly Zillow and Trulia). To not know what’s going on in the tech world is detrimental to your business because of two things: you won’t know the best tools for you to use; and your clients won’t think you’re as much of an expert as you say you are.

To create this issue and make sure we had the most accurate “bests” in each category as of press time, we consulted an expert panel of seven tech-savvy real estate consultants, real estate tech company execs and highly qualified agents – some based in Chicago, some from outside Chicago – for their picks of what the best apps, software and websites are that all agents should be using to get ahead in their business. We asked our panel to list two to three top tools per category – from which we selected one winner, and one to two runners up – so read what you should be using when it comes to lead generation, showings and transaction management, among other aspects of your business. We’ve also included some brand new apps that are so new to the industry, they’ve barely been tested and reviewed – but you should keep a close eye on them, because they may be a big help to you. In addition, you may have heard about the .REALTOR domain name for a few years, and now, it’s finally happening. We have all the info you need to know about that on page 14.

Let me know what you think of this issue and all of the apps/websites/software we deem to be the best. Email me your comments: stephanie@agentpublishing.com.