Once upon a time, way back in 2015, the National Association of REALTORS® released the 2015 Member Safety Report which reported the use of smart phone safety apps among NAR members as 13%. This year, with the release of the 2016 Report, there was a distinct increase to 42% of REALTORS® using safety apps. Check out the top four ranking apps being used by members, and consider working one into your business model!
Find My iPhone
Apple users can download this on any iOS device to find their missing device by logging in with their Apple ID for iCloud. Other handy features include remotely locking a phone, playing a sound to help locate it, displaying a message on the lock screen by putting it in Lost Mode, and even erasing all the data remotely.
GPS Phone Tracker
This is the app of choice for Android users. Handy when tracking friends for social events or associates meeting you in a new location, it also has a web login for the computer in case someone loses their phone and needs to track it. A REALTOR® might use the GPS Phone Tracker to monitor the journey of another REALTOR® traveling to and from a showing, and vice versa.
Life360
It works on both iPhone and Android devices. Basically, users can form groups with friends, family, and colleagues while Life360 shares the location of every group member within the group. Messaging options are also available on an individual basis or in groups. Other features also include to-do lists and the ability to “check-in” to a location which sends a notification to the others in the group.
Homesnap Pro
An app designed solely for MLS agents, Homesnap Pro displays other agents’ profiles, creates CMA reports, schedules showings, and displays the default agent on all active listings. The idea behind Homesnap is that a REALTOR® “snaps” a photo of a home and the database pulls up all the details of the listing. In the Pro version, a safety feature called the Safety Timer can be activated once a REALTOR® enters a home. If the prescribed amount of time runs out and the REALTOR® has not stopped the time, a message will be sent to all the emergency contacts.
Honorable Mentions: bSafe, Glympse, React Mobile, Real Alert.