8 can’t-miss real estate tech tools
Realtor Notebook
By Teresa Boardman, Thursday, March 17, 2011.
Flickr image courtesy of kirstyhall.When I decided to become a Realtor, one of the first investments I made was in computer hardware and software. I decided that I needed a laptop computer and software.
Today, I don’t need a laptop computer — an iPad, netbook or smart phone is less expensive and lighter and will do the job.
I don’t need to spend much on software because most of it is free and what is now free is better than what I used to pay a small fortune for.
Here are some great free programs and services that I use every day, and most of them have been around for years and have a large user base.
1. Pixlr is a free photo editor that is a browser extension. You can use it to edit photographs right in your browser. I use it in Google’s Chrome browser, but it is also available for the Firefox browser. Pixlr has the look and feel of Photoshop Elements and similar features. It can even be used to create graphics. Also try Pixler Express for quick edits and Pixlr Grabber for screen prints that can be edited and shared and saved in the browser.
2. Chrome browser: I have recently switched to the Chrome browser by Google, mainly because it is a faster, smaller program and it doesn’t crash. I also use the Chrome Web store, which is full of free time-saving gadgets and Chrome browser extensions. I have found browser extensions and add-ons that replace services that I used to pay for.