Can Realtors survive without an iPad these days?

An ongoing debate over iPads

There’s a bit of a debate going on right now as to whether the iPad is truly necessary for the average Realtor. While an iPad many not be needed, per se, it could prove tremendously beneficial in helping the average agent carry out their day to day duties and run their business.

I speak with Realtors almost every day who swear by their iPad; they can go on for hours about how great of a tool it is. But looking past Apple’s marketing and all the hype and excitement (the glitz and glamour), how great is the iPad really?

Reports have circulated that in just three days, Apple sold three million units of the iPad mini, selling the product out. Undoubtedly, many of the people who stood in line to be among the first to own the new iPad were Realtors.

The argument for productivity

Many argue that the iPad is tremendously helpful in increasing professional productivity on the road. And because Realtors are often in their car and out of the office for most of the day, agents are a group of people who stand to benefit from the iPad the most.

If agents are using a real estate CRM for Mac and iPad, they can be extremely productive with an iPad. They can do everything from look up and record client notes prior to a meeting, send out a mass email, set automatic prompts, and more.

The iPad can also be a big asset in assisting with listing presentations, impressing clients with high definition property photos, showing details of current listings to buyers on the run, and signing and sending documents.

There are many functions that you can’t perform on your smartphone, so in the past, working on the road meant having to purchase a laptop. But with the advent of the iPad and now the iPad mini, there isn’t a need to carry a comparatively heavy laptop around or spend the money to buy one. The iPad is light, portable, and easy to use. Sounds like a pretty good option to me.

The argument against: digital overload

But as real estate writer Tom Flanagan points out, “…At what point do Realtors have enough gadgets? Do Realtors really need a laptop for home and the office, a 10-inch tablet for listing appointments, a 7-inch tablet for watching videos while relaxing on the couch, an e-reader for library books, a smartphone for apps, and a flip phone to actually make phone calls?”

The “digital overload” argument does make sense. If you already have a laptop you carry around with you, as well as a smartphone, and you’re happy with both of those, why purchase another gadget that looks nice but doesn’t provide extra value to you personally?

The takeaway

Weigh the pros and cons. Look past the fancy advertising campaigns. Understand what you can actually do with the iPad and then decide if the investment is worth the value that it’ll bring to your business.