If you think a phone was made just for talking, think again. Your phone can do it all now — send e-mails, access your contact records, snap photos and capture video footage, provide GPS navigation, and browse the Internet.

Real estate professionals are discovering smart phones allow for improved responsiveness and service, which translates into more listings and more clients. Early adopters have been tapping a variety of smart phones the past few years for a wide range of competitive advantages and productivity benefits. (See sidebar.)

Apple’s much-hyped launch of the iPhone last year has brought new attention to the category, highlighting the benefits of smart phones for highly mobile professionals — like you. Since then, more smart phones continue to debut and they keep getting smarter.

Use it to Your Advantage

Lisa Hill, a sales associate with Adams, Cameron & Company REALTORS® in Port Orange, Fla., quickly learned to rely on her Hewlett-Packard iPAQ 6515 smart phone. It’s been her solution to keeping her business mobile ever since she started carrying the unit — which runs on the Windows Mobile operating system — two years ago.

“The most obvious benefit is having my entire contact records available on my phone at the touch of my finger,” Hill says. “I can pull up a name, read notes from our last conversation, then dial by tapping their name on the screen. It’s a big improvement over having to carry and open my laptop to look at those records.”

She’s also used the iPAQ to take photos of homes, compose and edit Word documents, and display listing presentations created in PowerPoint on her laptop.

“There’s just so much you can do with a smart phone, I think it’s something everybody should use,” she says.

David Keith agrees. The sales associate with JTC Realty Group in Livonia, Mich., has been a smart phone user since they debuted earlier this decade. He is currently on his third version, and looking to upgrade again this year.

“I’d be lost without mine,” he says of his Samsung i730. “This is all I carry when I am out of the office.”

For him, the biggest benefits are mobile contact management, e-mail, and Web access.

“When someone e-mails me, I get their message in real time,” Keith says. The same handheld delivers remote access to his home or office network, holds flyers of his listings, supports instant messaging, and serves up GPS-powered directions.

And its functionality doesn’t stop there. “When I want to take notes about anything, I just write on the screen as if it were a piece of paper. It converts my handwriting to text and transfers it to my PC,” Keith says. “The possibilities really are endless.”

Get Smart

Fair warning, however: While these users are enthusiastic about their phones, keep in mind that a positive experience doesn’t always come right out of the box.

Jo Ann Souza, residential sales specialist with RE/MAX Visalia in Visalia, Calif., says her first full-featured smart phone wouldn’t hold a charge, even after numerous calls to customer service.

“When they suggested I keep it turned off, and turn it on periodically to see if anyone called, that was enough for me,” Souza says.

She traded that phone in before her 30-day trial was up in favor of the Blackberry Curve. While there have been a few intermittent service disruptions, she’s much happier with the replacement.

“I’ve got my contact database and can now get e-mail wherever I go,” Souza says. “It’s lightweight, easy to use, can take a good picture, and if I need to do Web browsing, it does that too.”

1. Mobile communications hub

• Full-featured mobile phone and speakerphone for individual and conference calls.
• Standard calling features like voicemail retrieval, call forwarding, caller ID, and photo caller ID.
• Text, multimedia, and instant messaging.
• E-mail send/receive in real time with multiple e-mail account management.
• Sending, receiving, and viewing faxes as PDFs.
  
  2. Handheld computer
• Operates a full range of software applications.
• Contact management database, calendar, and schedule.
• View or edit files and documents in word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation programs.
• Store copies of listing information, presentations, flyers, contracts, and forms.
• Archive correspondence with clients.
  
  3. Digital camera
• Capture and store still images and video recordings about listings and features.
• Share images on the smart phone screen or via e-mail and messaging.
  
  4. Wireless Access
• Surf the Web over the cellular data network or through WiFi hot spots.
• Cellular modem for notebook PCs.
• View Web content, retrieve or upload data, and real-time MLS searches.
• Remotely access home or business networks and all resources available there.
  
  5. GPS navigation
• Either with built-in GPS capabilities or through Web-based mapping and navigation services.
• Map retrieval and viewing, point-to-point directions, and pinpointing listing locations.
  
  6. All the extras
• Lockbox management.
• Voice-activated command and control, and voice memo recording.
• Handwriting recognition to convert notes to text.
• Personal entertainment from MP3 audio playback, viewing videos, and games.
  
  

Narrow the Selection: Smart Phone Shopping List

With so many smart phones already available, and more on the way, how do you choose?

• Prioritize your needs. Smart phone features vary and individual models do some things better than others. Identify what features matter most to you, which you might use occasionally, and which you can do without. Let those priorities guide you to models with the right mix for your mobile needs.

• Start with your cellular provider. If you’re happy with the service and coverage, see what your present cellular provider offers. For now, you have to consider the hardware and service as a bundle. Some handsets are exclusively available only through certain carriers, while others are offered in different versions through different service providers. If a particular smart phone means you’ll have to switch carriers so weigh immediate gains against the cost of early contract termination.

• Try it before buying. Depending on maker and design, a smart phone may offer a much different experience than what you’re accustomed to with your cell phone. Hold the phone to your ear, run software, and sample data entry. Sample several models before deciding which is the right fit.

• Look for savings. In most cases, a manufacturer’s suggested retail price is only a reference point. The real price is determined by the length and scope of the service contract, and related discounts and rebates. If you expect to do a lot of Web browsing, you may save with a WiFi smart phone if hot spots are abundantly available in your area. Otherwise, an unlimited voice/data play may be your best buy. Also, know the cost of contract termination and upgrades from the outset. Smart phones are a rapidly evolving technology. You may want to step up to a better model before a standard two-year contract is up.

• Put it to the test. Take advantage of the limited-trial period to put the smart phone through all the tests before entering a long-term contract. Work all features as you roam. Better to decide one model isn’t all you want while you can still trade it in than find out later you’ll have to make the best of a poor match for the duration of your contract.
  

Prices are the vendors’ suggested retail prices and are subject to change. This list isn’t comprehensive; NAR doesn’t evaluate or endorse these products and isn’t responsible for changes in product info.

Michael Antoniak is a journalist and technology expert with a focus on real estate applications. Antoniak also writes about real estate technology at his blog, RealTechTools. He can be contacted at antoniak@dtccom.net.