Those powerful, pocket-sized PDAs

Personal digital assistants can do much more for you than keep appointments and addresses. Here's how to pump up the power.

by Joe Poole   When Marty Kramer, the editor of this fine magazine, informed me that this would be a technology-themed issue, I was very excited. After all, I am the director of information services for the Texas Association of REALTORS^® and have been a "technologist" for many years. Then Marty asked me to write an article on how PDAs (personal digital assistants like Palms, Visors, Jornadas, etc.) can be a productive tool for REALTORS^®. I didn’t have the heart to tell Marty that I am not a writer–nor a fan of PDAs.

Don’t get me wrong–I’ve used PDAs for years. My first was an Apple Newton years ago. I have carried three models of Palm handhelds since they came out. But I only used a PDA as a mobile phone book and calendar. I never used any other applications on them.

So now I am supposed to write this article on how a REALTOR^® can use one? And don’t forget that I am not a REALTOR^® nor have I ever been one. Can you sense that my anxiety level was rising?

So I did some intensive research. After looking into the devices and programs to run on them, I have some good news and some even better news. There are many great PDAs and plenty of useful software and services, and it’s not hard to learn how to use them.

Picking a platform is a matter of deciding if size or functionality is more important
New models of PDAs are coming out all the time, but there are basically two different types. There are palm devices, which are small palm-held computers that use a touch screen and are driven by the Palm operating system. The other is the palm-top computer that is very similar to a small laptop–keypad included–and is driven by Microsoft’s Windows CE operating system.

I have used both types. I prefer the palm devices because of their portability.

A multitude of software applications
A surprisingly wide variety of applications are out there for PDAs. There are both very specific applications–like a drug library designed just for doctors–and broad-use apps–like database software that can be used for anything from contacts to a parts catalog.

But what’s out there for REALTORS^®? One of the useful apps for real estate is Top Producer for Palm OS (www.topproducer.com). This is the same Top Producer many of you use on your PCs. It can be used alone or in partnership with your PC version. There is also a product by Supra called the eKey that works in conjunction with a Palm Vx. The eKey allows you to sync to a server for the latest MLS information as well as use it for standard keybox functions (www.supraekey.com).

Pointing the way, adding things up, and keeping your appointments are just the beginning
There are many other applications that can be useful out in the field. You can load city maps on to your palm device. Of course, all of us can use the contact managers, calendars, and calculators that come with the PDAs. Mortgage calculators are available and so are spreadsheets.

What else is available? One of our TAR staffers and a PDA aficionado showed me some of the coolest stuff I have ever seen for PDAs. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to download Web pages directly to your palm device every time you sync it? There is a Web firm named AvantGo where you can register to download any Web pages to your Palm. You can choose your favorite Web pages or from AvantGo’s partners, like The New York Times or The Weather Channel.

AvantGo will partner with most any company to provide Web pages without graphics that are PDA-friendly. You might be able to use this service to download tax records from the county Web site or school boundaries from the school district. You can download MLS data from Internet based systems. I’ve started downloading the movie times once a week. (Okay, it’s not a work use, but everyone should have a little fun now and then.) The use of AvantGo and a PDA are unlimited as more and more real estate Web sites are developed.

Connecting with colleagues to find out where they are and where they are going
Another Web site, WeSync, enables users to share their own PDA calendars and contacts with other PDA users. Wouldn’t it be a great tool in the field when clients want to move quickly? Check everyone’s schedules on your handheld and then pick up the cell phone to schedule needed services while the clients are still admiring the home. As a client, I would be most impressed.

Having carried a PDA for more than four years and using it as just a phone book and calendar, I was pleasantly surprised by just how many other things Ican do with it. So I am using my Palm more and more, and that is sure to continue as more applications become available. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.

I believe that, with a little research and practice, you will find that a PDA can be a very productive tool for your business–one that will help you provide better service to clients in this very competitive market. For more information, you can do your own research starting with the Web sites listed on this page.

Joe Poole is director of information services for TAR.

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