Last Spring, my significant other and I were house hunting. We contacted an agent who "specialized" in the area and asked him, "What other new homes are available in this area?" A fairly simple question, but he responded, "I don’t have any computer time until next week." We proceeded to call another agent who had several signs out in a sub-division we canvassed. He responded to our request with 3 stapled lists of properties with addresses, bedroom and bath information, and prices. This would have been helpful if I could read the small print and we were familiar with the area. Agent #1 didn’t provide any information, but Agent #2 didn’t provide anything valuable with his unreadable printouts.

REALTORS®, why limit your business to the 4 sides of your cubicle or office? With today’s technology you can take your office with you. A mobile agent's technical arsenal should include:

• A laptop w/ cellular modem
• A cellular phone w/cellular modem cable accessories
• Mobile, battery-powered color printer
• Digital Camera
• Small sheet-fed scanner

Tool 1: Laptop w/ cellular modem

When you purchase a new laptop, make sure that the PC Modem card is 56K and cellular ready (Hitachi VisionBook Pro 7000 Series offers these features). If you own a laptop and you have a PCMCIA slot, you can replace your existing modem with a cellular ready modem. These run about $78-$299 (US Robotics, 3-Com). With your cellular modem you can access MLS services, e-mail, Internet, and fax anywhere from your laptop.

Tool 2: A cellular phone with modem cable accessories

The cellular modems don’t include the cable needed to connect your laptop to the cell phone. Each cell phone manufacturer is different so you must contact them to purchase a cable. These cables run about $30-$50.

Tool 3: Battery Powered Portable Printer

Today's mobile printers are smaller and more affordable than their bulky predecessors. The new generation of portable printers weigh up to 3 pounds, print up to 100 pages per battery charge, and fit nicely in your laptop case. The resolution is much lower than a desktop but speeds in BW and color are comparable.

Tool 4: Digital Camera

A digital camera is a must whether you are mobile agent or if you do business in your office. The $900 megapixel cameras of 6 months ago are now more affordable and the output is instantaneous! Laptops with a USB (Universal Serial Bus) have a faster transfer speeds and support for hot-plugging components (plugging in without restarting your computer).

Tool 5: Small Sheet Fed Scanner

You may wonder why I suggest a digital camera and a scanner! Well, the best quality photos are taken with a digital camera, but what if you have a newspaper article, listing form or other document you need to e-mail or fax while you are on the road? A small sheet fed scanner is less than $100 in most stores and a wise investment. Imagine scanning and e-mailing a listing form to your office to be added to the MLS before you leave the Seller’s home.

In our fast-paced society, your clients expect you to be prepared to do business 24/7. The mobile agent is the only one equipped for the challenge.

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Published: June 14, 1999

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