Google is All You Need to Build and Run Your Real Estate Business
Real estate is an expensive career. Between brokerage and board fees, CE courses and designations, advertising and marketing, gas, car insurance, E&O insurance, and everything else, it gets pricey quick. Especially if you are a newbie.
Luckily there are a ton of free resources out there to help you build your business. Google offers a slew of these free business building applications with one of their free accounts. Here are some of the top picks from Google apps to help you build your real estate business and career for free.
Google is All You Need to Build and Run Your Real Estate Business
Everything listed below is free to use with a basic, free Google account.
Voice
Free number with text messaging and digital voicemail that can be downloaded as MP3s. Use this number instead of your actual cell number and never worry about having a full voicemail ever again. (Plus you can have missed calls, voicemails and texts sent to your email for easy reference or forwarding.)
Free number with text messaging and digital voicemail that can be downloaded as MP3s. Use this number instead of your actual cell number and never worry about having a full voicemail ever again. (Plus you can have missed calls, voicemails and texts sent to your email for easy reference or forwarding.)
Duo
Video chatting with clients means you can tour properties with out-of-town buyers while they are still at home.
Video chatting with clients means you can tour properties with out-of-town buyers while they are still at home.
Messages
Messaging app that lets you text from your computer or phone, which is great for trying to quickly message a few leads at once.
Messaging app that lets you text from your computer or phone, which is great for trying to quickly message a few leads at once.
Hangouts
Combination of Voice, Duo and Messages, you can make calls and video chats or send messages within one app, on your phone or computer. If you have a Voice number, you can opt to have your messages sent to Hangouts instead of using the Voice app.
Combination of Voice, Duo and Messages, you can make calls and video chats or send messages within one app, on your phone or computer. If you have a Voice number, you can opt to have your messages sent to Hangouts instead of using the Voice app.
Blogger/BlogSpot
Free blog/website that can be linked with an existing domain name. Depending on your skill level, you may find it easier or harder than Wordpress.com. I have used both as well as Wordpress.org and Wix. All have their pluses and all have their minuses. I will say this though, while you can run ads on a Blogger site, by default, their sites do not run ads unlike the free versions of Wordpress and Wix.
Free blog/website that can be linked with an existing domain name. Depending on your skill level, you may find it easier or harder than Wordpress.com. I have used both as well as Wordpress.org and Wix. All have their pluses and all have their minuses. I will say this though, while you can run ads on a Blogger site, by default, their sites do not run ads unlike the free versions of Wordpress and Wix.
Sites
Free website but less customizable than Blogger. Personally I would use Blogger (and do) but wanted to toss it out as an option for those not looking for anything too fancy.
Free website but less customizable than Blogger. Personally I would use Blogger (and do) but wanted to toss it out as an option for those not looking for anything too fancy.
YouTube
Free video hosting for virtual tours, vlogs and cat videos. You can keep videos private (just you), unlisted (meaning you have to have the exact URL to access it, great for sharing videos that aren't super top secret) or public (everyone can see it).
Free video hosting for virtual tours, vlogs and cat videos. You can keep videos private (just you), unlisted (meaning you have to have the exact URL to access it, great for sharing videos that aren't super top secret) or public (everyone can see it).
Gmail
Free email that is ever-evolving with built-in features like "Snooze" and "Pause Inbox." It pairs pretty seamlessly with a ton of the apps like Calendar, Tasks, Keep, Contacts and Hangouts as well as many other third-party apps such as Boomerang for Gmail which allows you to schedule messages to be sent later. The free version has 10 message credits per month or you can pay $4.99 per month for unlimited message credits.
Free email that is ever-evolving with built-in features like "Snooze" and "Pause Inbox." It pairs pretty seamlessly with a ton of the apps like Calendar, Tasks, Keep, Contacts and Hangouts as well as many other third-party apps such as Boomerang for Gmail which allows you to schedule messages to be sent later. The free version has 10 message credits per month or you can pay $4.99 per month for unlimited message credits.
Calendar
Keep track of all your appointments, meetings and showings in one place. You can easily create different calendars for different aspects of life and work, such as a personal calendar, showings calendar, duty days calendar, clients' birthdays, etc. and then easily view them all at once or individually. Plus you can easily share events as well as whole calendars with your team or clients.
Keep track of all your appointments, meetings and showings in one place. You can easily create different calendars for different aspects of life and work, such as a personal calendar, showings calendar, duty days calendar, clients' birthdays, etc. and then easily view them all at once or individually. Plus you can easily share events as well as whole calendars with your team or clients.
Tasks
Keep track of your to-do list in one place. You can even easily turn an email into a task and set reminders.
Keep track of your to-do list in one place. You can even easily turn an email into a task and set reminders.
Contacts
One-stop shop for all your phone contacts and random email addresses saved from over the years.
One-stop shop for all your phone contacts and random email addresses saved from over the years.
Photos
Easily backup all your photos on your phone for that one day when you drop your phone in the toilet.
Easily backup all your photos on your phone for that one day when you drop your phone in the toilet.
Keep
Part notebook, part digital to-do list, Keep lets you save quick notes, websites and images then access them on your computer, phone or tablet. Literally 99% of my blogs start in Keep.
Part notebook, part digital to-do list, Keep lets you save quick notes, websites and images then access them on your computer, phone or tablet. Literally 99% of my blogs start in Keep.
Drive/Docs/Sheets/Slides
I am grouping these all together for ease, but basically you can create, save and share files within Drive. Docs is Google's version of Word, Sheets is like Excel and Slides is like PowerPoint. You can share files individually or create shared folders, which is great for sharing information with your team or clients. You can even easily copy a note from Keep over to Drive.
I am grouping these all together for ease, but basically you can create, save and share files within Drive. Docs is Google's version of Word, Sheets is like Excel and Slides is like PowerPoint. You can share files individually or create shared folders, which is great for sharing information with your team or clients. You can even easily copy a note from Keep over to Drive.
Forms
This is actually part of Drive and basically can create free landing pages for your website, blog or Facebook ads. Create a form with required contact fields, use the share link or embed code to add it to a website or ad and capture some leads. Additionally, if you have HubSpot CRM, you can automatically send these lead sign-ups straight to your account.
This is actually part of Drive and basically can create free landing pages for your website, blog or Facebook ads. Create a form with required contact fields, use the share link or embed code to add it to a website or ad and capture some leads. Additionally, if you have HubSpot CRM, you can automatically send these lead sign-ups straight to your account.
My Business
Claim your business on Google and after verifying it using a postcard they mail you, you can easily update your business information on Google. Additionally, you can post photos, videos and updates that appear with your business in searches. It's just another great place to advertise new listings, open houses, client reviews and yourself! Now that Google+ is disappearing, this is the place to post your updates on Google.
Claim your business on Google and after verifying it using a postcard they mail you, you can easily update your business information on Google. Additionally, you can post photos, videos and updates that appear with your business in searches. It's just another great place to advertise new listings, open houses, client reviews and yourself! Now that Google+ is disappearing, this is the place to post your updates on Google.
Analytics
Knowing how much website traffic you are getting and from where is a huge help in determining which marketing efforts are working. Placing the analytics code on most sites is as ease as copy and paste.
Knowing how much website traffic you are getting and from where is a huge help in determining which marketing efforts are working. Placing the analytics code on most sites is as ease as copy and paste.
Ads
While everyone runs ads on Facebook and Instagram, the original place was Google. And it still can be for the most part. Especially when they send you a $50-100 ad credit every once in awhile.
While everyone runs ads on Facebook and Instagram, the original place was Google. And it still can be for the most part. Especially when they send you a $50-100 ad credit every once in awhile.
Assistant
"Hey Google, what's the weather like?"
"Hey Google, how's traffic?"
"Hey Google, when is my showing?"
Need I say more? OK, how about this? You can get one of those fancy home devices and put it in your office and basically turn it into your actual assistant.
"Hey Google, what's the weather like?"
"Hey Google, how's traffic?"
"Hey Google, when is my showing?"
Need I say more? OK, how about this? You can get one of those fancy home devices and put it in your office and basically turn it into your actual assistant.
Until next time my lovelies!
-M
 |
| Pin Now for Later! |
