BETTER SERVICE THROUGH ELECTRONICS

Indeed, for sales professionals who want to streamline their days as well as improve their face-to-face customer experience, the tools are out there. In-Hand (www. in-hand.com), for instance, a Palm OS software developer that specializes in vertical applications for real estate, offers a number of applications. The In-Hand Realty Tools Suite includes tools like BuyerQual, a simple calculator that helps you determine if your potential homebuyer will qualify for a specific home. It also includes SellerNet, another realty calculator, which helps agents determine the estimated net seller costs.  Net+GFE helps estimate the net buyer costs.

In-Hand offers a slew of other applications for the Palm OS as well.  ListMgr, for instance, is a handheld database that helps agents manage listings.  The program tracks data about the house—including MLS number, rooms, size, and style—as well as contract information, showing results, and commission information. And ABC for Palm, a free application available for download from the In-Hand Web site, is a real estate commission calculator. The program computes the earnings for agents, whether they share the franchise fee with a broker, pay the entire fee, or are independent agents. ABC calculates total commission, franchise fee, referral fee, and agent split, as well as any relevant deductions for insurance or processing fees.