Browsing through RealEstateVoices this morning and I stumbled across this article from MSN Money, Cell-phone service puts ‘a realtor in your pocket’.

nokia.jpg

Smarter Agent, through a new partnership with Sprint, promises to display recently sold home data through a GPS-enabled phone. The premise is intriguing, but I’d have to see it firsthand before I become a believer. I’ve yet to be terribly impressed with too many mobile applications (the exception being Google Maps Mobile, which has saved my bacon a number ot times).

But reading that article reminded me of another service that I’ve been meaning to write about for a while. Property4Cell is a marketing service that Realtors can use to send information about a property to buyers via SMS. Buyers who are out home shopping can send a quick text message to a unique property ID number (usually displayed on the Sale Sign) and instantly receive the details back in their phone.

This solution instinctively makes a lot more sense to me than something like Smarter Agent, whose approach seems overly complex and dependant on specific techological requirements. Smarter Agent’s offering falls squarely into the ‘nice to know’, but not the ‘need-to-know’, category.

Property4Cell, on the other hand, addresses a legitimate problem. How many times have you driven past a house for sale and the flyer basket outside is empty. This solution is a simple, effective, quick (and hopefully inexpensive) fix.

On another note, I’ve been looking at getting a new phone soon, as my contract just expired and my old Nokia is getting a little long in the tooth. There are lots of new models coming onto the market right now that have peaked my gadget lust. T-Mobile’s Dash and the BlackBerry Pearl, just to name a few. Any suggestions from the crowd? I’m pretty set on GSM (T-Mo or Cingular) since I travel fairly frequently back and forth between the US and Canada and I like to switch out SIM cards and avoid roaming charges.

Or maybe I should just hold out for the Apple iPhone?

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×