So you’re in the market for a new cell phone and you want to know which phone is the best for real estate agents? Good question. Cell phones aren’t cheap and you’ll want to make sure you choose the right phone for your business and your way of working.
Just last week, I rolled into my local Verizon Wireless store to check out when I become eligible for a phone upgrade. A few years ago, Catherine and I switched from T-Mobile to Verizon so that we could buy and use an iPhone. This was before T-Mobile announced their support for iPhone after recognizing people were unlocking their phones and using them, unofficially, on their network.
While this post isn’t about which wireless carrier you should use, the carrier you use is just as important as which cell phone to use for your real estate business.
What To Look For in a Cell Phone for Real Estate Business
In my nearly two decades of having a cell phone and conducting all kinds of business, I would consider myself a power user and therefore, can share with you what I think are the most important features you should care about in selecting your cell phone.
Price
New phones can range from $50-$700, depending on whether your wireless carrier offers a subsidy. Remember: cell phone purchase and usage can be written off your taxes if used primarily for business.
Popularity
The popularity of a phone can make a big difference in your overall experience with a device. Popular phones are typically supported longer and are on platforms with large repositories of apps such as iTunes & Google Play.
Did you know that in 2014, experts estimate our mobile usage will increase 23% and that for the first time ever, we now spend more time-consuming digital media than watching TV?
For this reason, it is important for you to not only have the right phone for your business needs, but to also understand how the general public will be consuming media to find and contact you. I’m a strong believer in imitating my clients communication and learning habits as I believe this strengthens my ability to effectively market for new business and keep new clients rolling in.
Battery Life
We’ve all been there. It’s 4 PM in the afternoon and you’ve got back-to-back client meetings only to look down and realize you’ve got 16% power left on your cell phone. Your heart sinks because you are nowhere near a charger. For this reason, battery life should be an important part of your decision-making process.
Camera Quality
If you’re an active real estate agent, you are probably snapping photos at open houses, brokers opens, and other events to send to your clients for preview. In addition, posting photos of homes and investment properties to your social networks is a great way to increase your total number of followers. You should have a cell phone that takes great looking photos and allows you to easily share them online.
The Two Best Cell Phones for Real Estate
Back in the day, I used to be a bigtime Google fanboy. I was bought into an open source phone operating system and the ecosystem of great apps that it would promote. However, I made the mistake of buying the first three generations of Google phones and overall, I found them to be slow, buggy, and problematic after a few months of use. It got so bad that I would get a call and hit accept and the phone would just freeze, never actually picking up the call.
So, I made the switch to the iPhone and I haven’t looked back.
That said! The last Google phone I owned was from three plus years ago. And because of my background in software, I knew that the problems that Android-based phones faced had to do with two different issues: the lack of powerful CPU’s to support the Android beefy resource requirements and software that needed more time to mature.
Now, I’m finding that there are plenty of users all over that have newer Google phones and absolutely love them. For this reason, I have no issues promoting and referring Android phones to other real estate professionals today.
Let’s take a look at my take on the best phones for real estate.
Apple iPhone 6
Exceptional Design. Super Bright Screen. Fantastic Apps.
Price Compare New Apple iPhone 6
Pricing Table Source: How much does an iPhone 6 really cost?
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Amazing Display. Powerful Performance. Top-notch Camera.
Price Compare New Samsung Galaxy Note 4Comparing the iPhone 6 with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Which cell phone do you use for real estate and why?
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