As some of you know, I recently started a seasonal job to bring in some extra cash during the holiday working for T-Mobile. One of the great things about this job, is that I have been able to find out about all the latest & greatest technology in cell phones.
There are several different pieces of criteria to consider when choosing a phone. Especially if you are planning to use the phone to optimize your real estate career. The main thing to base all your choices on, is this:
What is the main purpose of the phone?
First, how often do you send text messages or email from your phone? Some phones are designed specifically for text messaging, while others are designed to optimize talk time. If you use your phone to send a lot of email or text messages, you may want to consider a phone with a full QWERTY keyboard. This makes sending messages a breeze.
Do you you use your phone to take pictures? If you do, you may want to pick a phone with a higher resolution camera. There are several phones now that now have a 5 megapixel camera. Also, these phones have capability of inserting a mini SD card to store more pictures as well as easily transfer the photos to a computer or printer.
Do you wish to receive your email on your phone? While many phones will now accept email only certain brands will accept corporate type email. When I say corporate email, I mean any email address that ends with a corporation tag. An example would be @coldwellbanker.com, or @walmart.com. While there are some really great phones with plenty of all new techonologies, some do not accept corporate email. These phones will only receive messages from addresses that end @aol.com, @gmail.com, @yahoo.com, etc. This is a major question to ask when picking a new phone.
How much talking do you do on your phone? If you talk on your cell phone for hours daily, you may not wish to pick a "smart phone." Since these types of phones are used for more than just sending or receiving calls, the batteries will drain quickly. Most of the times these batteries will not last more than one full day without needing to be charged. If it is used heavily, you may need to charge them mid-day. In this case, I would suggest choosing a phone that does not have all these features and is used for calls & text messaging.
How is coverage in the area you use phone? If you work in a solid concrete or steel building, you may not always have the greatest reception. Or, if you live out in the country where there isn't the greatest of reception, you may want to think about purchasing a phone that is wi-fi enabled. This will allow you to connect to the wireless internet in a location and talk on your phone with crystal clear clarity all the time. On a wi-fi phone, as soon as you leave the area, the phone will automatically switch back to the cell tower.
These are the 5 basic questions I ask every client when they come into my store to start looking for a cell phone. As a real estate agent, you may also want to consider a phone that will allow you to add your full contact list from microsoft outlook, as well as your day planner, to do list & memos.
Also, with the increasing popularity of social networks, a phone with web browsing capabilities comes in handy. Through my phone I am able to keep up with twitter, facebook, myspace, and my email constantly without needing to be around my computer. This, comes in very handy to an agent that is constantly on the go.
I hope this information assists you in the purchase of your next phone. When going to purchase your next phone be sure to ask all these questions to your sales associate to help inform you in picking the bext phone suited to your needs.
Jeremy Blanton- Myrtle Beach Real Estate
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
I am the Co-Founder of 210 Consulting- Social Media Advisors. I have traveled the country as a social media speaker. If you would like more information on any of the topics discussed in this blog, please contact me directly. We specialize in social media training, online consulting, and the creation of your own custom WordPress site.
Feel free to subscribe to my blog to keep up to date with my latest posts of tips & tricks to enhance your experience on ActiveRain. If you would like, you can sign up to receive updates via email directly in your inbox.
Also, let's connect on these great social networks:
Useful Blog Posts:
Twitter Applications- 125 Twitter Tools To Make Twitter Easier To Use









it is usually hard to compare phones, it is like comparing apples to oranges...it must be nice to totally KNOW the phones and their features!
It is very difficult to compare phones as we all use them in different ways.
that's great post !!
thanks for your tip to figure out what kind of phone we need to look
love my blackberry curve!
I switched from Treo 650 to Blackberry curve to iPhone....my basic needs are satisfied, but I really like the iphone and the many applications. Lately, I've been playing scrabble on off times (like in-between guests during open house).
Check out the iPhone Group for more info about this cool tool and toy
http://activerain.com/groups/iphonepower
Jer,
I thank you for the list of questions. I have heard that the new blackberry is a good phone for real estate agents and it will soon have e-key capabilities. Any thoughts?
Jer...
I need to rethink my phone arrangement ... I pay a fortune and I'm not getting all of the functionality I need ...thanks for a helpful and informative post!
Jeremy thnaks again. I am leaning towards buying an I-Phone before the year ends.
Jeremy, I just purchased a Blackberry Storm and it looks like I made a good decision. Thanks for the information.
I know when it is time for a new phone who I can consult with. You seem to have a handle on the best of them!
I love my BB curve. I have thought about the storm but don't use Verizon and don't want to change. I have asked myself those questions many times. I love txt and Twitter on phone, but I need a phone not a music machine, video machine etcc. Good questions to ask.
Missy- what I have heard is that the storm has some some problems in it. I believe it is the same as with any first generation of a product. There will be some minor defects and you are better off to wait for the 2nd or 3rd release of that product. Personally, I love my curve!
Hi Jeremy... I just got a new BB Curve with T-mobile and I love it. I had a Wing before this that I absolutely hated. Actually I had 4 Wings before this that I hated and each one developed defective software or hardware glitches that were unresolvable. The fine folks at T-mobile though got things resolved for me by hooking me up with the BB Curve. I have heard nothing but bad news from folks who go the Storm, plus I like the customer service at T-mobile and KW agents get a discount through KWRI!
Hi Jer! I love my BB but, I know it's not for everyone! I'm hoping for the Storm for Christmas but, if not, I'm fine with my cracked face BB for now. I like my Verizon carrier too as I have WAY fewer dropped calls than I had with my previous carrier.
I can say this--I had 3 Palms and they kept crashing on me and I finally gave up the Palm. I enjoyed having it as my Supra key also but, twice it didn't work due to memory overload when I was showing homes so, I went back to the small key and a phone that doesn't have the infrared capability but, it's nice not to have to worry about the key not working any longer!
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Jeremy -- I am addicted to my Blackberry and was very excited to learn the MLS software will be coming to BB in the first Quarter of 2009 -- Merry Christmas -- JE
Jeremy -- what do you think about the BB Bold -- I am thinking of upgrading from the Curve -- all feedback seems to be good -- I like the wifi -- Thoughts? JE
Thanks for the post. We have many options and should look for what fits our budget and needs.
I agree--many models are hard to compare. I am due for an upgrade in April and I am tempted to go iPhone.