One thing I have realized through my travels as a consultant and presenter of handheld technology is that there really is not a lot of information readily available for Agents to refer in order to decide what tools they should adopt to achieve success in their real estate business.

One thing is for sure; it is now a necessity to embrace some form of smartphone technology if you want to stay competitive in this real estate market. Those clients who depend upon you for your expertise are accustomed to instant communications, which means they expect an immediate response from their Agent. Many of them are part of the growing trend to go beyond the typical cell phone and have moved into smartphone devices themselves, and they are not afraid to use them.

What that means for the Agent is that client satisfaction depends upon how well you communicate, even while maintaining your busy schedule of showing properties, closings, marketing and networking, in addition to your roles as a spouse, parent, colleague or friend. So the ultimate decision to make is exactly which devices do you consider, how to compare them, and what you should expect to spend on the device itself and the monthly commitment for a minimum of two years.

The question I get most often is, with so many devices on the market, which devices are the best, and what should I be looking for when choosing the best device for me? I wish the answer was that simple, but it's not.

What I can say is that there are some core features that all smartphones offer almost equally well, and then you have to consider what features and applications will help you be most responsive to your clients, keep you productive, and multiple communication choices (phone, web, email, SMS). Beyond that, there are multimedia features on some devices such as digital cameras, camcorders, mp3 players, photo slideshows set to music, MMS (text messaging with embedded photo, video or audio), and even video movie players.

While these features may sound like overkill, and designed to sell to doe-eyed techno-geeks, they can actually become a valuable part of your marketing plan and give you an advantage that most Agents won't catch onto for some time.

So at this point you may be asking, what exactly, as an Agent should I be looking for and what should I know before going to my wireless retailer about devices, costs and plans?

Three steps to consider as an Agent for buying the right device and the service plan now:

Step 1: Commit to the technology

This may sound like a silly first step, but believe me, it is an important one. By making a commitment to the technology, you have acknowledged that in order to stay competitive you will have to invest in the smartphone and its features, commit to learning the myriad features your device offers, and then adopting the features into your daily operation. Here's what I mean by this:

• Schedule all of your appointments, meetings, and important dates into your calendar, and keep it current. Write all of them, business, family and personal

• Put all of your contacts into the address book. Make sure to categorize them, and use the feature that allows entry of notes for personal information, anecdotal history and anything else worth saving about a contact into that space. It will come in handy some day.

• Use the To-Do List application to keep daily tasks as well as store “lists” as templates for recurring projects and client services.

• Learn how to store photos and video clips of your listings on the device. Organize and sort them to make an orderly, pre-set presentation that's always ready to show.

• Learn how to store photos and video clips of your listings on the device. Organize and sort them to make an orderly, pre-set presentation that's always ready to show.

• Learn to use text messaging. It's not just for the kids anymore. Many of your clients, particularly the young adults prefer texting to actual phone conversations.

• Make sure your email settings are such that you will easily get messages delivered, especially attachments. Having documents, contracts, PDFs, even Winforms is possible on many devices.

• Write memos and notes in your smartphone rather than a legal pad. You'll have just the information when and where you need it.

• When you commit to the technology, you'll discover how you really can work all day without even opening your laptop.

Step 2: Do your homework before you buy

All too often do people base their smartphone purchase on what they've seen in a 30 second commercial, or what looks cool in someone else's hand. Research the Internet for the phones you're interested in, then go to the store for an extensive tour. Make sure it feels comfortable in your hand, the buttons are well organized and are easy to press with your fingers. Evaluate the screen size, brightness and resolution, and how easy it is to navigate to your tools such as phone, Web and PDA.

Battery life is a very important but often overlooked feature to consider as well. If you think a touchscreen is a valuable feature for you, don't ignore fact that either. Make sure all the features you believe will make you productive and in constant communication with others are present or available as a third party application. A good idea would be to write down your needs as you think of them and use that as a starting point.

Step 3: Learn all of its features, and consider how to adopt them

All smart devices have a core of features and services that will greatly help you throughout your workday:

• Phone

• Web

• Email

• SMS messaging

• PDA (calendar, contacts, memos, tasks)

• Media (photos, some support video)

For the most part, these tools will provide 90 percent of what you use the device for. While all of the smartphones have these features, how they are delivered can make the difference in a pleasurable or downright awful user experience. This is why a good amount of research is recommended prior to purchase, because once you decide, you're typically married to the device for two years.

Other features a smartphone offers differ by device. Those that have software that allow you to open and read documents and spreadsheets are convenient, and a few will allow you to edit or create these documents. I consider that a great advantage. Smartphones that are Touchscreen are easier to use and are more flexible in how they are operated, in my opinion. I also like a device that can easily be used with one hand as well as two. That comes in handy when carrying a briefcase or bag, and you still need to access data.

Smartphones that run on Palm OS and Windows Mobile platforms have the most third party software applications available, from business and sales tools, real estate calculators, client management applications, and much, much more. All Palm OS and many Windows Mobile devices are compatible with the GE Supra eKey application for opening the iBox keybox. This application is only available in select markets.

Take these tools and learn all of what they can offer you, Learn the shortcuts that make the device easier to use, or use one-handed instead of with two. Here some ideas I recommend to increase your overall user experience:

• Bookmark your Web favorites like you do on your PC.

• Set Speed dials for your family, closest friends and current clients

• Learn how to text- many of your younger clients prefer to text rather than talk

• Adopt and stick to using the PDA functions mentioned above

• Organize your photos and video into folders. For listings, name the folder the same as the address and then order the photographs so they flow through the property. They will be ready to show slideshows or your properties anytime.

• Be creative when working with clients. Take photos of properties while you are out, and email them to a client on the spot. Ask for the showing right then.