Four Online Tools You Can Use to Make Your Move Easier

How many times have you tried to make a tedious process more efficient, only to hear someone say, “There’s an app for that!” If you’re like me, it’s too many times to count. Lucky for those of you who love to be productive, the real estate world has produced several helpful apps that can make your move much easier.

Do you want to sell your home, but struggle to find ways to market its availability? Community boards and newspaper advertisements are no longer effective. Lucky for you, there’s an app for that!

Are you looking for renters? Craigslist can be helpful, but it’s time-consuming to screen every applicant yourself. Luckily, there’s an app for that!

Read on for some of the tools I think are most helpful for someone looking to sell or rent their home.

1. Listing your home:

“Online marketing is the most important aspect of getting a home sold these days,” Karen Krupsaw, vice president of real estate operations for Redfin, told U.S. News & World Report. “I do think that’s the critical component.”

Krupsaw says you also want to “make sure your agent puts your home on all the major real estate portals, including Realtor.com, Zillow and Trulia, because that’s where the buyers are. Plus, they should put the home up on the multiple listing service, the agent’s own website and social media.”

Luckily, I do all of that!

Blogging: If you want to check out homes for sale on my blog, you can view them here. Feel free to check out my most recent listings for an idea of what goes on the blog:

• 905 Pine Forest South Drive (Siler City)
• 60 Meadow Run (Chapel Hill)
• 88 Quartz Hill (Pittsboro)

Social Media: Each home gets shared on social media. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

Real Estate Portals: I’m a big fan of using real estate portals to market your home as well. However, it’s important to know that if you’re trying to find my listings, please use Realtor.com. While I still use Zillow, you won’t be able to see all of my listings, as the Triangle MLS group recently canceled its agreement with the service. Since then, I have decided to start using Realtor.com, for the following reasons:

• 17 percent more consumers found their agent on Realtor.com than Zillow.
• 133 percent more consumers found their agent on Realtor.com than Trulia.com.
• 250 more consumers found their agent on Realtor.com than Homes.com.

I’m confident that Realtor.com is the best technology, and that’s why I have chosen to use this platform going forward. Also, to go along with the “App” theme of this post, you’ll be happy to know that Realtor.com has it’s own app, which you can download here.

2. Preparing to move:

Did you remember to change your subscription addresses? What about school records? Have you found a new vet? Dentist? Doctor’s office? Moving is daunting, largely because there are so. Many. Things. To. Do.

Make the process a little less stressful by using an all-in-one moving list. It’s nice to know you won’t forget a step, and it feels pretty good whenever you check off an item! The best lists I’ve found are here:

• HGTV: Moving Checklist
• RealSimple.com: Moving Checklist

They begin several months in advance, which gives you time to start preparing ASAP.

Also, once you’ve moved, I provide a convenience list to buyers, which includes everything from DMV contacts to electricians. You can download a copy of that list here.

3. Moving out of your home:

When searching for a moving company, you likely want to find the best deal. Don’t waste time asking each company for a price quote; instead, try using Unpakt, a helpful app that allows you to create an inventory and ask for quotes from multiple moving companies at the same time. When you find the price for you, Unpakt will let you book the company through their platform. It’s like an Orbitz for moving companies.

Payment is also a breeze. You pay through Unpakt two business days before your move, so there is no need to exchange money with the moving crew on the move day itself. Unpakt will also review all documentation after your move is completed and will make sure you received the services you paid for.

4. Renting instead? No problem:

While most people will tell you to use Craigslist for the rental process, there’s no need to put yourself through the exhausting process of screening renters and landlords. The PadMapper app allows you to use “filters” to find places much more quickly. The app lets you filter out homes for rent based on categories such as full-term leases, rooms/shares, no fee/by owner only, and pets.

Also, as a landlord, you’ll know that the potential tenants contacting you are already interested because you have exactly what they are looking for.

Photo courtesy of Flikr.