Google Podcasts to Shut Down: How to Transfer Your Favorite Shows
Another day, another killed Google project. On April 2, Google is discontinuing its beloved podcast app, Google Podcasts, and sending it off to the great Google Graveyard. By shutting down the app, Google hopes to make its YouTube Music app the new destination for podcasts. By turning YouTube Music into its default podcast app, Google aims to make it easier for users to switch between video and audio podcast formats. While the hubbub across the web so far seems to be a hearty "meh" to this decision, Google Podcasts fans face just over a month to move their favorite shows to a new app. Google aims to make the transition as easy as possible for users — especially for those willing to migrate to YouTube Music. Here's a quick look at how to move your favorite podcasts out of Google Podcasts and into a new app: Migrating Your Favorite Podcasts Google offers easy, step-by-step directions for exporting your favorite shows — three different sets of directions, actually. Users can choose to transfer their shows to YouTube Music, export their subscriptions via Google Takeout or by downloading their podcast data via an OPML file. You can view instructions for each of these methods here. Alternative Podcast Apps If YouTube Music doesn't suit your podcast needs, there are plenty of other apps that will do the trick. Speaking of new apps, which podcast apps are available for agents to switch to? We're happy to report that there are a wealth of options. Here are a few of the top ones: Apple Podcasts Spotify Podbean Castbox Pocket Casts Overcast Player FM Podurama Podcast Guru AntennaPod Podcast Addict Real Estate Podcast Inspiration Need some more podcasts to listen to? We regularly highlight excellent real estate podcast episodes here at RE Technology. See the full list here. Interested in starting your own real estate podcast? See Want to Start a Podcast? 4 Things Every Agent Should Know.

[Best of 2023] Top 10 Mobile Apps for Real Estate Agents
We're continuing an annual tradition of counting down our top 10 articles of the year. The following article was originally published in February and is #7 in our countdown. See #8 here. Is your phone dialed in to the latest and greatest digital applications? Apps for real estate agents have become essential tools to streamline business workflows. As independent contractors and entrepreneurs that are always on the go, your business has to move with you. Good real estate apps can help agents edit videos and photographs, schedule and track social media, increase efficiency, manage projects and expenses, keep tabs on industry trends, maintain their CRM – and the list goes on. Here's RPR's (Realtors Property Resource) recommendation for 10 solid apps to download and try for 2023: 1. Promo The app: More and more agents are using video to liven up their social media channels. Viewers simply engage with it more, and your posts on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn will perform better in a video format. The Promo app is perfect for creating compelling video ads, social media videos, walkthrough tours and more. Priding themselves on "smart and easy video creation," Promo gives its users access to over 100 million premium photos and videos from Getty Images and iStock, and provides thousands of themed templates to make video magic that much easier to attain. The cost: You can try Promo out for free, and a "Basic" subscription is $25 if you opt for the annual structure. 2. Lensa The app: This AI-powered photography app is an editing experience that elevates your photos to a different league. Spice up your photos and videos with instant retouching, custom backgrounds, and other fun features such as filters, effects and borders. But what's really hot about this app right now is the Magic Avatars you can create. Have you noticed that your social media feeds are full of cartoon selfies of people? That's the Lensa AI Magic Avatars at work. The cost: When you download Lensa, you get a seven-day free trial. Then have the option of paying a one-time fee for a specific number of unique avatars ($3.99 for 50 is the cheapest option) or shelling out $35.99 for an annual subscription and unlimited avatars. 3. Sphere The app: Everyone should be utilizing a CRM, but Sphere goes beyond a traditional CRM by offering lead tracking, transaction timelines, to-do lists, contacts, deadlines, coaching and more. They also promise that you can create your own unique business plan in just five minutes. Another nifty feature about Sphere is that it caters to real estate teams by giving multiple users access to the same account. The cost: Sphere's pricing structure is interesting. A transaction timeline only account is attainable for $10 per month. The full package option for agents runs you $49 a month, and each one of these versions is available for a 30-day free trial. Here's what makes Sphere really special: new agents (licensed in the last 12 months) can subscribe for one year for FREE. See their website "Pricing" section for details. 4. Bubble Level app/Bubble Level app The app: Bubble Level is just what it sounds like: a working level on your phone. While you might not use it every day, it is a handy tool to keep in your pocket—as opposed to an actual, physical level! Some clients are very detail-oriented and might ask: is that door frame level? Is this floor uneven? Just pull out your phone and get a quick reading. The cost: Free! And it's available for both Android and iPhones. 5. Hound The app: We're guessing that most agents don't have the budget to hire their own personal assistant. However, if you download this app, it will sniff out just about anything you ask it to do! Hound is an AI-powered voice assistant app that uses "proprietary Speech-to-Meaning and Deep Meaning Understanding technology." In English? You can speak to it in your normal, conversational voice and it will understand you. While not real estate specific, the possibilities are endless. Ask Hound for driving directions, to make phone calls or send texts, set alarms and timers, weather updates, real estate news, or any other task you need help with. The cost: Another freebie! Available for both Android and iPhones. 6. Fyle The app: Keeping track of receipts and credit card transactions for you and your employees can feel like a job in and of itself. To simplify the process, check out the Fyle app: it accurately pulls and codes data from expense receipts using its AI-powered data extraction engine. Here's how this "real time expense management" works: you slide your card for some printer paper, and then you instantly get a text asking for an image of the receipt. Take a picture of the paper receipt, and then it's added and matched to your credit card card expense, freeing you of bank statement reliance. The cost: Starts out at $6.99 a month, or you can upgrade to $11.99 for more features. 7. Substack The app: First off, Substack is not a real estate app. However, it is a journalism disruptor and a really cool way to receive content from your favorite writers and creators. With it, you can subscribe to independent writers and podcasters who publish directly to their audience. These "newsletters" help you keep your favorite writers in one dedicated space, with zero ads, noise or spam. Which means you can keep up with real estate industry insights by subscribing to creators such as Real Estate Simpleton and CalculatedRisk and Housing Market Insights. The cost: Subscription plans, such as monthly and annual, are set by writers. 8. Microsoft Lens/Microsoft Lens The app: This one is perfect for agents out in the wild. With Office Lens, you can easily turn just about any written surface (whiteboard, blackboard, receipts, pieces of paper, contracts, business cards, articles, sticky notes) into digitized files, such as PDF, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. With a scanner in your pocket, you'll never lose any written down words again! The cost: If it's free, gimme three! Available for both Android and iPhones for no cost. 9. Later The app: If you're a real estate agent, being active in social media is very much a mandatory activity. But keeping track of all your channels, posts, photos and videos can really eat up your valuable time. Later is a social media management platform that helps you plan, analyze, and publish content in advance—so you focus your time on your business and nurturing clients and prospects. The cost: Monthly fees start at $18 per month, but a yearly plan will run you $15. You can also try it out with a free 14-day trial. 10. RPR The app: Did we save the best for last?! The RPR Mobile™ app provides agents with an almost unlimited supply of "listing intel." Your buyer has a question about a property that's across the street from the one you're touring? Look it up in a flash with RPR. Better yet, text your client a report on the property in minutes. In addition, the app has recently been refreshed and revamped: the property search filters are more in line with the desktop version, the Buyer Tour feature has been improved, and the reports generation experience has been streamlined. The new RPR app offers all that and much more. The cost: If you're a REALTOR®, there's no cost whatsoever. And only REALTORS® can use it! RPR is included with your membership in The National Association of REALTORS®. To view the original article, visit the RPR blog.

PropertyForce Mobile

Red Shed Technology is a mobile application development company, specializing on developing platforms for the iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry and more.  Their product, PropertyForce Mobile, provides a mobile platform pre-designed for the real estate industry. Homebuyers, home sellers and real estate professionals, with an iPhone or Android, can use this mobile application to access property details 24/7 from their phone.  By entering a property address into your iPhone or Android PropertyForce Mobile provides real-time information. The mobile property information PropertyForce Mobile provides includes: Basic information: primary/secondary ownership, county, APN (Accessor Parcel Number), legal description Property Characteristics: total rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, number of stories, year built, garage, fireplace/pool, square footage, zoning, building style, lot size, number of units, and use code Recent sale information: last transfer date, transfer value, document type, title company, seller, foreclosure information, recording date, lender name, auction location/time, and minimum bid amount Comparable sales data: sales price, square footage, price per square foot, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, recording date, year built, lot size and whether or not it has a pool With this mobile application service, real estate professionals can download materials from the PropertyForceMobile.com website and personalize the application with their information.  This will allow real estate professionals to brand the application to themselves and provide interested homebuyers and sellers with their contact information.

AppBuilderOnline.com

AppBuilderOnline.com helps you create your own Android and iOS application in a fast, easy, and affordable way. No programming knowledge is needed--just use AppBuilderOnline.com's online interface. You can give your created app to clients to use on their iPhone, iPad, or Android smartphones and tablets. To begin, first search or browse through the application categories to find the template that best suits your purpose. Then watch the sample movie and decide on the type of content you want to generate and upload. Last, select the desired Mobile Application, and add it to your shopping cart to complete your purchase. After you upload your content, your customized application will be built, compiled, inspected, and submitted to the Apple and/or Android app store by AppBuilderOnline.com. App features include: Display IDX listings Dedicated App Name, App icon, App store listing Update your app online at any time Create Contact, Info, and About pages Link to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube accounts Customize button functionality: call, email, text, web, directions or no button Multi-lingual support Property feedback with photo Loan calculator Add to Contacts and One Touch Call functionality Real estate news page Customer testimonial page

Closing Management from Stewart Title

The innovators at Stewart Title have developed a stable of powerful mobile applications to help real estate professionals (and other customers) have a magnificent closing experience. Apps include: Stewart MyFiles: Current Stewart Title customers can stay up-to-date on their transactions with this collaborative app. Stewart MyFiles allows users to view a list of their current files, see a summary of each transaction, view/share documents via email, receive updates on transactions, check task status, keep in touch with contacts, and give clients access to the app so they can stay current on their transaction. Net Sheet: Help clients by providing an estimate of the dollar amount they will receive after selling a property or the amount they will need to spend to complete their purchase. Calculations include rates, taxes, and closing costs (customized for your market). In addition to creating Net Sheets for each client, the Net Sheet app allows users to: select your market area to obtain pre-loaded default costs, customize default closing costs, include title insurance premium estimates, email a copy of the results to your client, customize the report with client information, retrieve past reports, and build templates. Property Profiles™: Gain free mobile access to local real estate data with the Property Profiles app. Using this app, real estate professionals can: search for property info with only a street address and ZIP, research property characteristics/ownership/legal description, email reports to yourself/your clients, and bookmark searches for quick reference. (Note: Property Profiles is only available to real estate professionals in ID, KS, KY, MI, MN, MT, ND, NE, NV, SD, TN, WA, and WY.) Property Profiles™ Plus: A more powerful version of Property Profiles, Property Profiles Plus is not available to real estate professionals in TX, NM, UT, NE and CA. Property Profiles™ California App from PropertyInfo: This app gives real estate professionals in California access to Property Profiles tools.

MyC.A.R. Mobile Application

Real Estate Business Services (REBS) offers MyC.A.R. mobile application as a free member benefit for California Association of REALTORS (C.A.R.) This mobile application was designed for the iPhone/iTouch, with a companion version available for BlackBerry® and other web-enabled mobile devices. The My C.A.R. mobile application features include: * Market data for twenty-one regions in California, * Current loan information, * Highlights from C.A.R’s Market Matters newsletter, * Association resources, * The ability to search for license renewal and continuing education courses, * Hot item news alerts, and * Links to information that may be of interest to C.A.R. Directors. This mobile phone application provides REALTORS with current loan rates, market forecasts and important market trend and statistics that will drive your credibility with clients. This application provides tips on how to avoid foreclosing, eco friendly housing options, If you are a member of C.A.R. or a director of C.A.R. and would like to download this free application to your mobile device, there is a two-step process for installation. First, you must download the application to your phone. And second, you must launch the “Members Only” features with an access code. To install directly from your iPhone: 1. Go to App Store icon and type in My C.A.R. into search box; 2. Once you have located the My C.A.R. Application click the free link to the right; 3. Hit the install button Members can also get this application from the iTunes store by searching for My C.A.R. For members with Blackberry or other web enables mobile devices, you can install this application by signing into www.car.org/tools/mycar.

CubiCasa Debuts 3D Product Offering to Elevate Property Listings
Simple five-minute phone scan can now be used to produce 3D renderings of properties, bolstering marketing assets for property listings San Jose, CA – June 14, 2023 – CubiCasa, the global reaching real estate software company, today announced the launch of its 3D product set, which empowers more immersive property marketing assets to be produced from the same five minute smartphone floor plan scan that users are accustomed to. The new 3D floor plans and video renderings provide greater detail and color, mirroring the reality of the property with respect to flooring materials and color, walls, appliances, furniture, and more. The products will be rolled out via invite to CubiCasa's users over the coming weeks. The products are designed to help real estate photographers expand the services they can offer to their customers, without any additional effort, and help real estate agents better market properties by providing more detailed and engaging information on a listing. "In designing these new 3D products, we wanted to stay true to our 'simple and efficient five minute scan' mantra, while offering new and innovative ways to market property listings," said Jeff Allen, President of CubiCasa. "Photographers now have instant access to a premium service for their customers, and agents can help their listings stand out like never before. This moves us another step closer to empowering home buyers and agents with floor plans on every listing in the U.S." "The mesmerizing 3D floor plans and captivating 3D videos are extraordinary additions that allow agents to showcase their listings in new ways," said Katie Colman, Owner of In1View Media in the Reno, Nev. area. "The best part is the streamlined process that effortlessly delivers three remarkable products from a single five-minute smartphone scan!" CubiCasa's new suite of 3D products includes: 3D Floor Plan: Elevate property visualization with birds-eye view 3D floor plans. Users can explore dimensions and flow from a unique perspective, including the option of detailed materials and furniture that aim to mirror reality. 3D Video Render: 2-3 minute 3D video renderings showcasing main rooms and property highlights. 3D Marketing Bundle: Includes both 3D floor plans and video renderings, all in one place. Introducing CAD outputs: CubiCasa now supports CAD outputs for both 2D and 3D software, in multiple file formats. Free 2D Floor Plan with every 3D order: Every 3D product purchase includes a complimentary 2D floor plan with fixed furniture – an extra tool for creating successful property presentations. Prices for these new premium add-on products start as low as $35, with bundling discounts available. Discounts provided in CubiCasa's MLS Partnership Program and Preferred Photographer Program apply to the new suite of 3D products. For more information on pricing, visit www.cubi.casa/pricing. The CubiCasa app is available for download in the App Store and Google Play Store. To learn more about CubiCasa's free floor plan scanning app, visit www.cubi.casa. About CubiCasa Headquartered in Oulu, Finland, CubiCasa is the global market leader in mobile indoor scanning and is known for its fast and easy-to-use floor plan app on the App Store and Google Play Store. CubiCasa's technology is used in 172 different countries and has helped create over 1 million floor plans to date. CubiCasa provides technology for the real estate, appraisal, and mortgage industries and is on a mission to digitize real estate. Learn more at www.cubi.casa.

MobilityRE
The All-In-One Mobile Real Estate Technology Solution ™. Get more mobile for your money! MobilityRE works with agents, teams, and brokerages throughout the USA and CAN. Designed by real estate professionals for real estate professionals, MobilityRE apps allow homebuyers to search and view on their mobile device any property on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The apps are custom-branded so buyers see the subscribing real estate broker's or agent's contact information on every listing. MobilityRE apps can be accessed by new and existing users through multiple portals, making it the most convenient app suite on the market today. Utilizing innovative lead and client analytics and management, these apps are a powerful tool to increase buyer convenience, brand awareness, and customer loyalty—ultimately helping real estate professionals attract more clients, more fully engage their current clients, and both list and sell more homes!

MileIQ
MileIQ uses smart drive-detection technology to automatically log your drives and calculate their value for taxes.

PalmAgent Software
Financial Software for agents needing payments, closing costs and net sheets while out in the field, available on all smartphones and tablets.

RealAgile
The MoveScore uses predictive analytics to rate a home's likelihood of going on the market within a given area. The proprietary rating allows RealAgile to rank all the homes within an area from most likely, to least likely, to move. Predictive Analytics is utilized by both the MoveScore and the FICO Score to determine future activity. While the FICO predicts the likelihood that individuals with repay a loan, the MoveScore predicts the likelihood of someone to move.