Adam Garrett's Digital Tool Belt
Updated: Jan 2
Above: the 5 multiple listing services I have access to as of 11/22
While my physical tools to help buyers and sellers are extensive, my digital resources are even more extensive, with far more hours input to make them a reality. Their # below is lower than those listed on my physical tools section, but that’s because below is the tip of the ice berg, while the physical tools list is more comprehensive though not exhaustive.
If I could pay the thousands I invested into my physical tools to acquire digital tools as extensive as I have acquired, I would in a heartbeat, because the value of the digital resources I have is so much higher than the physical tools and is an invaluable aspect of my business. I regularly add/revise my digital resources, especially when prompted by questions of buyers who would be assisted by further resources than what I currently have available.
Here are a small sampling of some of the digital resources that I have available. If a link isn’t included, it’s in part because I don’t want other agents to plagiarize my work since it’s unpublished information & because it could be considered breaking the rules regarding buyer brokerage to any buyer or seller it’s provided to who doesn’t have an active buyer brokerage agreement with me or listing agreement with me since it includes unpublished advice.
This website
Educated buyers and sellers make the best decisions. You'll notice that this website is far more extensive than typical agent websites in terms of the volume of written content on a wide variety of subjects. I built this website over time as I grew in knowledge and as my desires as well as the needs of buyers and sellers became more apparent.
Dozens of unpublished Google Docs & Spreadsheets
To get a glimpse of the digital resources I have, a quick review of my real estate website shows much, with dozens of pages, but is only a portion of those tools. I have over 100 Google docs/spreadsheets that I share with buyers/sellers that I work with privately. In addition to those, I have digital resources that I don’t even share with buyers or sellers that I have for my own use.
System Year Identification Spreadsheet
A spreadsheet to quickly identify the year of systems (HVACs, air handlers, AC units, furnaces, & water heaters) based on the serial number, which is especially helpful in showings that do not allow pictures to be taken despite me requesting one as I always do and have a short time frame allotted (i.e. showings that are limited to 15 minutes). This information in at least 1 case meant the biggest difference between a buyer making an offer on 1 house instead of a property that he intended to make an offer on where I was able to pull the information after the showing with the picture I took from the showing of the label using this spreadsheet.
I have published the water heater spreadsheet here:
Flood zone resources
Virginia isn't the worst state for flooding, but the Hampton Roads region is the heart of the flooding problems of Virginia.
I have 9 pages of information I’ve put together from a number of resources on flood zones including pictures, quotes, the information I’ve gathered, and links to other resources.
Here are the 5 MLS I have access to for buyers & sellers as of 10/31/22, giving me much higher coverage than typical agents in our region:
Spreadsheet Comparing, among 5 MLS, which MLS is used in what SE VA cities, including %
Public School District Ratings Compared
It can be hard to sift through which schools you want to consider. I make that a lot easier if you want to sort by Greatschools ratings including across multiple cities at the same time with this spreadsheet where I did the research and put it together over the course of hours.
I’ve spent dozens of hours on MLS templates for buyers, such as these examples.
Asking the right questions of agents via spreadsheet templates
I’ve put together a spreadsheet of questions to ask listing agents prior to showings. I ask more questions than the vast majority of agents. Sometimes initial questions lead to further questions. In part because some of the questions I ask are so seldom asked, sometimes agents won’t even respond to them and I’ll need to repeat the question (in some cases, multiple times). Those questions help to weed out properties before they are shown to avoid wasting the time of both myself and a potential buyer.
I've also put together spreadsheets and other details when I am representing sellers and interacting with buyer's agents, such as including a link to this page within a template-based response to a showing inquiry depending on the scenario.
An extensive home purchase considerations spreadsheet I’ve put together to compare potential properties for buyers
This list includes hyperlinked online resources in many cases as well as some of my Google docs as they relate to the columns. Like other spreadsheets I do, it’s a spreadsheet that is able to be simultaneously modified with automatic saving in real time by both client and I once I create the personalized spreadsheet for the client.
Prior to showings for buyers or sellers, I perform research that I like to do including the orange highlighted items on the next #’s hyperlink for buyers (& much more for sellers).
Support of around 100 agents & other staff at Garrett Realty Partners
A list of agents including transaction volume, location, phone numbers, etc. to help assist with me finding Garrett Realty Partners agent fill ins whenever I’m unavailable for a showing. At Garrett Realty Partners, we have over 100 agents scattered over the Peninsula, South Side, and Middle Peninsula. Unlike most agents, I don’t look to find whatever agent is available, regardless of transaction volume. I like to have experienced agents fill in for me only (often those with more experience than me), and when doing video showings, like to narrow by what kind of phone they’re using.
Numerous text auto-replies and variant voicemail options
I take responsiveness very seriously. With that in mind, when I'm not going to be available for a time, I like to have automated replies so that buyers, sellers, and agents have an update immediately about why I'm not responding immediately to have better context. As of 11/22 I have a few dozen voicemail options and 20 text auto-replies. I also use some email auto-replies at various times.
A high volume of apps that assist me in real estate
These apps include the Follow Up Boss CRM (with hundreds of template-based emails I've composed, including step-by-step templates according to the part of the process a buyer or seller is in within a transaction that gets modified according to the situation of the buyer or seller), Android Auto, drone-specific apps, plant identification apps, a sound meter, a level, apps specific to gadgets like Flir One for thermal imaging, etc.
Access to paid programs like a commercial Zoom account, ShowingTime, Adobe InDesign and Photoshop
Commercial Zoom account: this program allows me to use advanced & superior options for virtual meetings, whether a showing, a buyer putting a search together with me, or a seller going over paperwork.
ShowingTime: ShowingTime allows for more rapid and organized scheduling of showings. Rapidly scheduled showings are ideal since every second matters and a 5 minute response delay can, in some cases, mean the difference between whether a property is shown or not (i.e. if a buyer is in town for showings 1 day only, plans to make an offer that day, and sees a home's sign in the same neighborhood as another property that he's already seeing). This software is vastly superior to any mainstream showing platforms available. I even wrote an article identifying the major problems with a few big competing platforms, which are almost always if not always cheaper than ShowingTime for an individual account like I have. The major problems with other platforms were so significant to me that I wouldn't use them even when within the context of a free platform (i.e. Homesnap showings) & preferred to do them manually prior to acquiring ShowingTime.
Adobe InDesign & Photoshop - while the GRP marketing department are the primary ones to use these, I will sometimes access these programs as well for certain unique marketing material, having been trained on these from my time in the marketing department at GRP prior to entering into sales.
A Competing Offer Spreadsheet
I have available for buyers & sellers a competing offer spreadsheet so that when a buyer or seller is thinking about a purchase or sale, they can know what's important.