Top Ten Google Tools for

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1 Top Ten Google Tools for Real Estate by John Adams 2015 by John Adams OK, you surely know by now that Google is the Number 1 search engine in the world. And maybe you already know that YouTube (owned by Google) is the Number 2 search engine in the world. And maybe you already know that Google offers a free suite of powerful software and communication tools that all work together seamlessly to make your notebook, tablet, ipad, smartphone and/or desktop a cloud based powerhouse. But do you know how to use this free platform to dominate your competition and be more successful in your business and personal life? Read on! On an almost daily basis, the teams at Google turn out a new and/or improved version of their award winning applications. And you can use this combination to decimate your competition. It doesn t matter if you use an iphone or an ipad, an Android phone or tablet, a Mac or a PC or even a LINUX based machine. Each of these tools is already optimized to run on whatever platform you throw at it. These free Google Tools operate perfectly on all of these platforms, allowing you to work freely with others no matter what device they happen to be using at any particular moment. In addition, losing data becomes a thing of the past with keystroke by keystroke auto save, on by default. 1

2 OK, let s get started. Here s my top ten (just a few) of the more powerful tools from Google and why you should use them: 1. Google Mail, better known as Gmail, allows you to store every you ever send or receive, without charge, in an easily sortable cloud based storage system, meaning that even if your hard crashes (and it will), you lose nothing. Also, the world s best spam filter keeps junk mail out of sight, and send & receive attachments up to 25MB. All this and much more, sent and received instantaneously, for free. You can even keep the you have now, and still use all the Google tools. 2. Google Contacts allows instant and integrated access to an unlimited number of contacts, with customizable data fields and a photo field as well. Your contacts will auto populate your messages, making communications much easier and safer. If, like me, you are a visual person, you will love the feature on incoming calls that shows you the name and number of who is calling and lets you see their photograph on your smartphone and computer. 2

3 3. Google Calendar is an easy to use system for scheduling and remembering events, and integrates seamlessly with Gmail. If you receive an with a date in it, Calendar sees the date and underlines it. Click on that date, and a new event is created and added to your personal calendar. Each event allows you to invite others, and can send them (and You) reminders as you dictate. And that s just the beginning. Calendar has the look and feel of all the other Google applications so its easy to use, and it allows internal storage of documents and references. 4. Google DOCS is a full featured word processor, that opens and saves in all major file formats, including Microsoft doc and docx formats. Once any document has been created, it can easily be downloaded in almost any format, including PDF for cross platform portability. Any document can be shared with anyone else, who can be given editing rights. All editors may be online simultaneously for real time collaboration, which is a remarkable achievement. 3

4 5. Google SHEETS is a full featured clone of Microsoft Excel, and can open and save in xls and xlsx format. Not quite as sophisticated as Excel yet, it can still handle all the rows and columns you can throw at it, and crunch numbers till the sun comes up! Same real time sharing and collaboration features as D5OCS. Simple collaboration and sharing is a huge benefit to Google Sheets. If you are sending out your spreadsheet to anyone (or multiple persons) within your organization, Google Sheets Share feature is easy to find and automatically sends a notice to the you ve shared it with. 6. Google VOICE gives me a free direct dial telephone number almost anywhere in the US, and allows calls to that number to be forwarded to any other number or series of numbers you designate. It also features full featured voice mail, and the option to have written transcripts of each voice message sent to your along with a link to the audio of that message. Also, free inbound and outbound voice calls from your desktop, and free text messaging to any cell phone in North America. And yes, you can PORT your existing number to Google Voice if you wish. 4

5 7. Google Drive offers unlimited permanent cloud storage or documents, photos, almost anything you never want to lose. But Google Drive doesn't just store your files; it also allows you to create, share, and manage documents with Google apps. If you've ever used a suite like Microsoft Office, some things about Google Drive's apps will seem familiar. For instance, the types of files you can work with are similar to files that can be created with various Microsoft Office programs. These are the types of files you can create and share on Google Drive: Documents in Google Docs: For composing letters, flyers, essays, and other text based files (similar to Microsoft Word documents) Spreadsheets in Google Sheets: For storing and organizing information (similar to Microsoft Excel workbooks) Onscreen Presentations: For creating slideshows (similar to Microsoft PowerPoint presentations) Forms: For collecting and organizing data Drawings: For creating simple vector graphics or diagrams The really wonderful benefit of Google Drive becomes apparent when you accidentally destroy your computer. Let s say you drop your laptop into the ocean and you are never going to see it again. NO WORRIES simply borrow any other computer connected to the Internet and log into your Gmail account. All of your data is stored there safely NOTHING GETS LOST EVER! 5

6 8. Google YouTube. If you want to dominate your market & crush your competition, then start with Google owned YouTube. Not only will your video be available to YouTube s millions upon millions of visitors, but it will also be in a perfect location for showing up in search results. Google Search loves YouTube videos, and causes them to be elevated in their searches. That makes it much more likely that your potential customers can find you quickly and easily. It s easy, it s fun, it will impress your buyers and get you more listings. 9. Google PLUS is Google s answer to Facebook. Google+ allows you to create an instant online web presence, and it ranks high on search engines, especially on Google. Allow potential clients and customers to find you and learn about you, and most importantly, to contact you! Google Plus Influences Your Search Ranking. Have you ever tried searching for your name or business name on Google search? You should be doing this to monitor what is being said about your brand or business. If you search for a topic on Google search, you will notice if that brand has a Google Plus page, then that page will be highlighted in a big box on the right side of the search page. 6

7 10. Google PICASA Photo Management & Web Albums offers you a remarkable array of photo management and manipulation tools, coupled with a free and elegant way to share photo albums and video on the web. Also includes slideshows and free unlimited cloud storage. You will never lose a photo again. Oh, I forgot that it has a stunning facial recognition feature, so you can see every photo of every person you ve ever known, all at once. AND THAT IS JUST THE BEGINNING. There are dozens more Google Tools, Apps and Applications that enhance your ability to work, create, communicate, collaborate and store data over the internet and on your local machine. Here are just a few that I use: Google Maps, Google Earth, Google Search, Google Keep, Google Hangouts, Google Analytics, Google Android, Google Books, Google Shopping, Google Calculator, Google Translate, Panaramio, Google Drive CloudPrint, Google Googles, Google Flights, Google Maps Traffic Predictor, Google Image Search, Google Floor Planner, Google Business View, Google Play Newsstand, and many, many others. SO WHAT IS YOUR NEXT STEP? Just keep reading... 7

8 HERE s HOW TO GET STARTED: The key to making all this work for you is to open a free GMAIL ACCOUNT at google.com. Simply visit google.com and click on SIGN IN. A box will appear requesting your address and your password. Click on the button at the bottom of that box that says create an account. You will be guided through the simple process of setting up a gmail account, and you will be asked for your cell phone number. I strongly recommend that you DO provide your correct cell phone number, because Google uses this for their two step authentication process. In other words, as part of the signup process, google will send you a text message with a security code. You will need that code to finish the registration. Also, if you ever forget your password, google will offer to let you reset if you have access to that particular cell phone. 8

9 Once you have created a gmail account, you automatically have access to ALL the other google tools and applications. And because they are all designed with the same look and feel, once you have learned one, you automatically have a head start on all the others. For more information on how to use Google Tools in your business, visit my website at Money99.com and sign up for my free newsletter. ### Atlanta native John Adams is a Google evangelist, a real estate broker and investor, a radio talk host, and a freelance writer for the business desk of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. He can be reached via his website at Money99.com by John Adams, all rights reserved Please turn to the next page 9

10 The Google Academy comes BACK to GEORGIA How to MASTER Your Digital World presented by John Adams and his Google Tech Team Admission $69 per person. See website for special REALTOR pricing. DULUTH ATLANTA MARIETTA Wed., July 29, 10am to 1pm NAMAR REALTORS Center 2145 Hwy 120, Duluth, GA Thursday, July 30, 7 to 10pm Marriott Century Center Hotel Clairmont Rd N of I-85, Atlanta Saturday, Aug. 1, 9am to Noon Baymont Inn & Suites Marietta Delk Rd W of I-75, Marietta, GA Google offers a full suite of tools for real estate professionals and small businesses that let you reach prospects in your target areas at all stages of their home search while they're looking for properties, checking out locations, and selecting an agent or broker. It's how you reach more sellers, attract more buyers, and sell more homes. This entertaining class will blow you away with new technology and give a true competitive edge over the competition. Remember to bring your digital devices regardless of operating system Google is just as powerful on an iphone or ipad as an Android or Windows based device! You will LOVE this class!. 10

11 This course has been approved by the Georgia Real Estate Commission for 3 hours of Continuing Education Credit. Presented by Institute for Real Estate Policy, Accredited School Code: ; Course code: Here is the COURSE OUTLINE: Google Academy for Real Estate This fast-moving workshop is designed to help real estate and business professionals be more productive and get more done using available tech tools and a typical desktop, notebook or tablet computer and/or smart phone. The program stresses practical uses and implementation of tools to save time and money while reaching more buyers and sellers in the decision-making process. Learn to use the best features of the Internet. Module 1: Google Tools & Apps for Maximum Productivity The free tools and apps available from Google combine to create a remarkably comprehensive and sophisticated replacement for expensive software like Microsoft Office. Best of all, it is cross-platform (ipad & Android) and in the cloud. This module will highlight the collaborative and communication tools and how they can help you engage more consumers, convert more leads, and list & sell more homes. Module 2: Internet Tools to Boost Visibility and Save You Time & Money The Internet offers a treasure trove of free solutions to give you an edge over the competition. Examples include YouTube, Cloud Storage, Mind Mapping, YouSendIt, DropBox, Online Banking & Investment, Video Calling, Skype, Audio Editing, FreeConferenceCall.com, PDF creating and editing, Free Fax, and much, much more. This module is designed to present the cream of the digital crop. Module 3: Grow Your Business with Video & Social Media By the end of 2016, as much as 75% of all internet traffic will be video. starts fights, and I will demonstrate how. I believe that all buyers and sellers are demanding video, but that most of us either don t know how (or are too scared) to give it to them. You will learn how truly easy YouTube is and how video mail can help build your business. We'll also cover Social Media - LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+ & Twitter - and see how these sources can explode your business. To be successful in this business, you ve GOT to KEEP THE SAW SHARP! GOOGLE ACADEMY will GIVE YOU THE EDGE! For more information or TO REGISTER, go to and click on Google Tools for Real Estate. This course has been approved by the Georgia Real Estate Commission for 3 hours of Continuing Education Credit. Presented by Institute for Real Estate Policy, Accredited School Code: ; Course code: