You’ll eliminate more than refolding headaches if you exchange your paper maps for an electronic navigation system, or GPS. Practitioners say GPS, which stands for global positioning system, is one of the most rewarding technologies they’ve invested in.
“GPS has increased my productivity significantly,” says Aaron Wheeler, broker and president of Oakville Properties in Morgan Hill, Calif. “I used to spend a lot of time with maps, planning the day. Now I punch in addresses on my Magellan RoadMate 700, and it takes care of the rest.”
“It’s a time-saver, and to a degree a gas saver,” says Zena Hudgens, a salesperson with Ebby Halliday, REALTORS®, Preston Center in Dallas. Her Lexus GX470 came with a navigation system.
Since 90 percent of his clients find him on the Internet, Bob Maiocco, of The Maiocco Team of Benchmark Realty in Highlands Ranch, Colo., likes the fact that his GPS lets him “concentrate on building a relationship at a first meeting instead of watching for the next turn or trying to find a street.”
Although each of these practitioners uses a different system, the units share the same core technology. A navigation system requires a special receiver that monitors signals transmitted by global positioning satellites orbiting the earth, enabling it to pinpoint your location within yards. With a processor and mapping software, either built into the unit or provided by a laptop computer or PDA, these systems can advise you on upcoming turns or redirect you when you wander off course. Many systems provide that guidance with audio prompts.
Navigation solutions range from $10-a-month dial-up services to permanently installed vehicle systems, an option on some current model cars, which cost more than $1,000.
“It’s good for getting you around,” says Gary Meyer, a salesperson with RE/MAX Action Real Estate in Glen Allen, Va., who’s awaiting further price drops before adding GPS. “But it’s no substitute for driving through an area and getting to know the territory.”
Realtor Benefits(SM) partners offer special pricing to NAR members. Find out more at REALTOR.org/realtorbenefits.
Many paths to get you there
Choose from four broad types of GPS:
• Mapping software. Already know the area like the back of your hand? The electronic equivalent of a road atlas may be all you need to see where your destination is in relation to you. Mapping software starts under $50 and is often packaged with or built into GPS hardware.
• Mapping-GPS peripheral bundle. Bluetooth-enabled laptops, PDAs, and smart phones can add GPS functionality without physically connecting to the receiver on your dashboard. Prices start under $200.
• Portable GPS units. The best solution for most real estate professionals: Carry it from car to car, program it in the office or at home, or install it in your car, if you like. These self-contained navigation systems combine hardware, a monitor, and a color screen in one unit. Prices start in the $500 range and steadily climb, depending on the screen size and feature mix.
• In-vehicle systems. An increasingly popular option on current model cars, these add more than $1,000 to the price tag. One drawback: An in-dash system requires you be in the car to map out the day’s itinerary.
Before you pick a system, ask providers about service reliability when traveling in urban or mountainous areas where signals may be blocked; the extent of the map database; and whether map updates (downloads or DVDs), reflecting new developments, are provided at least annually.
Other points of comparison include voice-activated features for entering addresses and receiving directions; compatibility with laptops and PDAs for downloading updated maps (GPS units don’t have Internet connections); whether the system uses an internal or external antenna (an external antenna increases the likelihood you’ll get a signal in urban canyons); size and brightness of screen; and expansion slots and extra features.
RB Partner: TeleNav GPS Navigator $9.99 monthly subscription TeleNav Inc., www.telenav.com, 888/353-6284.
Mobile GPS system for certain cell phones and smart phones. Users dial in to request directions using spoken commands or key in address on phone handset. Service calculates best route and provides map with detailed directions on phone display as well as voice prompts for turn-by-turn directions. Automatically redirects if user wanders off course. Check with company for information on compatible carriers and phones, including NAR’s special member offer through Nextel (www.nextel.com/nar).
Streets and Trips 2006 with GPS Locator $129 Microsoft Corp., www.microsoft.com/streets, 800/642-7676.
Hardware-software bundle for Windows-compatible PCs. GPS receiver attaches to laptop and monitors location; software provides directions on computer screen with text and maps or as voice prompts. Can use Wi-Fi hot spots to pinpoint location as backup if signal disappears. Includes Pocket Streets map set for use with Pocket PCs and compatible smartphones. Streets and Trips 2006 software available separately for $39.
Earthmate GPS LT-20 Bundle $189.95 DeLorme, www.delorme.com, 800/561-5105.
System for Windows-compatible laptops. Receiver connects to laptop and draws its power through USB port. Supports voice-activated requests for directions. Provides voice and screen directions with automatic rerouting. Street Atlas Plus software on DVD includes street-level maps with 4 million points of interest. Software lets users stipulate areas to avoid and frequency of direction prompts. Supports importing data from some contact databases for mapping locations and directions. Includes phone listings for 141 million homes and businesses.
palmOne GPS Navigator $249.99 palmOne Inc., www.palm.com, 888/223-4817.
Bluetooth peripheral and map bundle adds GPS navigation to Treo 650 smart phones and Tungsten PDAs. Includes Bluetooth-enabled GPS receiver, TomTom Navigator 5 software, and Tele-Atlas map sets for United States. GPS receiver tracks and relays location to handheld. Software provides directions to destination or points of interest selected from its database. A GPS Car Kit bundle also available at same price for other Palm OS devices.
Bluetooth GPS Navigation System $300 IOGear, www.iogear.com, 866/946-4327.
Peripheral bundle adds GPS navigation capabilities to Bluetooth-compatible Windows PCs and some PDAs. Wireless GPS receiver tracks location and relays info via Bluetooth. Software includes maps for United States and Canada. System provides directions to destination as screen text, graphics, or spoken commands. Can suggest alternative routes to destination. Optional antenna boosts reception and accuracy when traveling through urban areas or canyons. Circle RS #054
iWay 350c $499 Lowrance Automotive, www.lowrance.com, 800/324-1356.
Portable multimedia car system includes a 3.5-inch color touch screen and 4GB hard drive. Includes maps for continental United States and Canada, with 5 million points of interest. FM modulator transmits spoken directions over car audio system. Built-in SD memory card slot for playing back MP3 audio through car’s audio system or viewing JPEG images on unit’s LCD screen.
Pathfinder $350 signup and $24 per month subscription fee (check with company for MLS availability) Advanced Marketing Services Inc., www.realtorpathfinder.com, 800/428-0004. Service includes Pocket PC software applications for MLS searches, customer relationship management, CMAs, and GPS navigation. Users can search local MLS, then activate GPS to automatically determine best route to selected listing.
Nav-U NV-u70 $599.95 Sony Electronics, www.sonystyle.com, 877/865-7669.
Portable 12-channel GPS receiver with built-in antenna, 3.5-inch LCD screen, and 1GB of flash memory. Screen automatically adjusts to car’s lighting conditions. Includes maps of the continental United States and 1.6 million points of interest. Simple two-tap screen operation to determine present location and best route to destination. Two-way speaker system.
WayPoint Pocket Real Estate $799.99 Mobile Crossing, www.mobilecrossing.com, 408/738-8816.
Windows Mobile GPS handheld compatible with Pocket Real Estate service (where available). Unit provides directions to MLS listings retrieved with Pocket Real Estate software. Includes software calculators for mortgage, loan amortization, home equity, and rent/own analysis. Check www.pocketrealestate.com for compatibility with local MLS.
Garmin nuvi 350 $969.22 Garmin Ltd., www.garmin.com, 913/397-8200.
Compact portable, personal navigation system combining GPS navigator, traveler’s reference, and digital entertainment system. Touch screen controls. Provides screen and spoken directions. SD memory card slot. Optional receiver provides real-time traffic and weather updates and automatically reroutes course based on current conditions (where available).
NAV One 4500 $929.95 Cobra Electronics, www.cobra.com, 773/889-3087.
Portable navigation system and satellite receiver for real-time traffic alerts. Includes street maps for United States, including 7.6 million points of interest. Features 5-inch LCD screen with automatic brightness control; 14 levels of map detail, including 3-D views; and built-in receiver for latest traffic alerts. Provides spoken or on-screen directions and address book for storing 1,000 addresses. Users can compare several routes before selecting directions. Annual subscription of $59.95 required for traffic updates (currently offered in 50 major markets).
Mapopolis $99 per year for Navigator Map Packs www.mapopolis.com, contact via e-mail: support@mapopolis.com.
Mapping applications and map sets for select PDAs running Palm or Windows Mobile operating systems and Windows Mobile smartphones. Navigator Maps work with certain GPS devices and peripherals to provide spoken directions and automatic rerouting.
iCN 550 $799.95 Navman USA, www.navmanglobal.com, 866/962-8626.
Portable, self-contained navigation system with remote control. Features 3.5-inch touch screen, 4GB hard drive loaded with maps. Screen adjusts for day or night viewing, with backlit keypad for entering addresses at night. Provides directions on screen or as spoken instructions. Automatic rerouting if user wanders off course. Fuel and Park functions to quickly locate nearest facilities.
RoadMate 360 $799.99 Thales Navigation, www.magellangps.com, 800/669-4477.
Portable vehicle navigation system. 14-channel GPS receiver preloaded with maps for United States and Canada. 3.5-inch color touch screen monitor. Tracks progress, provides directions on map with visual prompts and as spoken commands. Screen keyboard for entering addresses. Create and store up to 20 trips with up to 20 destinations for each. Record travel paths for playback to avoid congestion on similar future trips.
TomTom GO 700 $799.95 TomTom International, www.tomtom.com, 866/486-6866.
Versatile portable navigation system. GPS navigation with Assisted Satellite Navigation to monitor progress when passing through areas where GPS signal is interrupted. 3.5-inch touch screen. Maps for United States and Canada included on internal hard drive. Supports hands-free calling to destination via Bluetooth-compatible cell phones. Offers choice of routes to destination, such as avoiding tolls. PLUS service, where available, provides real-time updates on traffic and weather conditions.
NVE–N872A $1,700; required car system and monitor sold separately Alpine Electronics of America Inc., www.alpine-usa.com, 800/421-2284.
Permanently installed DVD-based, voice-activated vehicle navigation system for United States and Canada. Integrates with Alpine audio/video car system. (A/V system monitor becomes monitor for GPS.) Users can control functions and request directions via spoken commands, touch screen, or remote control. Includes Zagat Restaurant Survey guide. Optional satellite receiver and service provides real-time traffic alerts and revised directions based on current conditions.
Prices are the vendors’ suggested retail prices and are subject to change. This list isn’t comprehensive; NAR doesn’t evaluate or endorse these products and isn’t responsible for changes in company info.
