Every time you turn around it seems as if someone has created a new mobile application for your smartphone. But how do you wade through the thousands of options to weed out the “must-haves” from all the “also-rans” vying for your attention?

To get a better idea of some of the best real estate apps out there, Illinois REALTOR® Magazine talked to two industry tech gurus – Amy Chorew, a national real estate technology coach with The Tech Byte; and Joel Burslem, a tech and marketing expert with the real estate marketing firm 1000Watt Consulting.

You can see some of their favorite apps in the article, Getting ahead in real estate: There’s an app for that,” in the April digital issue of Illinois REALTOR® Magazine. Many of the suggested apps are free, but they can provide substantial benefits to  REALTORS® who are on the go and need the latest information at their fingertips.

Chorew says more REALTORS® need to be mobile warriors armed with portable and user-friendly tools. Smartphones and mobile apps fit that bill.

“Think about what you do when you’re sitting at your desk and then what would be some of the tools that would help you get that done in the field,” she says. “Anything you do, you will be able to find an app for it.”

Burslem also suggests that REALTORS® look beyond real estate specific apps.

“I think some of the other apps that are interesting, particularly for real estate, are apps that aren’t necessarily listings-driven, but are lifestyle-driven.”

For example, the Walk Score app determines the “walkability” of a neighborhood, while the Yelp app identifies area restaurants and points of interest. Neither is a real estate app, but both can help REALTORS® get more information about a local community, he says.

If they haven’t already, REALTORS® should familiarize themselves with the many apps that are available for their smartphones. Not only could they ease their workload but they’ll also gain a better understanding of information and tools their potential buyers and sellers are using, Burslem said.