In a year when DELL offers laptops for under $500 and Motorola releases a cell phone almost as thin as a credit card, how will top real estate professionals stay competitive with technology? Across the industry, as gadget prices reach rock bottom, their cool features aim sky high. So when every other agent has a laptop, cell phone and PDA, super agents seek the cutting edge as they try to maintain their market advantage.

Enter our tech picks for 2005: products so slick, powerful and effective they will energize any agent’s strategy for success. At the top of the list are two handhelds that are changing the way real estate professionals think about – and use – personal digital assistants. Both Palm’s Tungsten T5 and Hewlett Packard’s iPAQ 3715 are changing the face of PDA productivity, at prices nicely around the $400 mark. While the two products take slightly different approaches to digital assistance, both pack tons of features into small spaces.

The Tungsten T5 (www.palm.com) is Palm’s answer to the agent’s need for more storage space, a faster processor and easier data synchronization. With built in applications that synchronize with Outlook sans the usual third-party conduits of the past, the T5 goes one step further and makes file management a snap by placing the memory stick directly under My Computer. Users can move files, photos, music and data from PC to PDA by dragging and dropping like a good-old-game of Solitaire. With Bluetooth features built into the T5, Palm makes it possible to connect to the Internet with newer third-generation cell phones. The powerful lithium battery means browsing the web, checking email and managing appointments all day long remains a pleasure. The T5 does have two drawbacks, which, depending upon the user’s needs, may not be major hurdles: it lacks an integrated digital camera that agents could use to snap photos of listings on the road; and it mysteriously lacks integrated WiFi technology, the heart of today’s mobile wireless world (WiFi is what makes it possible for you to access the web wirelessly, for example at a local coffee shop). Of course, Palm sells add-on adapters for both features, so retrofitting the T5 is possible.

In the Pocket PC world, HP’s (www.hp.com) hot iPAQ 3715 is a top mobility product, outperforming even their higher priced 4700 series aimed at business users. Using the “mini” Windows operating system, the iPAQ 3715 is chock-full-of-features, including mini Word, Outlook and Internet Explorer right out of the box. An integrated digital camera takes great snaps in daylight settings. Combined with both Bluetooth and WiFi Internet access, the cam helps agents snap a photo of a listing and email it to a buyer – all from the front seat of their car or wireless hot spot. Like the T5, the iPAQ features an easy to use voice recorder, so making memos on the go does not require using the stylus. Yet even the stylus is easier than ever to use, with HP’s “write anywhere” technology that recognizes and converts reasonably written handwriting into text, notes and emails. With extended battery life that lasts the weekend without bringing home your charger, the iPAQ 3715 is the mobile warrior’s powerhorse for productivity this year.

To accompany either of these PDAs, top agents are dumping their aging cell phones and adopting third-generation units like Motorola’s RAZR V3 (www.motorola.com). Weighing in at 3.3 ounces, this super-slim cell combines the latest call technology with advanced connectivity, Internet and email functions. Just about everything about the RAZR says “high tech” – from its cool, thin clam-shell to its glowing, laser-etched keypad and stunning graphical display. But it’s what’s inside that really counts, and the RAZR doesn’t skimp. In addition to tapping the global 3G network for crystal clear calls in expanded coverage areas, the RAZR comes packed with high-tech functions: a high-resolution graphics-accelerated display for wireless video clips, 5 MB of storage memory, speech recognition, a web browser and even Yahoo-styled instant messaging. Integrated Bluetooth helps top agents communicate with clients and prospects in almost every possible fashion, from voice to text message, email to video mail. Both the Tungsten T5 and iPAQ 3715 can access the Internet through the RAZR’s Bluetooth connection, taking advantage of the speed of the all digital third-generation cellular network. And agents who simply need to check their inbox or send a short message to their office can use the RAZR’s built-in software without their PDA. To top it off, RAZR owners can even pass their voice calls through to their new car’s Bluetooth-ready stereo system (see the Acura TL), the ultimate form of hands-free convenience.

When it comes to convenience, the technology industry is making unprecedented breakthroughs in file storage. Since the obsolescence of the floppy disk, the CDROM has struggled to fill the need for larger but convenient file transfer and portability. Yet the CD remains slow to burn, cumbersome to carry and ultimately limited to about 700 MB. That’s why top agents are adorning their key chains with the modern replacement for both floppy and CD: the USB flash drive. Devices like the Cruzer Mini and Cruzer Titanium flash drives from Sandisk (www.sandisk.com) make it easy to carry up to 1 GB of files on a universally connectable USB gadget. Whether it’s for backups or file transfers, these simple storage gadgets help savvy agents transfer transaction files from their laptops to clients’ computers without any software or learning curve. Just pop the flash drive into any USB port; it appears under My Computer. Drag and drop files back and forth with the mouse. Sandisk even offers CruzerSync software to automate regular back ups of Outlook and other important files from your laptop to the flash drive. Even today’s high-definition televisions and home video cameras feature USB ports, creating opportunities to show photos and video clips on large-screen LCDs: no computer needed. Capable of carrying four times a CDROM’s worth of data on a keychain, the flash drive is a top-agent must-have for flexible file management.

Finally, it’s time for top agents to go space age with full-featured video conferencing on their laptop or desktop. A leader in video web cameras is Logitech’s QuickCam Pro 4000 (www.logitech.com). If you think all web cams are the same, you haven’t seen the QuickCam Pro series, featuring innovative technology that automatically tracks your face as you move from side to side, auto zooms to maintain the picture and an integrated microphone for enterprise-class teleconferencing – all at a fraction of the cost. Powered by your USB port, the QuickCam Pro achieves 30-frames-per-second transmission rates that deliver on the promise of smooth, realistic video imaging. The cam is compatible with all of the popular instant messaging clients like Yahoo Messenger and Trillian, both of which provide free video and voice conferencing services, although speeds can sometimes fluctuate. For $6.95 a month, power users can join Logitech’s VideoCall service which provides fast, television-like face-to-face conferencing between subscribers. The possibilities for this kind of video conferencing are expanding every day, as more consumers gain access to broadband Internet at home and at work. Even wireless broadband supports video chats, making it possible to mount the QuickCam on your laptop and catch up with clients from a WiFi enabled coffee shop. With a photo directory and a small application that sits on your computer and “rings” when someone tries to vid-connect, Logitech’s QuickCam 4000 is transforming agent-client communications again for the future.

From PDA to cell phone, memory stick to video camera, cutting edge technology can simplify business and expand productivity. Affordable and intuitive, these leading gadgets can form the basis of an integrated technology strategy that revolutionizes communications and streamlines contact management. For top agents looking to maximize their time without complicated learning curves, such cool tools represent leaps ahead in style and function – and even a little fun!