Have you ever wasted money on a tool or service that promised the world and failed miserably in delivering it’s promise?

Let’s face it, there are a lot of mediocre products out there. Since digital distribution has become the norm, their isn’t a high barrier to entry for someone to attempt to create the latest new gadget, gizmo or doodad. This dynamic has led to a lot of innovative products, but also leads to a sea of options that simply aren’t worth your money.

Don’t let “analysis paralysis” lead you to not finding that application that could truly change the way you do business!

Chief Frugylist Jimmy Mackin sits down with Tech Savvy Agent to talk about his new service which provides agents with crowd sourced recommendations on real estate’s best productivity tools. In this video, Jimmy addresses concerns about the pricing of the product, the value it offers as well as a concise overview of the way it works.

If you are familiar with Flipboard for the iPad, then you will understand the concept of Google Currents.  From “leading publications, to blogs you follow, you can browse, read, and share favorite content, presented in a swipable magazine format.”  There are a few differences between the apps, but a major one is the ability to build your own “edition” or content provider in the app and Tech Savvy Agent did just that.

This is an extremely easy way to get your Tech Savvy fix on your mobile device!  Check out the video below for a demo of how the app works.

Having trouble finding Tech Savvy in the app?  Go here on your device 

To get Tech Savvy Agent on Google Currents, just go to the “library” button and search for “Tech Savvy”!

When planning your travel and training budget for next year, try to take into account a few the following options.  I won’t touch on your particular brand conferences or NAR, which are also great options, but rather talk about 3 great non brand specific options out there, and best of all, at some point through out the year they are likely to be with in driving distance from your office.

1. Inman’s Agent Reboot – As I said, I had the pleasure of seeing this for about the 3rd time this year this past week in Columbus OH. The reboot tour does a great job of traveling across the country and making the information they provide accessible to just about everyone as they will more than likely end up in a place that is a one day trip away.  Reboot, is MC’ed by the former Tech Savvy Agent himself Mr. Chris Smith so you know they are bringing value.  This week’s even covered such topics as Online Reputation Management, Video, Mobile, Web, Lead Capture, A/B Testing and much more  (check out #agentrb on twitter to see the stream from this past week, so much great info to share I left with blisters from tweeting so much). I think one of the best things about Reboot is the quality of speaker and the level of expertise they provide.  Speakers this week included: Chris Smith (Inman News), Darin Persinger (Productivity Junkies), The main TSA Man Mr. Steve Pacinelli, Sherry Chris (Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate), Sean Carpenter (@seancarp on Twitter and The Realtors Toolbox Blog) and many more.  Agent Reboot is a great choice if you want to learn whats working across the country and hear from some of the best in the industry for a very affordable price.  Tickets to the event in Columbus were $49.

2. Xplode Conference – What makes Xplode really cool and unique to other traveling tech shows is the fact that they partner with local vendors, MLS’s, and Associations as well as speakers on a national and international level.  This really adds a unique local feel while still receiving top notch content from national speakers.  I was fortunate enough to attend Xplode this year in Washington DC and outside of the traffic jam on my way to the airport it was great.  They even offer a VIP pass which gives you prime seating, electric and premium high-speed  internet so you can easily digitally capture and even implement some of the strategies that were discussed before you even leave the event!  If you ever have the chance to attend an explode event, I would encourage you to do so.

3. Max Pigman & Tech Savvy Agent - Did you know that Tech Savvy Agent aka Steve Pacinelli has his own event in addition to appearances on other major national stages.  Well now you do! The folks as Move Inc. have a traveling tech event anchored by National Speaker Max Pigman in the morning and Steve covering the afternoon.  Having helped design some of the content for these shows in the past, I can tell you the quality is top notch.  The difference maker for the “Real Estate Series” events is that a lot of the content is live, no powerpoint!  That’s right, there are step by step live instructions for the strategies discussed and they are FREE to attend. Free? Yes Free. The events are usually co-sponsored by Top Producer and Realtor.com and as such there is no cost to attend. Generally before each break the sponsors will take 5 minutes to feature a product.  Now I know what you’re thinking, this is probably one of those timeshare deals with a hard core sales pitch. Negative. The sales guys do a nice job of showing you how their products can help augment some of the great new tech you have learned throughout the day and you are free to take them up on the offer or pass.

So now that you have a better feel for whats out there, take advantage. Head out to the sites (linked in this post) and find the next show in your part of the world.  If you have been to one of these shows please leave your comments below.

In closing, I have one piece of advice for you tech training novices: Commit to implementing 3 things after the show.  You will undoubtedly learn more than 10 things that will help your business at each one of these shows, however implementation is key! Pick the 3 best and go for it. By choosing only a few, you will increase your chances of success exponentially.

Guest post by Greg Grospitch. Follow Greg on twitter @greggrospitch

The days of a mortgage guy just being there to call when you needed to know the rates or get someone approved with stated income are long gone.  Just like internet home buyers can bypass an agent looking for listings, you as a Realtor can bypass your mortgage professional and simply visit Bankrate.com or one of the many alternatives.

Enter Dan Keller.  I had a chance to meet Dan face to face in Seattle for a recent stop on the Inman News Agent Reboot Tour and what he is doing for his Realtor clients is second to none.  As opposed to simply showing up at the old office meeting and talking about the new FHA requirements he is taking a Web 2.0 approach to helping his clients(you guys).  He has really gotten into blogging as has started creating content for his agents that they can use on their blog or website.  Not just a here are the current rates widget, Dan is actually creating original content based on what consumers are searching for and even leveraging video in the process.  If you would like to review a couple of the recent publications Dan has provided they include:

Goodbye Tax Credit, Hello Purchase Power

Strategic Seller Buydown

Rent v. Own

By taking a hands on approach to creating unique and original content for his clients Dan is now seeing success with his own blog and teaches agents how to do the same weekly at a session in Seattle he calls “Coffee with Keller”.  Dan consistently gets 15-20 agents a week to show up for the mastermind which is more than most Brokers can get to an office meeting right now!

If your lender is not doing what Dan Keller is doing then find another lender.  I know that sounds harsh, but the reality is that YOUR vendors can and should be held to a higher standard, just the way buyers and sellers are demanding it of YOU.

If you are in Washington or California and want to work with a lender who gets how the web is changing the game, uses video regularly, provides unique content for your blog and oh yeah by the way is one of the nicest guys I have ever met, Dan can be reached via any of the tech savvy options below!

Contact Dan via his website

Find him on Twitter

Link up on his Facebook Page

Chumbley, who admits he has been involved in the RE.net world for about three years now, actually drew his inspiration from some other high minded influencers including our favorite SM guy Gary Vaynerchuk.  What Dale realized on a trip to see Gary speak in New York City in 2009 for Inman Connect was that he was already on the right track, creating passionate content about his community.  Where the 365 Things To Do idea started to make sense was that it would put some structure as well as self pressure on his blogging quality and frequency.  Dale had seen a couple of other 365 Facebook Pages pop up in Austin and Nashville with success and decided it was the right model for his local market Vancouver, WA.

The other ah ha moment for Dale while in New York was that his Palm Treo was not going to be sufficient for this endeavor. Being busy agent in the field can cause many to say “there isn’t enough time” for all of this.  Dale picked up an iPhone 3GS and quickly realized that he could now capture video and push it to YouTube, capture images and easily put them into a post and even composing, tagging and syndicating his content is a breeze.  He uses a video editor on his iPhone for the intro music and transitions and has now successfully posted every day for 183 straight days.  Coffee shops, restaurants, local businesses as well as parks have all been the focus of his daily post and he is really growing his brand beyond a Realtor looking to help you JUST buy or sell.

Meeting Dale in person and hearing him speak so passionately about his community and his love of what he does is infectious.  He is generating buyers and listings and at the same time having a blast.  That being said it is as he said many times during our talk “a lot of hard work” but totally worth it.  Check out 365 Things To Do In Vancouver, WA and maybe you will be inspired to create a similar resource for your area.  Remember, the number 365 is a commitment, but with the right DNA, passion and work ethic I am confident that there is room for more stories like Dale’s to surface.  If you have any comments or questions for Dale feel free to leave those below!