Like several other Apple junkies out there, I immediately rushed out and ordered an Apple iPad the minute I was able to. While I wasn't quite sure how I might use the device, considering I already have an iPhone and MacBook, I let my addiction get the best of me and I ordered one anyways knowing that I would find a use for it in my daily activities.

When the iPad arrived, it was better than I had imagined. It was actually like a whole new experience to be able to hold such a device in your hands without having to hold up a laptop or constantly zoom in on the picture of an iPhone. As I began loading app after app, I realized just how I was going to use this new toy. It would, in essence, replace my entire, outdated, sales binder full of paper, business cards, price sheets and maps. In fact, I could even rid myself of the lined yellow pads, day planner and pile of housing brochures that simply clutter my desk and car each day.

I have already found several uses for the device, besides staying organized, that are incredibly beneficial to the real estate agent in Coeur d'Alene and around the world. When a client asks if I can get the specifics of a vacant waterfront lot in Sunup Bay, I can simply pull up the list of available in real time, answer any of their specific questions regarding lot size and water frontage, or simply hand them the device to browse themselves.

Or, when standing in a home in the Club at Black Rock and the buyer decides they need something with a different view or a little more room, I can pull up the Black Rock Properties website, browse through the homes and view all the photos with the client in order to make an informed decision prior to even leaving the home and wasting valuable gas money driving around the different options.

It is simply amazing at how connected we have gotten in our lives. It seems as though every new device that comes on the market can better our lives in some way. For us real estate brokers in Coeur d'Alene, the Apple iPad is truly going to change the way we do business. By making our lives less cluttered, more streamlined and connected to the outside world, no longer do we have to make an excuse such as "I have that information back at my office" when the client should know at the time the question is asked.

At Black Rock Properties, we have already begun putting the iPad to use in our sales efforts and online marketing. Have an iPad already? Simply go to www.BlackRockFineHomes.com and you will notice that our site has been formatted to fit the iPad screen and that all features simply work flawlessly. From searching luxury waterfront properties to browsing featured listings, this is just the first step into Black Rock Properties' efforts to stay ahead of the technology curve.

Perhaps my finest achievement with the iPad is the fact that this entire blog post was written, edited and published all on the Apple iPad and without getting out of my car at the gas station.

Submitted by: Scott Chesrown, Broker.