As real estate professionals, the tech and gear we use help us get the job done better. That’s the case whether we’re in the field or at the office.
But finding the right gear can involve a lot of trial and error. Not to mention wasted money.
With 15 years in the industry and having worked on projects all over the world, I’ve learned what works best. So, why go through the trouble when I’ve already done it for you?
Below is a list of top-quality tech and gear for real estate professionals ranging from boots to software.
If you’re curious about a product not featured on the list, send me a note at mosburn@aristosglobal.com—odds are I’ve tried it or something like it and can steer you in the right direction.
Best Field Gear on the Market
Shoes
Ariat Boots
Despite not being marketed for real estate, Ariat boots last forever, making them a great value buy.
Not only do they save me money, but my Ariat cowboy boots save me time every day I wear them. All I have to do is slip them on and I’m out the door.
If you need steel-toe boots or ones with laces, then these aren’t the boots for you but if you’re looking for convenience, durability, comfort, and shoes you don’t mind getting dirty, consider them the best.
Merrell Trail Shoes
Okay, technically these aren’t boots, but hear us out.
Off road shoes at construction sites just make sense. The uneven surfaces require a shoe that can withstand all terrains and protect the feet that wear them.
Merrell makes that shoe.
Hard Hats
3M Hard Hat
When traversing a construction site you’ll want to have a reliable hard hat.
The 3M Hard Hat is simple yet effective. And that’s all you need.
Eye Pro (Protection)
Oakley Flak Jacket Sunglasses
Debri flying on site, sun glaring from the sky and off of reflective materials, or the bags under your eyes from an early start. All great reasons to own a solid pair of glasses to shield your eyes.
My go-to are the Oakley Flak Jacket Sunglasses.
While I’m not sure about their ANSI safety rating, these glasses have been with me for 10+ years as I’ve ventured around the globe. They get the job done.
Notebooks
Yes, I carry multiple notebooks with me in the field. Pick just one from the list below that suits your needs or be like me and have a few on hand.
Field Notes
Field Notes make a great little notebook for jotting down important facts and follow ups from any meetings, whether in the field or in the boardroom.
They’re discrete and easy to carry in your pocket. Much better than slamming away on a keyboard during a meeting.
Rite in the Rain
If you work in wet climates, hot climates, or just find yourself constantly sweating then Field Notes might not be the best option. And if that’s the case, you should think about Rite in the Rain.
I’ve used these for 10+ years while working in hot climates. From the deserts of Saudi Arabia to the mountains in places like Afghanistan, Texas, and Arizona. You name the conditions, these products perform.
The benefit in using the same notebook type over and over is that it makes archiving and storage of your notes easier. While sometimes I digitize my notes and throw the book away, other times I save them and keep them filed away.
Identification for In Case of Emergencies (ICE)
If you travel for work and/or find yourself in dangerous spots, like a hurricane-damaged building or a heavy industrial construction site, you should think about having a Road ID band on your wrist.
Imagine you’re on a trip and you get smashed by a car or piece of heavy equipment on a site visit. After all, accidents do happen.
- Who do the first responders call?
- What’s your name?
- What’s your blood type?
- Where are you from?
- This is crucial information you might not be able to communicate if you’re in severe pain or unconscious.
- Road ID allows first responders a way to collect the information that could save your life.
Photography Equipment
Camera – Apple iPhone 11 Pro
Easy to use. Always with me. Amazing Quality.
The Apple iPhone 11 Pro or an updated version will always be my go-to when taking photos in the field, in the office, or anywhere really.
Photo Storage – Google Photos
If you need to compile albums for records or to share this is a great option.
Google Photos has unlimited storage and syncs with our Gsuite products for easy upload and sharing of photo albums.
Cold Weather Gear
Patagonia – Jackets
When it comes to the elements, why not use gear that’s been tested in harsh environments around the world?
Enter Patagonia.
They rely on lab tests and data to make decisions about their products so that they’re reliable whatever the city, whatever the season.
Here are a few of my favorite pieces:
Rothco – Stocking Hats/Beanies
The US military has had to deal with some of the coldest, harshest climates in the world.
So why not use the gear they trust to keep them warm while they perform their duties?
This Rothco knit hat does one thing. It keeps you warm in crazy winter weather.
Digital Notes Gear
Apple Voice Memo
Apple Voice Memo’s are great to use when you need to make a note of something but don’t have pen and paper. Sure you could use the notes app in your phone too but a voice memo allows you to keep doing whatever it is you’re doing.
My only caveat is that I have a hard time accessing them later unless I have my phone with me.
But these can be useful, especially if driving.
MS OneNote
I’m pretty committed to Microsoft for my work gear. I have an MS Surface Book and MS Studio so using their digital notepad, MS OneNote is a no brainer.
I can access it on my phone, laptop, or desktop and hand write any notes that pop into my head whether I’m in the office or on the go.
It’s also a great (and free) place to store scanned documents, ideas, headlines, images while organizing them in folders, or “notebooks”.
Those hard copy notebooks I mentioned earlier sometimes get digitized here for quick and easy reference later.
My favorite tactic is sharing notebooks with voice recorded memos to our team.
Plus with my MS Surface, it is simple and easy to draw outside the lines.
Pens
Fisher Space Pen
I want a pen that can work in harsh environments—one you don’t need to scribble endlessly on a notepad to get working.
The Fisher Space Pen is filled with ink that’s been used in space travel since NASA’s launch of Apollo 7.
So, naturally, it makes sense to use it here on Earth.
Pilot B2P Gel & Pilot B2P Ballpoint, Fine
Using the Bottle 2 Pen ballpoint and gel pens is my small attempt at improving our pollution problem.
(It’s reported that 8 million tons of plastics find their way into our Earth’s oceans each year. That’s just the ocean!)
These pens, made from recycled bottles, perform great.
Backpacks
Patagonia Backpack
My Patagonia backpack is great for office gear, and it doubles as an overnight bag on work trips.
With a lot of options out there (as of writing this post, there are 1,350,000,000 results on google for “one bag travel”) I can assure you Patagonia is the best.
More than once I’ve taken up Patagonia’s Ironclad Guarantee and offer to repair my gear.
Their stuff is tough and it works.
Best Office Gear on the Market
Laptop
MS Surface Book 2
The MS Surface Book 2 helps me mark up PDFs, scribble notes in MS OneNote, snip screenshots and do a bunch of other great things. It has a touch screen making all of these actions even easier.
Plus the battery life is better than most.
The product doesn’t come with the stickers, those are 100% all me but feel free to take inspiration.
Software
Google Business (Basic)
The basics of the Gsuite are simple: Email, Calendars, Docs, Drive, and Meet. The essentials for any business.
With Google Business Basic you set your team up to communicate and work collaboratively.
Google Keep
Keeping notes in one place can be difficult. You may have them distributed across physical notepads, the Notes app on your phone, MS OneNote, Gdocs, etc. I get it. The challenge is picking a system and having the discipline to follow it.
Google Keep works for me because we use Google apps (see above) in the business and can share our notes easily. They can live here until you’re ready to move them to a more permanent location.
Google Tasks
Again since we use Google Business Apps, Google Tasks works for our small but effective team.
I dare you to find a simpler task manager. And no, your email doesn’t count.
Google Meet
We were customers of Uberconference but have since moved to Google Meet. It was easier and simpler to manage because it’s part of the Gsuite we use.
You can use this Gsuite feature for conference calls. It has screensharing capabilities for presentations and if you need to work on something with a team member.
Expensify
Expensify makes it easy to track travel costs and create expense reports. Most importantly it means you don’t need to mess around with receipts under $75.
Bonus: The basic plan is free.
Scannable
Scannable is the easiest way to scan and send documents that I’ve found. If this is a task you find yourself doing often, it’s worth getting.
I’ve been using it ever since it launched.
Drawboard PDF
I’m allergic to Bluebean and I’ve never been able to justify the cost of an Adobe subscription.
That’s why I use Drawboard PDF. It’s a great software for marking up PDF files. Super simple to use. I only wish you could open multiple files at once (hint, hint Product team at Drawboard!).
Momentum Dashboard
Incredible photos from around the world. Even better quotes for inspiration. They pop up on your dashboard to keep you going.
Quite simply, Momentum Dashboard is a nice way to break up the workday in the digital world.
Headphones
Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones
One word, awesome.
These Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones make it easy to knock out work in coffee shops, airplanes, houses with loud kids. You get the picture.
And here’s an actual picture of the product:
Airpods
Airpods are an easy, on the go set of headphones for phone calls, especially if you need to mute/unmute or look at a doc on your phone. They’re also compact and easy to carry.
Earplugs
Sometimes, you just need to think and not be disturbed. Earplugs are a simple, inexpensive way to get in the zone with no distractions.
Notecards
5×7 Notecards
Low tech. High impact. Write down your to-do’s and mark them off when complete. They also help with focusing on the things you actually need to get done.
Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin and many other greats from history did not have Asana to help them organize their day. Pen and paper.
Did Mark Cuban need Asana or Salesforce.com to build and sell MicroSolutions, a system integrator and software reseller? No way.
Sometimes it’s best to go back to basics.
Bonus: Training Gear for Professionals Who Use Exercise to Get Clarity
“Surely a person of sense would submit to anything, like exercise, so as to obtain a well-functioning mind and a pleasant, happy life.” – Socrates
For me, training helps me think. It keeps my mind sharp. If that’s you too, you’ll appreciate the below.
Training Tech
Garmin Connect
The Garmin Connect is a solid tracker to help log runs. My mileage from 2019 to 2020 improved by 500x. Not bad. And it’s something I wouldn’t know without the app.
Garmin Instinct
Garmin Instinct is a digital leash that looks like a normal watch.
While I’ve since returned to my roots with a Timex, I still use the GPS and run tracking option on the Instinct for any training runs or swims worth documenting.
Clothing
Running Shoes
Ever since Innov8 started having production issues and long wait times, I needed a new minimalist running shoe. Merrell had a great one in stock and it was super affordable.
Nowadays, I’m averaging about 500+ miles of running a year. So these kicks get replaced yearly. Totally worth it and I haven’t looked back since.
Running Shorts
Nike Running Shorts
Nike has been in the track and field game for over 50+ years. Their stuff works for me. Running shorts with pockets are a dual threat.
So, what gear can help you get the job done better?
Download our checklist here to make sure you get the right tech, equipment, and gear to be the best at what you do.
And of course, my offer still stands. If you have questions about a product not on the list, reach out and I’ll field any questions I can.
Here’s a short list of what some of those products could be: