Take it from someone who knows, trying to find real estate software online to meet a particular business objective or desire can be daunting.
It’s not just about price. Not that we have money to burn, but most real estate software is not terribly expensive, and once we determine a budget we pretty much consent to making the investment. Our biggest challenge is to buy real estate software that works, or more specifically, works for the purpose we expect.

Whether we want accounting software, property management software, prospecting or office management software, or real estate investment software, we want it to do what it promises. Nothing is worse then discovering later that the software program doesn’t even come close to what we expected.
With various real estate software solutions available, where does one begin? How do you know that the real estate software includes the benefits you’re looking for? Can you be sure that you’re going to get your money’s worth?
Here are six practical suggestions that might help you buy the real estate software you want online with minimal, if any, regret later.

1. Read what the software purports to do. Obviously, the place to begin is for you to be sure software at least purports to do what you want. Though crucial, this is not always easy to decipher. If you’re uncertain, call the company and ask for clarification. If a number is unavailable, examine further. If you’re still unclear, opt out. You don’t want to invest your money on a software program that leaves you wondering.
2. Look at the web site. The quality of the web site is highly reflective of the quality of the software. Is it well organized, creative, informative, unobtrusive, and easy to navigate? Or is it lack-luster and confusing? Remember, the same company claiming their program is easy to use, and professional, and your best real estate software solution, publishes the website. In this case its safe (nay, required) to “judge the book by its cover”.
3. Preview the screen shots. Screen shots taken directly from the software program are helpful because you can see the forms and reports close up and personal. Computer resolutions vary and pictures online might tend to have some distortion; nonetheless, you should get a good idea of what the program will look like once you install and open it on your own computer.
4. Read the testimonials. Most software developers are ethical enough not to post testimonials made up over lunch or compensated. In this case, though, examine whether the customer is in an industry related to yours. A testimonial from a web designer about real estate investment software, for instance, is not as impressive as a testimonial from a real estate professional.
5. Examine the support policy. Service, not unlike that for any product, is paramount for real estate software. What type of support is offered, email or telephone? Whom do you talk with if you have an issue, a salesperson, staffer or the developer? What’s the response time, within minutes or days? Let’s face it, telephone contact, especially with the developer within minutes of our call, is always preferred.
6. Scan the developer profile. Does he or she have legitimate experience with your industry? Are they knowledgeable? Are they helpful? It’s always best when the software developer understands the nuances of your industry. Exercise caution if the developer appears only distantly related to your profession or lacks tenure. You don’t want to invest in real estate software if the developer has little to do with or has just entered the real estate industry.
   That’s it. Okay, it’s not rocket science, and its not one hundred percent guaranteed that applying these six techniques will get you exactly the real estate software solution you’re looking for with the most bang for your buck. But having purchased numerous real estate software solutions myself, I can assure you that it helps