Google Alerts, Google News and Google finance are three apps to help you “set and forget” to stay informed in your real estate business or personal life.

Google Alerts allows you to setup auto-searches for any keywords, and you’ll receive email alerts (asap or in digest form) when there is results for those keywords. The best uses?

Your Name - if someone is reviewing, posting, commenting with your name, you’ll want to know!

Your Listings - this purpose is two-fold. First, you’ll be able to monitor and track syndication of your listings to see the sites where they’re listed, giving you links to share with your sellers. Second, you’ll see where the listing may come up in not-so-ideal ways, such as potential “For Rent” scams online.

Google News similarly allows you to setup alerts for news topics so you can curate an email digest with information on your local area, your real estate broker, the real estate industry, mortgage information, and so forth. This gives you an easy way to stay informed of headline topics, and also gives you links to news articles that may be relevant for social media posting, newsletters or to share with clients.

Google Finance much like the other two alerts, allows you to track stock and index prices delivered in a summary - so if you want to keep tabs on EXPI or ZG or any other stock - this is a quick set and forget alert.