Real Estate Deal Scouting: Top 10 Travel Essentials To Boost Your Productivity
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If you’ve ever been on a deal scouting trip, you know the drill: you book a ticket last minute, line up your days back to back with property visits and broker meetups, power through a couple of days of non stop on the go activities, hop back on a plane 2 days later and crash. It can be mentally and physically exhausting. If you’re a road warrior like many of our members who've done this hundreds of times, you know exactly what and how to pack for maximum efficiency and effectiveness. But if you’re new to the process, preparing for a trip can feel like a project in and of itself.
We’ve learned it’s important to not just minimize the amount of items you pack so you can get away with a small carryon, but to also optimize the items you bring with you so you can feel prepared, confident, and yes, even relaxed, when on the road. That’s why we decided to put together a list of the top 10 essential travel items we recommend bringing on EVERY out of state deal scouting trip and why they will make your experience more productive and positive.
1. Your favorite personal care products (we’re talking shampoo, conditioner, lotions and potions)
Why it’s an essential:
It sounds basic, because of course you need toiletries when you travel. But this step gets skipped often because you think “I’ll just use whatever the hotel has.” Don’t do it. Bringing your personal regime with you helps you feel anchored to your normal routine. You’ll feel pampered and confident knowing your hair will look great and your skin will glow because you’re not using the crappy off brand conditioner that makes your hair turn out like a frizzy mess. Best way to accelerate your packing is to put travel sized products in a clear Ziploc bag so you can grab and go. I love Aveda products or any other herbal based products to make me feel like I am at the spa.
2. A lightweight, compact laptop or tablet
Why it’s an essential:
You’re not going on vacation, you’re going to do work. Our go to is the 13” MacBook Pro because it is practically a supercomputer that fits easily in a backpack or briefcase without weighing you down. If you have a lot of client meetings or field trips where you need to take notes and share documents, you might opt for a tablet with a keyboard or a stylus. The key is to have a device that will allow you to keep track of important items like walkthrough notes and a way to upload to the cloud instantly without having to wait until you get back to your hotel room. This way your team sitting at home can get to work and be more productive. Don’t forget to have a data plan for your device, or enough data on your phone to use as a hotspot to make this all possible (FYI, we use Google FI).
3. Audio books
Why it’s an essential:
Ok, we know this one isn’t a physical item, but it’s just as important as any of the other items on this list. Load up your phone BEFORE you leave with at least 2-3 audio books that have been on your list. You’ll have lots of time in the car, plane, or bus. Be productive in your down time waiting for take off, waiting for rental cars, driving to locations and waiting in between your tours. You don’t have access to WIFI or Data all the time, what is better than using that wait time to cram in some knowledge?! We recommend using Audible or you can often rent audio books through your local libraries website and send to a device using apps like Libby.
4. Two pairs of shoes (black business shoes and hiking sandals)
Why it’s an essential:
You have limited space in your carryon. People tend to overpack on shoes so they can be prepared for all of the potential activities you might do on your trip. Regardless of the weather, in our experience, you really only need two pairs. Black flats work for any occasion (comfortable dress shoes for men), from meeting brokers to do walkthroughs during the day to drinks at a nice bar. Sandals can be used for any of the more casual events plus double as hiking footwear if you’re somewhere that you can get out to nature. I love Chaco sandals. They are adjustable for my sometimes swollen feet and somewhat stylish.
5. Wireless headphones
Why it’s an essential:
If you’re hitting the road solo, trust us...navigating new cities, mapping out an optimal route between 10 properties to scout, and answering/making phone calls can get a bit hectic if you’re not hands free. Swap out your corded headphones for wireless earbuds. It will change your life. Make sure your earbuds have a good speaker built in.
6. A magnetic car mount for your phone
Why it’s an essential:
Trying to find a place to prop your phone where you can see the navigation and easily answer calls is a recipe for disaster while you’re driving. Do yourself a favor and buy a magnetic car mount that clips onto the vent. You just put your phone on it and the magnetic force holds it in place so you can drive completely hands free. Plus, since it clips onto the air vent, you know it will work on any rental car. WixGear Magnetic Phone Car Mount is what we use as it fits pretty much in all car slots. This combined with a back pocket wallet phone case where you can put the magnetic card in and your 4 essential credit cards can pretty much take you anywhere hands free.
7. Note Taking + CRM apps (such as Evernote and Hubspot)
Why it’s an essential:
This one is super helpful when you’re on the go especially when you have a team to work with. Evernote is a cloud based note taking software that can be accessed from any phone, tablet or computer (as long as you have the app or wifi to connect via the browser). This allows you to write/type your notes and save them, without having to go back later and transcribe your handwritten notes onto the computer. There are also some cloud based CRM systems, like Hubspot, that allow you to take a picture of a business card on your phone and automatically add it to your database, instantly. After a whole day of traveling, the last thing you want to do is sit down and manually upload 20 contacts into your database. The Google Drive app also lets you upload any important documents you may get via email and share with your team instantly without having to even open your computer. All of this amounts to you doing less manual work at the computer at the end of a long day when you’re exhausted.
8. A reusable water bottle with a filter
Why it’s important:
It’s critical to stay hydrated in order to stay on top of your game when you’re traveling. If you bring a water bottle with you, you’re much more likely to keep refilling and drinking water throughout the day. Plus, it's a small way you can create less waste and save money by avoiding buying plastic bottles of water. We like the Lifestraw Go, which comes in stainless steel or BPA free plastic because it has a built-in filter in the straw. You never know what the quality of the water will be and this way, you don’t even have to worry about it.
9. Aeropress or loose leaf tea infuser + your favorite coffee or tea
Why it’s important:
Let’s face it: most of us need caffeine to survive a normal day, let alone multiple days of go go go like what we experience on a scouting trip. Save yourself a little time and money by bringing a tea infuser (if you’re team tea) or Aeropress (if you’re team coffee) and your favorite tea bags or ground coffee. You can easily make yourself a cup of great coffee or tea to start your day or to keep you going after a long day of deal finding. GSI Outdoors Commuter Java Press is what I use. It is an on the go french press. You can make loose leaf tea or french press coffee with this. I am mostly a tea drinker but occasionally I need a cup of coffee to lift me. This works fantastic.
10. Vitamin C/Electrolyte packets
Why it’s important:
It’s important to keep your immune system strong and to stay extra hydrated, especially if you’re traveling on planes. Talk about germs plus dehydration galore. There’s nothing worse than getting sick on a scouting trip when you really need to be sharp and feeling your best. Toss a few Vitamin C/Electrolyte packets like Emergen-C in your bag and add it to your water post flight and throughout your trip. Your body and mind will thank you.
Bonus Packing Tips
I pretty much get my packing time down to 10 mins for the trip each time I go to out of state due diligence and scouting trips. I basically have a backpack that has a designated backpack slot all packed with the essentials just for the trip. Extra cable, charges and most of the above list are already in my backpack. Turns out they are not just great for travel but also for everyday things. So I just need to stuff my shoes, clothes, computer and prepared toiletry bag into my computer and off I go.
Before you go on your next deal-finding trip, refer back to this list and ensure you have everything on it ready to go. Each item has its place and will help you to be even more successful when you’re on the road. We guarantee it. Happy deal hunting, fellow road warriors!
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