As Google continues to expand and dominate the world of free online productivity tools, it only makes sense to integrate it with your daily real-estate solution, Propertybase.

Propertybase now incorporates the following Google apps:

• Gmail – Automatically log emails you send from Gmail as activities in Propertybase.
• Google Docs: – Associate online Google documents with Propertybase records.
• Google Docs tab: – Easily access all your Google documents from a central location in Propertybase.
• Gmail Button and Links: – Add these buttons and links to your Propertybase pages, making it one-click easy for users to compose Gmail messages and log email activities.
• Google Talk Sidebar: Add Google Talk directly to the Propertybase sidebar to encourage real-time, face-to-face communication among your users.

Additional free plug ins:

• Calendar & Contacts Sync for Propertybase and Google Apps

Think about it. Propertybase exists entirely online, taking care of all your real estate needs with no client-side software at all. Google Apps and Gmail exist entirely online, providing solutions for almost every business need, with no client-side software at all. Have you reached the point where you can do all of your business “in the cloud?” Can you give up the computer and do all your work from a lightweight netbook, or even a smartphone, anywhere in the world? A new day is dawning.

Release 2.1 is all about two themes: Marketing and Flexibility.

• Marketing: You need to improve your campaigns to make yourself heard in tough economic times.
• Flexibility: You need to cut costs by implementing more “do it yourself” solutions.

Marketing Improvements – It’s Time to Get More Aggressive
In times of crisis, competition grows more intense. This is when leading companies intensify their one-to-one marketing efforts. Propertybase version 2.1 will help you create more successful marketing campaigns:

• Qualify prospects faster and more easily than ever
• Create flawless email campaigns with the improved VerticalResponse email system
• Send eye-catching PDF offerings with the new Email Exposé function

Added Flexibility Saves You Configuration Costs
In tough economic times you want your operation to be lean and efficient. Self-supporting and self-sufficient. That’s why we’ve put new flexibility into Propertybase, to help you help yourself. You’ll spend fewer dollars configuring your software—leaving more money free for that expanded marketing campaign!

• All business processes in the system are now standardized and based on Force.com workflows. That means any experienced Salesforce admin can customize them, without the need for expensive outside help.
• An improved inventory structure lets you load anything— from a flat inventory listing to the most complex building hierarchies—using an easy import wizard. No need for outside technical help.
• Now you can adapt PDF contracts, booking forms, and exposé templates all by yourself using the powerful VisualforceTM technology. It’s one more way to be self-sufficient in 2009.

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For real estate technology companies

Twitter lets you quietly keep an eye on the activities of your peers, competitors, and industry thought leaders. It’s not only a good idea to stay abreast of industry trends, but the posts (called Tweets) from these influential personalities can also be quite entertaining.

For real estate brokers

Twitter lets you to communicate en masse to your agents about business matters in real time. Announce important price changes, rate changes, new listings, sold listings, trainings, meetings, events, or reminders to all of your agents with a single message. Twitter can serve, in other words, like a company “Intranet” that delivers messages to each of your agent’s phones in real time using text messaging. Of course, Twitter has the potential for abuse. Sending more than two or three messages a day could become more irritating than useful.

For real estate teams

Twitter can help coordinate the daily activities and movements of team members. You can Tweet about showings for the day, price changes, team meetings, task accomplishments, etc. Some teams currently communicate through transaction management systems and other platforms, but they usually require each team member to have a smartphone. Twitter works on any phone with text messaging capabilities.

Read the full post from Marylin Wilson here.