The Google Chrome web browser was first released in 2008. Since then, it’s grown to be the most widely used web browser in the world, with over 43% of people in the world choosing Chrome. Google Chrome also beats out Internet Explorer as the most widely used web browser in the United States, with 36% of Americans choosing Chrome versus 30% of Americans choosing IE. (Source) Over the years, Google has released a lot of cool features for Chrome, including being able to sync bookmarks across apps, thus being able to access all your bookmarks between your desktop computer, your phone and your tablet. Another really neat aspect of Chrome is found in the Chrome web store, where you can find Apps and Extensions to add on to your Chrome. Customizing Google Chrome can maximize your online efficiency and usage. If you are using Google Chrome in your real estate business, here are 5 Chrome extensions and apps you should download now.
The OneTab Chrome Extension
OneTab is a brilliant extension if you are a fan of opening and using 
new tabs in your Google Chrome browser. I’m guilty of having 20-30 open at any one time, sometimes in multiple windows. However, the more tabs you have open, the harder it is to recall what’s open. Even worse, the more tabs you have open, the more you take up of your computer’s memory. OneTab helps you by being able to select specific tabs (or all tabs) and putting them under one tab. You can put tabs into different groups, launching them only when you need them. Also, if you have to restart Chrome or your computer, OneTab remembers what tabs you had saved so all your selections are instantly recoverable. You can even import and export your list of tabs! OneTab truly makes life a little less cluttered on Google Chrome.
The Yesware Email Tracking Extension
Yesware is an extension that you can add onto your Gmail (sorry, 
Gmail only at the moment) in your Chrome browser that offers a number of extra features that are especially handy for a real estate agent. Chief among those is its tracking ability – when Yesware is enabled, you get an instant notification of who opened your email, from where and on what device. No more will you have to suffer agents claiming they never received paperwork before a deadline! Yesware also offers the ability to create templates, so if you need something quick and easy to send off, Yesware is there to help. Yesware is free for up to 50 tracked emails, after which you’ll pay about $5 a month for unlimited tracking.
The LastPass Extension
More and more frequently, we’re being prompted to create passwords for every site we visit. After a while, it can be difficult to
remember all the passwords we’ve created, especially if you’ve followed the rules and created a unique password for every site. Enter LastPass. LastPass is a free password manager, with premium upgrades, that first prompts you to create a master password. From there, you can visit old sites and enter in that login information, or new sites and create new login information. Everything is saved under the master account and password in LastPass. As long as you’re logged into LastPass, you’ll have access to all your sites – and only have to remember one password. Real estate agents are extremely mobile, which is why it’s good to note that LastPass works and syncs on almost any device. Just download LastPass and login.
The AdBlock Plus Extension
Ads and popups are increasingly annoying. They ruin our browsing 
experience and can sometimes prevent us from focusing on the content we came on the Internet to see. AdBlock Plus is a free Google Chrome extension that, once installed, blocks banners, pop-up ads and video ads from appearing. AdBlock Plus even works on Facebook and YouTube ads! Easy to install, AdBlock Plus works immediately – you’ll notice the difference right away.
The Planner 5D Chrome App
The above extensions haven’t really been fully real estate focused, so here’s a Google Chrome app to whet your real estate appetite. 
The Planner 5D app allows you to build out floorplans and either use pre-existing pictures or provided content to fully flesh out the aspects of interior and exterior design. What better way to impress your spatially-impaired clients when they wonder if their furniture will fit in the house they just fell in love with? Wouldn’t your new construction clients be grateful for being able to “see” what their new home will look like even before ground is broken? The Planner 5D app for Google Chrome can fill in – and as it’s free, the price is certainly right.
Those are the top 5 Google Chrome extensions and apps I’d suggest you’d start with when you start to customize your Google Chrome. There are a myriad of other choices out there, however, so I invite you to explore the Google Chrome App and Extension stores to see what works best for you and your workflow. For example, if you’re an Evernote user, you’ll love the Evernote Web Clipper. If you use Gmail for your email, you might want to look at HelloSign, Streak and MXHero Toolbox. Good hunting!
