I'm closing on my first properties within a few weeks and I spoke to an experienced real estate manager who recommended getting a work cell phone, however someone else said all I need is to add another work number which forwards to my personal cell . Help what should I do???!!

@Joshua Solomon You can use Google Voice, https://www.google.com/voice to forward to your cell phone.  You'll need a gmail account.  They'll give you a local number.  It's free.  If you have a smart phone you can make/return calls from your google voice number (When you call it calls google and then redirects to the end number.  The person on the other end sees your google voice number.)

That said, it is only like $10/mo to add another line to your cell phone contract and that may make things a lot simpler.

I use eVoice ($13/month) and it acts like an answering system.  Think "chose 1 if you're a current tenant or choose 2 if you're interested in looking at an apartment."  There's an app on my phone that it dials through.  You can dial back through the app so it looks like it's coming from the business number.

Unless your cell phone is from your day job a google voice number is fine.   Just set it ring to your home or cell phone or pick it up from your computer. Works flawlessly.  I also have a vonage box at home which is an internet phone you can take to another location but that is associated with a sit down office where I need to make international calls at times (not this business).  I had two cells at one time and it was a real pain. Charging them both, looking to see what was ringing, forgetting one...  I don't recommend it unless you must do it due to conflicts with your day job.

thanks for all your help, I'll have to check if my stupid page plus plan can do these things. :)

Originally posted by @Darlena Jones :

I use eVoice ($13/month) and it acts like an answering system.  Think "chose 1 if you're a current tenant or choose 2 if you're interested in looking at an apartment."  There's an app on my phone that it dials through.  You can dial back through the app so it looks like it's coming from the business number.

 do you know the name of the app??

I also recommend and use Google Voice. You can send and receive text from your Google Voice number as well.

eVoice app

I know this is way old but I'd also recommend Google Voice, worked great for screening tenants and I had it associated w/ a work email I created w/ gmail. All FREE!

>>I used it to screen potential tenants and I mainly texted w/ most applicants. 

Did you ever decide on an option? How'd the deal go?