7 Apps that Make Dealing with PDFs Easy

When's the last time you received important real estate documents as a JPG or other image file? How about a lengthy disclosure where each page was its own, separate PDF file?

Such is life in today's digital world. Fortunately, there are tools out there that can make managing real estate documents easier. We've rounded up a few of the best apps for editing, merging, reducing, and converting real estate documents into the industry standard file format--the PDF.

1. Adobe Acrobat - Let's start with the obvious choice. As the gold standard of PDF editors, Acrobat can handle pretty much any task you throw at it. The downside? It's pretty expensive. Buying the program outright costs several hundred dollars, and Adobe's monthly pay-as-you-go plan starts at $12.99 and requires an annual commitment. Not exactly gentle on the wallet--and that's exactly why we created this list. The rest of the apps highlighted in this article are free or low(er) cost. Check 'em out below!

2. PDFescape - This is a perennial favorite with agents. PDFescape is a free online tool that lets you edit, annotate, and fill out PDFs. There's also a desktop version that runs on your computer--great for when you don't have an internet connection (or it's painfully slow). For advanced features, like converting file types, there are premium versions that run $3 to $6 per month.

3. PrimoPDF - Need to convert a Word doc, PowerPoint, or Excel file to a PDF (or vice versa)? PrimoPDF is a free tool that can do the trick. You can also create PDFs and do basic editing. PrimoPDF is software that you download to your Windows computer. Don't have a Windows machine? Check out our next option.

4. Preview - If you have a Mac computer, you already have this program. And we're pleased to say that it offers a lot of handy features, too. You can merge and split PDFs, annotate, digitally sign, fill out forms, add text and shapes, and more. Preview isn't just for PDFs, either--the app can sports image editing functions like resizing, adjusting color, adding text, and beyond.

5. Smallpdf - File too big? Reduce its size with this free compression tool. Simply drag and drop a file from your computer into the online interface and it will reduce the file size for you. Smallpdf also gives you the option to import files from Google Drive and Dropbox, too. There's also extra functionalities available, like file conversion, merge/split, and document locking/unlocking. Smallpdf also has a nifty Chrome browser extension to make things even easier.

6. PDF Mergy - PDF Mergy is a one-trick pony, and that's okay. This super simple browser-based app does just one thing--merges multiple files into a single PDF. If you're looking for a quick way to combine files, PDF Mergy is for you. To make merging even quicker, check out their Chrome app.

7. Zamzar - Here's another free, one-function-only tool. But it's a tool that comes in handy for those aforementioned times when you receive documents as JPG files. Zamzar will convert a wide array of file types into just about anything you want--everything from various document types to multimedia files.

Bonus: We've talked about it before, but Google Drive is also an easy, no-cost way to convert files to PDF. To learn more, see How to Convert a Document to PDF in 3 Easy Steps.

That's just a sampling of the many PDF tools available. What are some of your favorite apps for editing PDFs? Let us know in the comments below!