Real Estate: There’s An App for That
Searching for the perfect home just got a whole lot easier. With more than 200,000 different applications, Apple’s iPhone features an application specifically designed to showcase the real estate available through Realtor.com. Released in January 2010, the Realtor.com Real Estate Search iPhone application now encompasses Area Scout capabilities, which uses GPS technologies to locate homes, as well as search criteria that include waterfront, garage and multistory properties.
The application was named one of four great iPhone apps by Money Magazine and has reached one million downloads in the five months since its release. According to Steve Berkowitz, chief executive officer of Move, Inc., operator of Realtor.com, more than 7.5 million homes are viewed through the application each month.
This is a great tool for both buyers and sellers. It provides an easy way to take a look at homes for sale and compare the features of different listings: location, cost, square footage, major roadways, et cetera. It’s a convenient alternative to sifting through pages on the Internet and offers a quick view of the properties before buyers dive into the nitty gritty — actually visiting the homes and negotiating prices. The app can come in handy for real estate agents, too. Should an agent find a home through the application that fits his or her client’s needs, the agent can quickly notify the client. It’s also useful in connecting potential buyers with sellers.
— Kaitlin MacRae
