CAMPBELL, CA - Millions of Android mobile phone users can now have one-touch access to the largest and freshest online collection of properties available for sale or rent in the United States on Realtor.com, the #1 homes for sale web site. Launched today by Move, Inc. (Nasdaq: MOVE), the leader in online real estate, the new Realtor.com® Real Estate Search Android application empowers home buyers with faster, easier, and more organized on-the-go search as they look for the ideal home in today's competitive real estate market.
The feature-rich Realtor.com Real Estate Search Android app delivers all of the highly popular search features offered by the Realtor.com iPhone app, the #1 most downloaded real estate search app(1), while adding several new features Android users will enjoy. Added features include a widget that continually surfaces and displays nearby properties on the Android's landing screen, voice entry capabilities to save notes, and Google Street View capabilities that give users a pictorial view of the immediate area surrounding a home before investing precious time.
As a result, Android users can find and get fresh and reliable details immediately on a property or open house within one to 20 miles of their location, locate the property using the GPS feature, look at it via Google Street Views, instantly connect with an agent to schedule a tour, dictate and save notes as they tour the home, and alert family or friends about the property with the one-touch call or email features.
The free Realtor.com Real Estate Search Android app is compatible with Android OS 2.1 or higher, and can be downloaded at http://www.realtor.com/mobile or by going to a consumer information page on Realtor.com at www.realtor.com/mobile/android.
"The Realtor.com Android app builds on the success and power our iPhone app gave millions of consumers this past year as they searched for homes," said Steve Berkowitz, chief executive officer of Move, Inc. "By expanding mobile access to Realtor.com, Move now gives Android users the competitive edge our 15-minute listing update program provides in a manner that fits their mobile lifestyle. Because Realtor.com listings are kept current on details including property status or price changes, buyers are better positioned to negotiate with greater clarity and confidence. Having access to fresh and reliable information while you're out searching for property is vital in today's fast-changing real estate market. Move is pleased to provide this advantage to our Realtor.com mobile users."
Unique to the Realtor.com Android real estate search experience, this newest search app empowers users to continually view the closest homes for sale on Realtor.com based on their current location. By engaging the Realtor.com Android widget, users immediately view the closest property for sale from their Android landing screen without launching the application, and then view other nearby properties by clicking the scroll buttons at the bottom of the widget. As a result, users can effortlessly perform instant nearby searches when picking up children from school, while at a job location, or in a favorite part of town to gain a quick snapshot of available properties.
Android users interested in a more comprehensive search simply tap the Realtor.com Android icon for instant delivery to the app's homepage where they can then search for nearby homes for sale, open houses or rentals using filters ranging from price and location to upcoming open houses or age of home. Results can be displayed in a list, map or satellite view, and listings of interest or search criteria can be saved to a user's Realtor.com account for later access from their Android, iPhone or desktop.
Android users viewing search results in the map view can quickly locate nearby properties and open houses with the built in GPS technology, and refine searches in real time by panning or scrolling the map with their finger, or by using the Draw Area button to trace their own personalized search shape on the map. Results appear as location pins that can quickly display property address, price, and number of bedrooms and baths so house hunters can instantly assess if a property meets their needs. Location pins displaying a 'check mark' indicate the user has previously viewed a property, and is intended to help save time and energy during the search process.
Getting a closer look when time is short is easy by clicking the Street Views button, available on each Listing Detail Page or from the map view Search Results Page. If a property looks interesting, the one-tap call capability quickly connects potential buyers with the listing agent for additional details or to arrange a tour. If time is short, buyers touch the "Ask a Question" button to instantly send an email to the listing agent. Once inside or at the home, house hunters can use the app's hands-free voice entry technology to record notes as fast as they can talk, or they can enter notes using the Android keyboard.
To assist house hunters and agents as they work together, Realtor.com has again included a comprehensive suite of contact features so buyers and agents can easily connect and remain synchronized throughout the search process. Each Listing Detail Page includes one-touch features to ask questions, call or email an agent, request details, or visit their web site, as well as to share listings with family, friends or an agent via email that includes an area for notes.
"Today's buyers and listing agents know the importance of connecting with each other, and that communicating promptly at every stage of the search process is a critical aspect of successful property search," said Realtor.com President, Errol Samuelson. "By ensuring Move's mobile real estate search apps quickly surface fresh and reliable listing information accompanied by multiple contact mechanisms, we believe buyers and agents will experience a more successful partnership in today's competitive real estate market."
According to The Nielsen Company, the Android smart phone is reported as the #1 most sold smart phone in the United States today. To date, the Realtor.com Real Estate Search iPhone app has been downloaded 2.1 million times, making it the most downloaded real estate search application.
Move, Inc. (Nasdaq: MOVE) is the leader in online real estate with 12.7(2) million monthly visitors to its online network of web sites. Move, Inc. operates: Move.com, a leading destination for information on new homes and rental listings, moving, home and garden and home finance; Realtor.com(R), the official web site of the National Association of Realtors(R); Moving.com; SeniorHousingNet; Top Producer Systems, and ListHub. Move, Inc. is based in Campbell, California.
Realtor.com®, where the world shops for real estate online, is operated by Move, Inc., (NASDAQ: MOVE) and is the official web site of the National Association of Realtors®. Ranked as the #1 homes-for-sale site, Realtor.com® currently offers potential home buyers access to over four million property listings, as well as the most brokers and agents. It also provides Realtors® and the home sellers they represent with the Internet's largest real estate marketplace, reaching more than 11.1(2)million consumers in August 2010. Agents and companies have the power to customize Realtor.com® resources to maximize their brand and productivity.
Source: MOVE, INC.