RILiving launches mobile app
MLS also offers agent-branded application
By Inman News, Monday, January 25, 2010.A Southern New England multiple listing service has launched a mobile Web application for property search.
RILiving.com partnered with Smarter Agent, a mobile real estate technology company, to power the free application. RILiving.com is the official consumer-facing Web site of State-Wide Multiple Listing Service Inc., which is a subsidiary of the Rhode Island Association of Realtors. RILiving.com displays property listings from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
"There is a growing population of mobile users out there. Smarter Agent has built a real estate search that works on all cell phones across all carriers, which is exactly what we wanted to be able to offer Rhode Island homebuyers to simplify the search process," said Allen Gammons Jr., president of State-Wide MLS.
The application uses GPS to allow users to search for listings close to their current location. Users can also search by state, city, address, listing number, and zip code, and refine their search by minimum and maximum price ranges, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, distance, and type.
Users can then see homes for sale, recently sold homes, photographs of homes, and a map of nearby listings that lets them "click" on a home and go to its description. A "Call to See" button connects users to listing agents. Users can also save their favorite searches and listings.
The MLS is also offering their agents the application branded with their own name, image and colors, with the "Call to See" button linked directly to them. Until the end of February, the cost of the branded application is $29.95 per month or $325 for a full year paid in advance, plus a $50 setup fee.
Consumers can download the application or text RILIV to 87778 to receive a text message with a free download link. IPod Touch users can plug in their e-mail address at the provided URL to get a link.
The Smarter Agent application has received an average of two out of five stars from 1,146 users at app search engine uquery.com. RILiving is reportedly considering its own rating system.
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Submitted by Victor Lund on January 25, 2010 - 7:56am.
It is great to see mobile search being offered on such a wide scale by leading MLSs. Smarter Agent is an interesting selection because they offer the mobile search application on the widest number of mobile devices. There are essentially three types of mobile phones - dumb phones (no applications downloadable); Smart Phones (open application platform like iphone) and intelligent phones (phones like the motorola razor and others that require you to download applications from the carrier's app store).
It is this third area where Smarter Agent has carved out a niche. They have the most extensive number of phones supported through application downloads through carrier app stores. It will be very interesting to see adoption by agents and brokers as there is typically a revenue sharing opportunity with MLSs who participate in these types of programs - Mobile may be the next great source of non-dues revenue. At $30 per month, it represents a similar cost to MLS services around the country, which range from $20-$50 per month.
Victor Lund
Partner
WAV Group
http://waves.wavgroup.com
http://www.wavgroup.com