Inman

8 up-and-coming iPhone apps

The following is a list of up-and-coming real estate-related mobile applications that can be used on Apple iPhones. These are apps that have been released this year and have held a top sales rank (measured by total downloads) within the past 30 days, as reported by TopAppCharts.com.

This list includes the apps’ relevant category rankings and the apps’ main self-reported features. These rankings, which can change daily, were sampled on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2010, based on a search of the phrase "real estate" at TopAppCharts.com — there is not a "real estate" category in Apple’s App Store.

1. LoopNet Commercial Real Estate Search (No. 82 in Business), Released: Jan. 12, 2010, Free: Search for for-sale investment property or lease space through GPS; filter results by price, building and lot sizes, rental rate, and property type; see property listings and get driving directions on Google Maps.

2. Realtor.com Real Estate Search (No. 40 in Lifestyle), Released Jan. 12, 2010, Free: Search 4 million for-sale homes; draw a search area directly on a map; see property details; browse locations by what’s nearby; view open house information and add it to a calendar; save searches and favorite listings; share listings with family and friends through text message or social media; save private ratings and notes for listings of interest.

3. Property Evaluator – Real Estate Investment Calculator (No. 96 in Finance), Released: April 15, 2010, $1.99: Analyze an investment property before purchase; enter and save property information; compare financial projections for multiple properties; move slider to instantly update income, loan, and sale analyses for holding periods between zero and 30 years; take and save property photos; view property on Google Maps; calculate mortgage and rent payment schedules.

4. Real Estate Calc (No. 97 in Finance), Released: Jan. 12, 2010, $1.99: Calculate monthly mortgage payments; figure out the required income to qualify for a loan at a desired purchase price; estimate a property’s potential cash flow; find out a real estate agent’s potential commission on a property.

5. Real Estate Back Of the Envelope (No. 99 in Finance), Released June 3, 2010, $9.99: Calculate financial projections for all major property types, including office, residential, retail, industrial and hotel; customize results by investment type, including stabilized assets, new construction, and for-sale or for-rent projects; calculate cash flow, land and property values, net profit, capital requirements, and allowable loan values; e-mail results.

6. Property Flipper – Real Estate Investment Calculator (No. 108 in Finance), Released Feb. 24, 2010, $1.99: Analyze the profit potential of a flip property. This app includes all of the features for the Property Evaluator app by the same company, except holding periods are between 0 and 12 months.

7. PropertyShark Real Estate (No. 126 in Business), Released: Apr 22, 2010, Free: Search for-sale and for-lease residential and commercial listings in New York City, Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester; view open houses; plot listings on a map; see property description, photos, asking price, agent information, and distance from current location; save favorite listings; add personal notes.

8. HAR.com Houston Real Estate Search and MLS (No. 145 in Lifestyle), Released Oct. 18, 2010, Free: Search more than 50,000 homes for-sale or lease in the greater Houston area; filter searches; save searches and listings; see results in list or map mode; view listing descriptions, photos, videos and agent information; find open houses; for members, access the Houston Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service, see individual leads and listings, and see individual brokerage’s listing inventory.