The reason the race to get to the Android market is hot is because Android use and purchase is increasing at a breakneck speed with Android being the number one most sold smartphone in the U.S. today, according to The Nielsen Company. Of special note is ComScore’s data released today of mobile phone use just in 2010 alone proving an astonishing pace of Android growth while others decline:
We got our hands on the app before launch. Our findings:
AgentGenius was given access to the Android app, as the entire leadership team here is proudly using HTC Evos. There are a lot of cool things this app can do, and when launched, it knows via GPS your exact location (great for being in the field). Our favorite feature is being able to “draw” with your finger an area you want to search in and even refine, so I wanted to search a nearby neighborhood but not be shown the tiny starter condos, so I outlined it and told it to only show me three bedroom homes over $200k and voila!
When signed in, users can take notes on the listings they like and save favorites and can even take notes without typing by simply speaking their notes (which we think is a really neat feature), making home searching in the car simple. Without even signing in, it remembers the last properties users have viewed in detailed form and keeps a running list which is helpful because not all users will opt in to registration. The only major flaw we can find (and keep in mind that we’re running a pre-launch version) is that no matter how many pictures a listing has, the app only shows the first four which we anticipate will be repaired, but if not, it will certainly be damaging to the listing.
The app is super fast, doesn’t seem to be resource heavy (a common complaint of apps for EVOs which can notoriously have their batteries drained by certain apps), and the user interface is super clean and intuitive and Realtor.com claims to have the most listings of any search site and maintains they have the most accurate data, both of which are being demanded by consumers, therefore it’s ultimately a benefit to Realtors.
“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 the President of Realtor.com (who advertises on AG), 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.”
