Every once in a while, something comes along that can completely change/improve/evolve how things get done. In the world of real estate, the Realtor.com application just might be that big of a deal.
Right now, this application is only available for the iPhone. I would guess that the folks over at realtor.com are working on versions for other devices, but for now, only the iPhone community will be able to use this amazing tool.
The bottom line is that this application identified the basics of what it needs to do and they focused on doing those things right.
Realtor.com App Front Page
Once you have downloaded and installed the application, give that cute little icon a tap and you will be greeted by the screen shown above. From here you can get to all the useful features. Lets get down and dirty with what this application has to offer.
Check out the local homes for sale.
Nearby Homes For Sale Screen
You can check out just homes within a range you define or you can enter a completely different part of the country. By far, the most useful mode for finding properties is to simply let it detect your location, then give it a range and let the search engine go to town. Note that once the results come back, you can check them out in list mode, map mode or satellite mode.
The data you get is every bit as complete as you get from the realtor.com website. In fact, I would make the case that the interface, information and format is even better than what you get from their website. However, if you are using the website, the application lets you use the same account for both the website and the application. This way, your favorites and searches all get linked to the same place. A huge time saver when you are looking through lots of available properties and trying to filter out the ones that just do not interest you.
Once you drill down to the details of the property, you have a variety of options that make the tool even more useful. First, there is a notes area that allows you to make specific comments about a property listed for sale. Maybe you want to note why it is not for you or what features made it most attractive. This is great information to keep. Once you select an agent to work with, that is exactly the kind of information they can use to only show you homes that meet your needs. The property detail screen will also give you the ability to map the property or get directions to it from where you are right now. You can also save the property to your favorites if you decide it just might be for you.
Map view of found properties
The listing information page will also give you all the photos and details that you would expect from the full web interface at realtor.com. There is really only one bit of information that is missing in the iPhone app that is available on the website. That is local school information. I would hope that in a future version, they include the same school rating information in the iPhone application that they do on the website. For now, this is a small shortcoming in a tool that gets everything else right when it comes to finding properties.
Frankly, buyers, sellers and investors should all be making use of this part of the application. The use for buyers and investors should be clear. However, we are still in a buyers market and sellers need to be aware of what buyers are seeing in this competitive market. A seller should check in with this application every week or so and see what is up with the competition – you can bet that is what the buyers are doing. By being aware of what is up for sale in the area around your home for sale, you will be better able to adapt to the local market so that you can be the one that ends up getting sold. The best part is that this tool puts this information in the palm of your hands with little or no effort. It is as simply as standing in your living room and hitting the button to find nearby homes for sale!
View a list of nearby open houses.
This will give you a list of homes with scheduled upcoming open houses. Just a tip on this one, don’t just look at the list and head on over. The list will show you all upcoming open houses, not just ones going on today or this weekend. I have already had one buyer head on over to a house that showed up on the open house list only to discover that the open house was a week away. This a great feature, but it is just crying out for a “Today Only” button to let buyers easily find properties while they are out on a Saturday or Sunday trying to get a feel for what is on the market in a given area.
The Bottom Line
This has simply become the most powerful tool in the arsenal of anyone who wants to be able to easily access information on homes that are listed for sale in the Multiple Listing Service. While there are a ton of tools out there, realtor.com is THE source for information on homes in the MLS. All the other tools out there may have some of the homes for sale information, but for the most part, they can only have a part of what is listed by realtor.com.
As a Real Estate Broker and Investor myself, this has revolutionized how I search for properties.
