The following is a list of the top 16 free real estate-related iPhone apps — as reported by TopAppCharts.com — along with their rankings in their relevant category and some of the apps’ most salient, self-reported features. These rankings were sampled on Monday, May 3, 2010 — TopAppCharts’ rankings can change daily.
1. Realtor.com (No. 17 in Lifestyle section): Search for-sale homes, see property details, view open house information, save searches and listings, share listings with family and friends, and save private ratings and notes for listings of interest. (See related story.)
2. Zillow Real Estate (No. 25 in Lifestyle section): Search for-sale, for-rent and recently sold properties; see estimated home valuations; filter search by monthly payment, price, number of bedrooms and number of bathrooms; share listings through e-mail, Facebook and Twitter; save searches and receive e-mail notifications when new properties match saved search criteria. (See related story.)
3. NearBuy Real Estate Search (No. 44 in Business): Search location-based classified listings of for-sale and for-rent houses, condominiums and apartments; view map-based results; see photos; and take virtual tours.
4. Redfin Real Estate (No. 49 in Lifestyle): Search GPS-enabled and MLS-powered listings; view property details and photos; take photos and save notes for promising listings. Search is available only for select major metropolitan areas. (See related story.)
5. For Sale For Rent Foreclosure Real Estate (No. 61 in Navigation): See up to 25 nearby homes for-rent, for-sale and in foreclosure; link to a home’s website for property details; view photos; and map listings.
6. StreetEasy Real Estate (No. 92 in Business): Search for-sale and for-rent properties in New York City, Northern New Jersey and the East End of Long Island; search for nearby listings and for listings in any building by name or address; and see property information, including descriptions, photos, market data, and listings in the same building. (See related story.)
7. Trulia Real Estate Search (No. 109 in Lifestyle): Search nearby for-sale homes in one touch; see nearby open houses; view detailed property price histories; save searches; and look up driving directions using Google Maps.
8. Homes.com Real Estate Search (No. 110 in Lifestyle): Customize for-sale and for-rent property search; filter search by MLS number, price, property types and features; view interactive maps; bookmark favorite properties; obtain driving directions; and share properties with people you know.
9. ZipRealty Real Estate (No. 142 in Lifestyle): Use augmented reality Home Scan feature to view for-sale or recently sold property details such as asking or sold price, photos, and distance from you; filter and save searches; see home-value estimates. This app is available in 36 major markets in 22 states and the nation’s capital. (See related story.) …CONTINUED
10. Puluwai Real Estate (No. 168 in Finance): Search results by location; see results in list-view, map-view or photo gallery; automatically save searches; save favorite properties; filter searches.
11. NY Times Real Estate (No. 178 in Lifestyle): Search properties and open houses worldwide by location, keyword and multiple listing service number; see photos and floor plans; read current articles from the New York Times Real Estate section; refine searches by price reductions or for-sale-by-owner listings; calculate monthly mortgage payments; save searches, favorite listings, own photos and notes; get e-mail notifications of new listings; contact real estate agents with one touch.
12. AgentFirst Real Estate (No. 206 in Business): Search First American Title’s property information database, including parcel/tract information and property sale information; and order tax information, recorded documents, sales comparables and property profiles. This app requires the user to have an active AgentFirst account.
13. Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Home Selection Assistant (No. 208 in Lifestyle): Track and organize your photos by location; see comparative home values, school information, demographics and nearby amenities; create photo albums of favorite properties and rooms; share photos on Facebook or through e-mail; and read real estate-related articles at bhgrealestate.com. (See related story.)
14. Coldwell Banker Real Estate Search (No. 288 in Lifestyle): Search for-sale and recently sold homes in the U.S. and more than 25 other countries; save searches and favorite properties; get new listings notifications on your app icon; and contact an agent in one touch. (See related story.)
15. Real Estate Hunter (No. 248 in Finance): Keep track of your search of for-sale or for-rent listings by entering property information such as housing type, price, address, size, property tax and maintenance fees; automatically calculate mortgage and monthly costs; compare asking and offer prices; add your own photos and contacts; rate each property; store additional information in custom fields; and e-mail a CSV file of your data to open in Excel and other programs.
This app supports information for up to three properties; an additional fee allows users to enter information for an unlimited number of properties.
16. Real Estate Resource Directory (No. 252 in Business): This app links real estate investors to resources such as comparable sales tools, demographics information, calculators, property valuation software, lead-generation websites, and referrals to contractors and real estate professionals.
TopAppCharts.com has tracked iPhone application rankings since Aug. 1, 2009. The site allows users to search for rankings by keyword or iTunes App Store category. There is no "real estate" category, and the apps related to a keyword search for "real estate" are variously classified under "business," "lifestyle," "finance" or "navigation."
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