National real estate brokerage ZipRealty has updated its mobile application for Apple’s iPhone platform, the company announced today.
A new feature, StreetSketch, allows users to use the the tip of their finger to trace out a search area of any size or shape on a map. The app then returns all for-sale homes within the highlighted area.
Real estate search and marketing company Trulia recently launched a similar polygon tool that allows users to specify custom map boundaries. Move Inc.’s Realtor.com app uses a similar tool, dubbed Area Highlighter, and Seattle-based brokerage firm John L. Scott has a tool for user-defined searches called Neighborhood Wizard.
Other updates to the ZipRealty app include the ability to easily retrieve forgotten login information. The company also noted changes in the layout of the app: Facebook Connect, which allows users to log in to the app using their Facebook username and password, is now on a separate tab, for example.
The brokerage also has apps for Apple’s iPad device and Google’s Android platform.
ZipRealty’s apps are free. The brokerage’s iPhone and iPad apps received more than 4.3 million page views combined last month, ZipRealty said.
