Less than two months after its debut, Zillow has rolled out a new version of its iPhone application to take full advantage of the Apple smart phone’s updated operating system.
Zillow says that since its April 29 introduction (see story), the iPhone app has been downloaded more than 402,000 times. Responding to feedback from consumers, Zillow has added features such as the ability to search by price, bedrooms and bathrooms, and listing type.
Version two of Zillow’s iPhone app also allows users to save searches and favorite homes. Apple’s update of the smart phone’s operating system, iPhone OS 3.0, also allows for "push notification" of users when new homes come on the market in areas where they’ve saved searches — even when the application is not in use.
Search capabilities in the new version of the Zillow iPhone App also work on the iPod touch updated with iPhone OS 3.0.
In addition to providing access to much of the information on Zillow.com, the app is capable of tracking users as they move through a neighborhood and displaying nearby homes for sale and recently sold homes on a map. The software application can deliver property "Zestimates" (estimated valuations) on nearly 90 million homes.
Custom-built software applications for the iPhone and other Internet-capable "smart phones" are becoming increasingly popular in the real estate industry (see story).
Trulia rolled out an iPhone app last year that was updated in February. The app doesn’t provide property valuations, but can find and display nearby open houses on a map with the time remaining for viewing.
The California Association of Realtors offers members an iPhone app that serves up local market statistics, loan information, and nearby educational and professional certification programs (see story).
***
What’s your opinion? Leave your comments below or send a letter to the editor.
