Editor’s note: The following Android app rankings are based on a search of the AppBrain.com website. The apps are ranked by popularity (number of downloads). There is no formal "real estate" category in the Android Market; these apps appear in a search of the phrase "real estate" on the site.
1. Zillow Real Estate: search for rentals, homes for sale, Make Me Move homes (where an owner puts their dream price on their home without actually putting it on the market), and recently sold homes through typing or voice entry; see homes in Google Maps’ satellite or street view, and get directions; get home-value "Zestimates" for 95 million homes; view full-screen photos; filter searches. The app launched in May 2010.
2. Realtor.com Real Estate Search: search for homes near current location or by address; filter searches by price, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, building and lot sizes, age of home, and property type; draw a search area directly on a map with a finger; see property details and photos; view open-house information; save searches and favorite listings; and see recently viewed listings.
Also, share listings with family and friends through text message, e-mail, Facebook and Twitter; save private text notes and voice memos; contact a Realtor by phone, e-mail, a website link, or an "Ask a Question" button; view a property and the area surrounding it via Google Street View; and see thumbnails of nearby listings through a home page widget without opening the app. The app launched in November 2010.
3. Real Estate by Smarter Agent: search for homes for sale, apartments for rent, and recently sold homes by city, neighborhood, school, address, ZIP code or multiple listing service number; view maps, photos, prices and other property details.
4. Real Estate 114: see apartment price trends and floor plans; conduct QR ("quick response") codes searches; use QR codes to contact a real estate agent.
5. HotPads: search for rentals, for-sale homes, vacation rental homes, and hotels nearby or by address; see detailed listings information and photos; get directions to listings; share listings through e-mail or Facebook; find contact information related to for-rent and for-sale properties.
6. Real Estate Droid: search for-sale and rental homes, foreclosures, new homes, rooms for rent and sublets; save favorites; see home valuations from Zillow; view neighborhood information; take and save your own notes and photos; use a mortgage loan calculator; check out real mortgage quotes.
7. EKey: use phone as an electronic lockbox key; obtain, track, manage and program listing keys. Only for users of Supra’s eKey software.
8. ZipRealty: search homes for sale and recently sold homes in more than 5,000 cities nationwide; sort search results by ZIP code, price, location and size; see photos and property details; get third-party home-value estimates from Eppraisal.com and Homegain; view "walkability" and transit proximity scores from Walk Score; use Google Maps and Google Street View to get up close and personal with listings.
9. Idealista: search rentals, for-sale homes, and rooms for rent in Spain, Italy and Portugal; save favorite listings; see last search; view listing details including price, size, number and size of bedrooms, and photos.
10. Re/Max Mobile: search for-sale homes in New Jersey; compare home prices; save favorites; view listing details, including price, location, school district, photos, and number of bedrooms and bathrooms. The app, developed through a partnership between Re/Max of New Jersey and Smarter Agent, launched in October 2010.
After several months of gaining market share, Google’s Android smart phone operating platform has surpassed Apple’s iPhone platform among smart phone users, according to a report released Thursday by Web research firm comScore.
Google had an average market share of 26 percent for the months of September, October and November among smart phone subscribers 13 and up — a 6.4 percentage point increase from the average for June, July and August.
By comparison, Apple’s market share budged 0.8 percentage points to 25 percent during the same period. RIM’s BlackBerry continued to hold the lead on overall market share at 33.5 percent, but also lost the most market share, down 4.1 percentage points. Microsoft’s Windows Mobile dropped from a 10.8 percent market share to a 9 percent market share, while Palm’s share fell from 4.6 percent to 3.9 percent.
Overall, smart phone use rose 10 percent during the three months ending in November compared to the three-month period ending in August, to 61.5 million people.
Google’s Android Market had 100,000 apps in October; Google has yet to confirm reports of more than 200,000 apps in December. The Apple App Store has more than 300,000 apps.
