Google’s Android and Mobile Real Estate
Google just released the SDK for its new mobile phone platform, Android. Here’s a short video that demonstrates some of the features:
Still looks a little rough around the edges – the UI feels a little unpolished; but this thing definitely looks promising for real estate technology developers. I especially liked the integration with Google Maps and StreetView. One could envision a mobile real estate search tool that could pull up listings, display them on a map and give you a virtual preview of the neighborhood, and then give you instant directions on how to get there.
One thing’s for sure, with the iPhone SDK coming in February as well, the next frontier for Real Estate 2.0 is surely going to be mobile.
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TitleRep | Nov 12, 2007 | Reply
Looks pretty cool to me… and a lot faster than my iPhone!
andrew | Nov 12, 2007 | Reply
Innovation in real estate is so behind and it will always be lame because MLS hinders innovation. I don’t see real estate going mobile because there is only so much you can do within the rules of MLS.
At this point in time, maps are of no use when looking at listings because the process is painful. You need to have an acct with one of the search sites to look at the address.
Again, MLS is hindering innovation. If this G system was that great they wouldn’t need to have a $10m contest for developers. Developer hack for the love not the money.
Real Estate Blogger | Nov 12, 2007 | Reply
Goodbye iPhone… Hello GooglePhone!
Actually, I’ll be most excited about what comes even next. That’s where the technology actually goes mainstream with a huge reach.
Vinny LaBarbera | Nov 12, 2007 | Reply
Google is seriously amazing. This is one of those things that only comes along every 10 years or so that revolutionizes technology. I don’t know how they continue to do it, well I guess billions of dollars and hundreds of the smartest engineers in the world doesn’t hurt, but you can bet that I will be playing around with the new phone the second it comes out. You can also bet that I will be writing about it all over http://www.RealEstateMarketingBlog.org
Impatiently waiting…
john | Nov 12, 2007 | Reply
now it looks like iphone ,, is there a gtable too ? google is not a search company anymore .. its becomes the new microsoft ..
Reggie | Nov 12, 2007 | Reply
Got to love GOOGLE, this is a phone I can get behind! Android just make sense…open source rules!
Hojin Chang | Nov 13, 2007 | Reply
Looks like Google is taking over everything. Sure wish this open platform allows the EKEY people to add the ability to open a lock box with the Iphone so I can ditch my Treo.
Dave Platter | Nov 15, 2007 | Reply
Dave from the REA Group here. We’ve been experimenting with mobile for a few years now and it has never taken off. I believe the iPHone and Android will change that, and that it will happen almost overnight. Marissa Mayer over at Google told GigaOm that the launch of the iPhone doubled the mobile use of Google Maps overnight. We can expect similar exponential growth in mobile real estate, IMHO.
LivePads.com | Nov 16, 2007 | Reply
Looks very cool and I guess the features could be endless. I can imagine an agent walking out of a showing with a client and having asking their client to take a look at their Android powered phone. If the client knows they want to view homes in the neighborhood they are in, an agent simply pulls up their exact location (via GPS) on the phone. Next their location is overlayed with heat map of pricing to give the client a sense of prices in the neighborhood. Click another button and it shows all homes for sale on the map, click on a house for sale and you get driving directions to the house. Click on the house and you get detailed home information as well as pictures, YouTube videos, a Google Fly-by via Google Earth. Click another button that brings up sex offenders locations on a map via a national database (Megan’s Law). Click another button that brings up Census data for the neighborhood, and click another button that shows the avg car insurance price for the neighborhood. The amout of information in the app will be priceless. This would be future mobile real estate. Possible Android real estate app on the way?
Incredible Agent | Nov 17, 2007 | Reply
Looks like it’s time to get to work on cool apps. I can’t wait to see what everyone else comes up with.
Real Estate Postcard Guy | Nov 18, 2007 | Reply
If there’s on thing I would tell Goggle, it would be to take a hint from Apple and get a better interface design. As much as I love Goggle their weakens as alway lied in their interface design. The better the interface design the quicker the chances of adoption.
Kansas City | Nov 29, 2007 | Reply
Google is amazing and cutting edge. I wonder where does it stop for Google? Pretty soon I’m going to be driving a Google SUV and shopping for my clothes at the The Google Guy store.
Puluwai | May 2, 2008 | Reply
Our company is developing mobile real estate search for iPhone (native) and Android. We have applications in beta testing now, and hope to release to consumers as soon as possible.
Bill Skrypnyk | Jun 29, 2009 | Reply
MyRealPage has just released an android supported mobile search (as well as iphone, version 3.0 of the OS). It’s a fully geo-location aware search that locates and can “follow” the user as they walk or drive. MyRealPage provides hosting for websites and listing solutions so access to the application happens through one of our customers. This application fully leverages the HTML5 standard that has been implemented in the lastest “Cupcake” build for Android.
More details on MyRealPage company blog.