This one is a very exciting release for us! This is truly a testament to the power of the HTML5 standard and our commitment as a technology company to promote it. The story of how MyRealPage has come about to produce the iPhone/Android application is interesting in itself but it probably deserves a separate blog post. Here, I would like to introduce this new slick member of our product family.MyRealPage's iPhone and Android application was built as a direct result of leveraging one of the most exciting new capabilities of HTML5 spec: geolocation awareness of the browser. In fact, the stimulus for this application came in large part from the Google I/O 2009 conference. This is as new on iPhone as the 3.0 version of the iPhone OS. We have chosen to deliver the smart phone experience via a web application instead of the native app due to a number of reasons, but most importantly, the web application will allow us to update and change this product very easily and keep it closely in sync with the demands of our client base (native applications would require constant installation updates. Compare that to the decision Google made to make many of their applications available through the web on iPhone). It is also reasonable to expect that the web application experience will continue to improve rapidly on these mobile devices.
It's easy to access your mobile application. If you are customer of MyRealPage, all you need to do is go to: "
http://[your-domain.com]/m" (you can also use the "Mobile Inquiry" form at the bottom of your Search form screen to send yourself the URL directly to the phone). If you are not a customer, become one!! :) (All you need is a Listings-only subscription: you don't even need to get the whole website, if you decide to leave your current site where it is). You can read the full list of features of this application at MyRealPage Listing Search hits iPhone and Android on MyRealPage company website.
Among the most notable things are:
- Native GPS-based geolocation
- The application will automatically search nearby listings within up to 1km radius
- It will continue to search nearby listings as you "pan" the map
- It can "follow" you as you walk or drive and automatically update the search results
- It provides full VOW access, signup and contact capabilities
- It provides full Listing details, including all the photos
- You can make a phone call or send an SMS message directly from the contact forms
- And more...
I would also like to highlight a few less evident things.
This mobile application will also work on your desktop or laptop computer. It will work even better if you are on a Wi-Fi. It will try to geolocate your browser, even though it doesn't have a GPS. I highly recommend using Chrome or the new Safari; Firefox will also work quite well (note that Internet Explorer is not supported; did I just say that?! :) I also highly recommend installing Google Gears. Now let's see how this application can extend beyond the smartphone. Considering that even if the application "guesses" your location wrong, you can always enter it manually through "Set Location" dialog; you can "position" yourself anywhere at all! This means that you can use your iPod Touch, or your net-top, web-top (or what-not-top) just as effectively. Sitting in a cafe on a Wi-Fi would be just fine.
This is a very new space for MyRealPage. We are going to fine tune and refine this application even though we went to launch with several times more features in it than originally planned. We hope you and your customers will find this application useful and fun!
UPDATE: Check out the FAQ on iPhone/Android listing searches here: FAQ: MyRealPage iPhone and Android mobile listing application
7 comments:
Ahhh, man! Nice. And me without a flippin' iPhone.
One more reason to get one, Norm! :) I got my 3G when it first came out through Fido. Now Fido wants to fleece me for 3GS... I tried this app on a 3GS at the nearby Futureshop: it's definitely snappier than on my 3G.
BTW, if you use Google apps a lot: gmail, google talk, etc: I would also recommend looking into HTC Magic (the Android phone). It's pretty sweet: got one from the Google I/O conference.
Meanwhile, try this app on your laptop! :)
I've been using Blackberry since the earliest models so when I upgraded in December I went with a Bold. I like it a lot, but some days I wish I had the application functionality of the iPhone. I have three mac notebooks in my operation so the iPhone would probably make some sense for us.
This is a very sweet looking bit of software Bill. I'm simply blown away by this, and other recent MRP upgrades. They're coming so fast and furiously, I'm thinking that I will probably get a "garage" field on my search form at some point. :) Seriously, I really appreciate the effort that your development team is putting into this product. I think it's world class. Certainly the best I've seen in Canada.
One more question Bill. Will the app work anywhere there's a MRP database of listings? In other words, if I travel from Saskatoon to Vancouver will I be able to see Vancouver listings on my phone?
Thanks Norm! Regarding the "garages", I can tell you that there is something in the works that should take care of that and other similar customizations (unfortunately I don't have a definite ETA on this yet).
As far as the mobile app: our "rules of engagement" with the Real Estate Boards mean that it will only work within the realtor's account which means that in each case it's constrained to one market. However, if you know a realtor in Vancouver who is with MyRealPage, you can use their mobile access to search listings in Vancouver (we have lots of realtors in Vancouver :)
Bill,
Good news on the pending plans. I'm completely impressed by the pace and the quality of the the upgrades. Great work.
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