RealtyKast, based in Irvine, California, is busy building the first GPS-enabled Multiple Listing Service for realtors, initially launching in New England. Teaming up with the Multiple Listing Service Property Information Network, RealtyKast Clutch Agent software is at the heart of the operation. Compatible with select Blackberry smartphones on the AT&T network, Clutch Agent uses the GPS location of the smartphone to dynamically update real estate listings closest to your location. You don’t need to fiddle with web browsers or input any information manually; the entire process is automatic.
The New England rollout will provide approximately 30, 000 real estate agents with 60, 000 home listings and with no more than a couple of clicks, realtors will be able to access photos, details, and even turn-by-turn mapped directions to a selected home location. Because information resides in real-time, agents will always have up-to-the-minute details regarding new listings, closed sales, and even pending sales, enabling efficiency RealtyKast claims has never been possible before.
Home listings don’t have to be limited by GPS location though; realtors can also take into account their client’s needs by searching for a specific home by Multiple Listing Service number or by details like the number of rooms or square footage needed. Clutch Agent provides real-time cost comparisons as well, and a huge nationwide database of business listings encompassing everything from ATM’s to the nearest McDonald’s.
I guess the real question is whether real-time real estate information gives realtors and home buyers alike enough of an advantage to beat a flagging market. It’s definitely going to be tough over the next months for location-based real estate services and applications, but on the upside the market will weed out the real players from those with lesser offerings.
IRVINE, Calif. –(Business Wire)– Oct 16, 2008 Realtykast, an industry-leading provider of mobile technology for real estate professionals, today announced it has partnered with MLS Property Information Network to launch the nation’s first GPS-enabled mobile MLS service. The initial program rollout will support more than 30,000 real estate agents in the New England area.
Realtykast’s flagship product, Clutch AgentTM, is a feature-rich, user-friendly program that resides on the deck of any smartphone and keeps it updated with the MLS listings that are closest to an exact location. Clutch Agent differs greatly from the “old school” wireless services that are offered by MLS providers today, because its speed, practical functionality and ease of use will compel agents to use Clutch Agent on a daily basis, even if they are not showing homes.
Clutch Agent also provides a nationwide business directory. With the use of GPS technology, agents can browse for the closest businesses in a particular category or simply type a specific name, e.g., McDonald’s, into the business directory. The smartphone not only displays all McDonald’s near the user, it also supplies step-by-step directions with just a few clicks, enabling the equivalent of yellowpages.com, 411connect and Mapquest to be enabled in one product.
According to Paolo DeNarda, senior business development manager at Research In Motion (RIM), “MLS search capabilities, like those offered by Realtykast, increase the value of the Blackberry solution by allowing customers to better respond to their customers’ needs.” DeNarda continued, “Better responsiveness will save everyone time and keep their clients engaged.”
The key differentiator is Realtykast’s patent-pending use of compression and GPS technology. Clutch Agent efficiently transfers data to the handheld device where it resides in real-time. With a few clicks, agents can display home details plus show photos. When the agent changes location, Clutch Agent automatically displays available homes in the new location eliminating typing, daily syncs, and launching websites.
“Clutch Agent is the first mobile MLS service to provide true point-and-click speed and ease,” stated Lavance Northington, Realtykast CEO. “In the time it takes to type in an address on one of the existing wireless MLS products, an agent using Clutch Agent will have already identified a home, looked at the property detail and obtained step-by-step directions to the home from the point where one is standing. Compared to old browser based applications, it’s like replacing a Model T car with a Lamborghini.”
MLS Property Information Network is the largest MLS in New England and one of the top 10 in the nation. MLS PIN provides service to more than 30,000 real estate professionals throughout New England with a comprehensive database of nearly 60,000 active listings.
For further information on how to replace the “old school” wireless MLS services with this revolutionary mobile MLS service, access http://www.realtykast.com or contact Lavance Northington at 866-430-8626.
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