This blog is designed to fill two roles first is an informative role where I will give my perspective on tools, services, and issues that are facing the Real Estate profession. The second role is where I ask for feedback and input from the community. This post fills the second role so I would appreciate active feedback or if you don’t feel comfortable sharing your comments with the public please email me.
Background:
This time last year the big push was to make sure our members had access to MLS data via their cell phones. Most of the reasoning seemed to center around the fact that REALTORS needed access to listing data at all times and so we selected a vendor implemented the solution and now it is a year later and I am asking myself how effective or useful is mobile access to MLS data.
Over the past couple of months I have taken an inventory of myself and others and what they use their cell phones for and when they access listing data with their cell phone. I found that most people use their cell phone to make calls (surprise) and answer emails on the go but very few REALTORS and Brokers that I spoke with stated they actually used their cell phone to access listing data. Those who did said they did so very occasionally with no one saying they regularly accessed listing data using cell phones. For the purposes of this informal survey I classified regular as 1 or more times a week.
For most they had done it once found the technology great but not particularly useful. Ease of use was the major issue the data display was limited and therefore the utility of the system was reduced. Additionally I think a large part of this has to do with the fact that when people use cell phones they are typically on the go, which does not lend itself well to doing a search and sorting through listing data especially on a tiny screen.
But is it necessary?!?
Lets say you are at a party and someone asks you about listings in the local market. Sure you could pull out your cell phone login to the mobile MLS service but what then scroll through a limited display of data. Isn’t it more relevant and compelling to get an email address and send the lead a prepared report of properties in the area? Perhaps with the new iPhone and other full featured browser phones this could be a better process but is it really that useful?
So from your perspective what does mobile access to MLS data offer? I suppose you could find new properties after doing a brokers tour, the party questions could be useful. But is access to MLS data from a cell phone critical to REALTORS today?
Mark Flavin
Mobile access to MLS data (if a simple, fast UI is in place) is of enormous help when showing properties to buyers.
Often, before or after a showing, a buyer will ask about another house that we drive by. Unless I’m familiar with the listing, I would have to tell them I’d get them the information later, or pull out my computer, connect, log into the mls, etc.
Given that the above scenario could potentially be the main utility of mls use on a mobile phone, I’d love a UI where this occurred:
1. Go to bookmarked login page, login.
2. Short list of search fields immediately appear such as street name, listing agent name, mls #.
3. Search results page loads with only the basic details (probably 5-6 fields)
4. Listing details appear with limited details (perhaps 15-20 fields)
September 23, 2007
I got rid of my cell phone data plan because I didn’t feel I used it enough to make use of the $40/month charge. When I did have it the MLS access was wonderful for real estate tours because I’d often tour with clients and they’d ask about a home on the market that we passed or even a house on the same block. It’s helpful and probably far more necessary in today’s market with so many homes on the market than it was when I used it in early 2005.
[…] dashboard and found a new incoming link from the BloodhoundBlog recognizing my post last night on Mobile Access to MLS data as being worthy of nomination for an Odysseus medal. Looking at the quality of the blogs that my […]
Scott the solution that you described sounds similar to the one that we currently provide.
The search is very narrow and the results are much the same. It works great if you have one or two listings but the problem is that the screen real estate is so limited it severely limits the utility of the solution when you are dealing with larger numbers.
Does your MLS currently provide a mobile solution and if so is it like how you described?
Josh thanks for the feedback what if any changes to the system you used would have made it more useful for your needs.
We had a free (and not very usable) mobile solution, and then it disappeared for a while with a system upgrade. I believe there is a new (more costly) solution now, but I haven’t tested it yet as I wasn’t overly impressed with the previous implementation.
September 25, 2007
Well, the trend for mobile devices is definitely towards a more web integrated solution. We are seeing more and more of a convergence between phone/smartphone/pocketpc/umpc/subnotebook.
At least the way it’s looking right now, within 2-3 years you might be seeing more or less integrated all in one pocketable devices. A lot of sites also provide mobile optimized browsing and some new devices can do without it (think Nokia E90, Tytn II, etc).
Anyway, what I am getting to, is that a mobile solution might not just be a feature/option but rather a must-have in a few years….
P.S. Data plans should also get a lot cheaper with time…..That’s what controlled monopolies…err cell phone companies do.
[…] number. We’re talking a comparison of many millions versus tens of thousands of hits. Mark Flavin’s question of whether cell phone access is necessary has a conflicting two part answer: 1) wireless usage on our system has more than tripled in one […]
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
Leave a comment
8 Comments