More property hunters using smartphones to search for homes

More property hunters using smartphones to search for homes for sale

• Realestate.co.nz mobile app hits 70,000 downloads as usage soars
• iPad most popular device for viewing property while mobile

Auckland, 12 April 2012 – With high demand for homes for sale and a growing shortage of new listings, property hunters in New Zealand are increasingly turning to theirmobile smartphones to access information to keep ahead of the pack in the search for their dream home.

Statistics on the searchhabits of Kiwi property hunters were revealed this week by Realestate.co.nz, showing that around one in five (22%) of all views of listings on the realestate.co.nz web site were made through a mobile device, either on the site’s web platform, or through the Realestate.co.nz mobile app.

Alistair Helm, CEO of Realestate.co.nz says that this is a massive increase in usage when compared to one year ago, when mobile listing views accounted for just 8% of traffic.

“The key fact to bear in mind when it comes to mobile users is that, by-and-large, they are more likely to be seriously active propertyseekers. Property hunters clearly recognise the real value of having real-time, geo-located data in the palm of their hand,” says Helm.

“In March 2012, more than 85,000 visitors opened up the Realestate app to discover property for rent and for sale right around them, letting them keep up with the freshest listings and making better house hunting decisions whilst out-and-about.”

Helm says the app reached a significant milestone this week when it had its 70,000th download to a smartphone since launching just over a year ago. It is now averaging about 1,200 downloads aweek and hit another record this week, with over 500 downloads in a single day.

“The app is clearly NZ’s favourite real estate search app, and is an incredibly engaging way for people to search for property. Mobile is not a ‘lean back experience’ as the web can be, with super-glossy wide screen images. The mobile is about information, pure and simple,” says Helm.

Helm also says the average mobile user of the app views 37 pages per visit as compared to just 11 on the web site, which shows a very high their level of engagement for the mobile platform.

Other findings showed that the most popular mobile device through which to view property was the iPad – representing nearly half of all mobile usage.

The iPhone represented 40% of all mobile users Android coming in third with 14% of all mobile users. Helm says that while the iPhone app has been around longer, the version on the Android platform is fast catching up ground, with a six-fold increase in usage in the past year.

Helm also says the data shows mobile usage for property searching is not restricted to just the main cities and large towns.

“In an average month, every single listing we have in the database with an address is viewed at least once. That shows the mobile app is used right around the country as the smart way to discover property for sale or rent wherever you are, from Kaitaia to the Bluff.”

For more information about the free Realestate.co.nz app on iPohne and Android, visit www.realestate.co.nz/apps

About Realestate.co.nz
Realestate.co.nz is the official website of the New Zealand real estate industry, and provides the most comprehensive selection of licensed real estate listings across all categories of real estate. Realestate.co.nz lists more than 130,000 properties each year, representing more than 95 per cent of all listings currently marketed by real estate professionals.

ENDS

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