If there is any type of site that screams for a mobile edition, it is real-estate. Why print out all of those search results when you can have them on your mobile phone or in your Dash GPS car navigation device? Today, real-estate search site Trulia rolled out mobile versions of the iPhone and the Dash. (There are also new mobile versions for the Blackberry, Sony Ericsson, Nokia, and other phones).
The iPhone app is decent, although limited in the same way that Trulia proper is (more photos, please). And it doesn’t let you click through to the original broker’s site (where you can usually find more photos). I’m more excited about the Dash version. Although it is even more limited in its features (no pictures), it is more practical. When you are on a house hunt, typing in all of those addresses can slow you down. Being able to search on the Dash for nearby homes for sale cuts out a few steps, and automatically routes you to unfamiliar neighborhoods. (Now, how about letting me put in multiple destinations in one search?)
Another useful feature Trulia added today to its regular homepage is feeds. This is generated automatically based on your recent activity, and keeps you up to date on new listings and average price changes. It acts like a prospective search every time you come back to Trulia. Now, why isn’t this built into the iPhone app?
(Although competitor Zillow does not have an iPhone app yet (such a shame), you can try out iZillow, a bare-bones Zestimate finder for any given address which has been customized for the iPhone browser.)
