REALTOR.ca mobile application

OTTAWA, April 26 /CNW/ - With today's release of the REALTOR.ca app for Blackberry®, the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) now has apps for three of the most popular smartphones. REALTOR.ca is the most visited real estate website in Canada, listing on average some 350,000 properties at any time.

"Consumers today use their smartphones in many ways, and this free application provides Blackberry users all the features and functionality of theREALTOR.ca website" said CREA President Gary Morse. REALTORS® across Canada are proud to be providing this service to house hunters."

The free REALTOR.ca app is provided at no cost to consumers by Canada's 100,000 REALTORS® and more than 100 real estate Boards and Associations.

The app provides users with the features and functionality of REALTOR.ca and takes full advantage of Blackberry device features, such as:

• Using the handheld's GPS technology:
  • Properties Near Me - get up-to-date property information, photos and driving directions;
  • New Listings Near Me - recent listings in the area you're visiting;
  • Open Houses Near Me - find open houses near your present location;
• My Agent - Contact either your agent(s), or the listing agent for more information about a specific property;
• Property Search - Search for houses and properties across Canada, and connect with REALTORS® to view, buy or sell a property;
• Personalized settings allowing the user to set default language, unit of measure, how properties are displayed, and search radius for "Near Me" searches;
• Interactive BING mapping is embedded to allow focus on specific neighbourhoods;
• Scheduled Open Houses can be added to the device's calendar.

"When considering one of life's biggest financial transactions, easily accessible, detailed information about homes and neighbourhoods, as well as access to REALTORS®, helps people make well-informed decisions" stated Morse.

With the addition of the Blackberry app, REALTOR.ca is now available for three of the most popular handheld device operating systems, as versions for the Apple iPhone and the Windows Phone 7®were released last fall. An Android app will be released during the summer of 2011.

CREA is one of Canada's largest single-industry trade associations, representing more than 100,000 REALTORS® working through more than 100 real estate Boards and Associations. CREA owns and operates the REALTOR.ca website, Canada's most visited real estate resource for property buyers and sellers.