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Better Homes And Gardens Real Estate Does App Better.

By
Real Estate Agent with Kimberly Howell Properties (210) 646-HOME

Home Screen to the Better Homes And Gardens Real Estate iPhone App.Better Homes And Gardens Real Estate builds an app for everyone.

I'm a RE/MAX agent, so it might seem surprising to hear me extol the virtues of another real estate franchise, but this is one I can't ignore.  The Better Homes And Gardens Real Estate App for iPhone is simply one of the best real estate apps out there.  Sure, there are plenty of useful ones, but nothing that personalizes the experience quite like this.

So, you're out looking at homes and you want to remember the details of each one?  As they say, "There's an app for that."

Just whip out your iPhone and click on this app and you'll be prepared to make great use of your time.  You can take snapshots of the home you're viewing, make an album out of it, rate it, take notes, categorize it, and even share the photos as you take them (to Facebook or send them as email).  So far it just sounds like a fancy photo organizer, right?

Location, location, location services.

By utilizing the iPhone's GPS-based location services, this app tags the photos based on your location and then allows you to view neighborhood data in reference to this particular home.  Check out home values (sales activity and price trends), community information (demographics, crime, housing stability, housing inventory, and work force data), school information (broken down by elementary, middle, high, adult, private, and Catholic), and find points of interest (eating and drinking, shopping, recreation, and banks).  I toyed around with my zip code and found most of the information to be excellent (sometimes sources of data for apps seem shaky at best, but not with this app).

Consumer education and resources.

The two buttons at the bottom probably weren't going to be too exciting I thought.  Just some bland basic info about remodeling and a few brief bits about some real estate education topics.  I actually found them to be a well written resource of information that consumers want to know.

Excellent.

Well done Better Homes And Gardens Real Estate.  Best part of it all, the app is absolutely free and available to anyone with an iPhone.  I'll be recommending it to all my clients to use.  Anything that helps make sense of all the data you're bombarded with while searching for a home is an excellent idea and I applaud them for creating this app.  My assumption is that the other brokers are scrambling to get similar branded apps out to the market place.  Until then, thanks Better Homes And Gardens Real Estate.

 

Comments (11)

Russell Lewis
Realty Austin, Austin Texas Real Estate - Austin, TX
Broker,CLHMS,GRI

Ok...this looks cool enough to check out and thanks!

Nov 19, 2009 08:29 AM
Craig Rutman
Helping people in transition - Cary, NC
Raleigh, Cary, Apex area Realtor

If I didn't love my Balckberry so much, I'd ditch it and get an iPhone in a heartbeat.

No one makes better, more user friendly products than Apple.

Nov 19, 2009 10:02 AM
Matt Johnson
Kirkland, WA

I agree it is a nice and smooth application. However The problem with the app is the fact that you cant search for homes which is what buyers want?2.5* rating so far.Otherwise great

Nov 19, 2009 11:15 AM
The Somers Team
The Somers Team at KW Philadelphia - Philadelphia, PA
Delivering Real Estate Happiness

Matt - That looks like a very cool app indeed !  I just switched my Blackberry to a Palm Pre so is probably not available yet there but all good : )

Nov 19, 2009 11:51 AM
Richard Weisser
Richard Weisser Realty - Newnan, GA
Richard Weisser Retired Real Estate Professional

Brother Matt...

A local agent just showed this to me yesterday ... it's awesome!

Nov 19, 2009 12:46 PM
Steve Shatsky
Dallas, TX

Hi Matt... I am all for anything that makes the homebuying experience easier... regardless of branding.  Now if I only had an iPhone I would be checking this out!

Nov 19, 2009 02:47 PM
Terje (Terry) Aaslid
Realty ONE Group - Chandler, AZ
Foreclosed homes / New Homes
Thanks for sharing with us!

Nothing beats reading Active Rain Posts with the morning coffee!
Nov 20, 2009 01:49 AM
Christianne O'Malley
Dickson Realty - Reno, NV
Exceptional Service - Delivering Results in Reno!

Pretty cool - I don't like touch technology though - it doesn't work with my acrylic nails which is why I have a Blackberry Tour.

I'd make a funny remark about your nails Matt but I'm sure I wouldn't pull it off right and I'd end up sounding lame ;-)

All I can say is I wish there was an app for that on MY phone ;-)

Nov 20, 2009 04:33 AM
Anonymous
Sherry Chris

Hi Matt,

thank you so much for your endorsement of our IPhone app! we expect all of our BHGRE agents to like our tools, but positive feedback from an agent with another brand is such a great validation...

all the best to you for a wonderful Holiday season, and a successful 2010.

Sincerely,

Sherry Chris, President and CEO, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate

Dec 09, 2009 05:35 AM
#11
Matt Stigliano
Kimberly Howell Properties (210) 646-HOME - San Antonio, TX

Sherry,

Thank you for stopping by and commenting!  It's not everyday a CEO swings by your blog.  As a RE/MAX agent I can only guess that RE/MAX International has a team of code monkeys working hard on something like this.  If they don't, they're missing out.  I actually plan on doing another post about it on my main site.  I hate to advertise another franchise and all...but I can't deny the facts, you built the best app I've seen yet (and I download every one I can find).  I am looking forward to seeing what Trulia does with Augmented Reality, but until I see that and am blown away by it (the concept is amazing), you'll remain my favorite.

I actually bumped into once...literally.  At least someone told me it was you.  It was at the Blog World Expo this year in Vegas.  You threw a great party and I thank you for that!  We had a blast that night and I met a lot of people I had been dying to meet in real life.

Enjoy your holidays and the best to you as well in 2010!

Seriously, thanks for stopping by...I wish every CEO would pay this much attention to their business.

Dec 09, 2009 12:04 PM
Deb Wilson
Crye-Leike Realtors - Clarksville, TN
Realtor - Clarksville TN

It is a great app.  As a Better Homes and Gardens Realtor, I have to say, we do have some very cool tools and a very cool CEO.  I have had the opportunity to meet Sherry Chris twice.  She is very genuine and in touch with what agents want.  Better Homes and Gardens is always working to make our jobs easier. 

Jun 15, 2011 08:01 PM