MRIS to Launch First of its Kind GPS‐Based Mobile App For Real Estate Professionals
Smarter Agent Partnership Provides On‐The‐Go MLS Access to Brokers, Agents and Consumers
ROCKVILLE, MD (July 30, 2012) — Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc. (MRIS), the Mid‐Atlantic Multiple Listing Service (MLS) that facilitates more than $92 million a day in real estate transactions, has announced that it recently partnered with Smarter Agent, the global leader in mobile real estate search and discovery apps to launch the first of its kind suite of mobile solutions for real estate brokers, agents and consumers.
“It’s our goal to provide our customers with real estate in real time,” said John L. Heithaus, MRIS Chief Marketing Officer. “Providing real estate professionals with access to listing information while on‐the‐go allows us to extend their desktop as far away from home as possible.”
Today’s real estate market demands a greater degree of mobility and real time access to critical data. Consumers want immediate replies in minutes, not hours. As a result, smartphones are vital to staying efficient and productive in the real estate industry. To help meet this challenge, this first of its kind MRIS Agent Pro App, HDB Mobile, will utilize Smarter Agent’s patented location based search and discovery technology to enable MRIS’s 43,000 customers to view their MLS real estate information in a single click. To enhance customer service, the App will provide real estate professionals the ability to log in to view full listing data, search all listing statuses and eventually edit listing information right from a mobile device.
The GPS‐based MLS search technology enhances the day‐to‐day capabilities of real estate professionals. The App enables real estate pros to react swiftly in the field and easily handle inquiries and on the fly questions about properties in real time, regardless of location. Empowering agents to respond promptly will improve the customer experience in the Mid‐Atlantic region and beyond through direct access to the most reliable and accurate listing information.
“MRIS conducted extensive market research with hundreds of real estate professionals to ensure that the custom created mobile App will meet the needs of agents and brokers in the field,” said Michael Belak, MRIS Chief Information Officer. “After thoroughly evaluating a variety of mobile technology providers, MRIS selected Smarter Agent for their strong track record of developing award‐winning apps. We’re confident that this product will increase our customers’ productivity and success.”
Through this partnership, MRIS will also offer brokers and agents their own customized, branded version of the App to easily distribute to clients, with all calls, texts, and emails going directly to them. The brokerage version will be available for download from all of the major app stores including iPhone, Android and Blackberry marketplaces. In addition, consumers will be able to search all home listings with property details and photos by downloading the HDB Mobile App from HomesDatabase.com. Unlike other home search apps, the MRIS version provides consumers with the most accurate, up‐to date full listing data derived directly from the MLS.
“We’re thrilled to be chosen by MRIS, one of the most innovative MLSs in the country,” said Phillip Charles‐Pierre, Smarter Agent Senior Vice President of Marketing and Distribution. “Having access to information on a listing when you need it, where you need it is essential to gain the competitive edge in this market. We’re confident that we are creating the ultimate, highly secure field tool for real estate professionals in the Mid‐Atlantic area as well as a robust home search tool for homebuyers.”
The App will be available for the iPhone, Blackberry, Android and iPad platforms later this year.
ABOUT MRIS
Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc. (MRIS) is Real Estate in Real Time™. We’re a leading provider of real estate information technology and services, and are frequently ranked among the most productive Multiple Listing Services (MLS) in the nation, facilitating over $33 billion in system wide sales in 2011. In its core market, MRIS supports over 43,000 real estate professionals spanning the Mid‐ Atlantic region, including Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and parts of Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia. MRIS provides a portfolio of technology solutions and proprietary databases for real estate professionals, as well as broker and agent software products and an industry‐leading consumer portal, HomesDatabase.com. In addition, the CURE Solutions Group, a subsidiary of MRIS, provides proprietary back‐end technology to other MLS systems which serves nearly 150,000 customers each day. Visit MRIS at MRIS.com and our web based TV station, mrisTV.com. “Like” us on Facebook/MRISonFB, follow us on Twitter, @MRIS_REal_News and be sure to visit MRISblog.com for real time news and company updates.
ABOUT SMARTER AGENT
Smarter Agent is a mobile application pioneer that has created the first scalable mobile cascading Platform as a Service (PaaS) that enables widespread content distribution to consumers through native and HTML.5 apps. Smarter Agent powers more top downloaded app store titles in the Android, iPhone and Blackberry marketplaces than any other in the real estate vertical. This includes the #1 and #2 downloaded and rated large franchisor apps, the most highly downloaded and rated independent brokerage office app and many of the top downloaded Multiple Listing Service (MLS) apps. The integration of SMS/text messaging, QR codes and intra‐application features enhance discovery and viral distribution via social media and traditional channels. As an extension of the mobile platform, Smarter Agent also offers a flexible and highly targeted mobile advertising and local commerce network for inclusion of 3rd party ads and branding.
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