I recently had the opportunity to attend one of my favorite real estate events of the year; the Leading Real Estate (LeadingRE) Companies of the World Annual Conference. What makes this event different from others, in my opinion, is the level of engagement by the broker/owner or main decision maker throughout the entire conference.
It comes as no surprise that technology, mobile technology and how to harness the power of the tablet were a main focus at this year’s conference. In fact, Imprev, a leading real estate marketing and technology company, released a survey of conference attendees in which three-out-of-four selected an iPad Presentation App as the single most preferred marketing tool they would like to have.
BI Intelligence’s Future of Mobile Report forecasts tablet sales to outpace PC sales within just the next two years. This would mean there would be more than 250 million tablet users by 2014. As such, the interest in tablets and wanting the ability to use them comes as no surprise. One of the best things about the iPad, the most popular tablet, is that it is a phenomenal presentation tool that businesses are just beginning to capitalize on.
The LRE’s Luxury Portfolio division announced their new iPad Listing Presentation and Coach REALTORS® of Long Island, New York, debuted their new custom iPad Listing Presentation at the conference as well. In addition to using the iPad as a listing presentation tool, it also presents a great opportunity to capture search traffic.
By catering specifically to the iPad/tablet user via the Web, you can create a unique experience that allows clients and prospects to utilize the features of their device to get the same information in a different way. We saw a strategy like this used by MTV, who crafted a new site specifically for iPad users just to watch videos. The corresponding example in real estate would be having an iPad site specifically designed for users to search for properties. Allowing them to use maps, GPS and swiping imagery will further engage them with your brand on their device.
If you’re interested in learning more about how you can create a custom search experience for tablet users, send your questions to TabletIDX@mobilecardcast.com or visit MTV.com from your tablet device to see the unique tablet experience they have created.
Seth Kaplan is president of Mobile Real Estate.
For more information, visit www.mobilerealestateid.com.
