Edina, Minn. – Aug. 8, 2013 – After launching updated free property search applications for iPad, iPhone and Android users in the last several months, Edina Realty reports mobile app visits are up over 200 percent from last year. Every month, Edina Realty’s mobile apps receive an average of 330,000 visits, and now represent nearly 20 percent of all website visits. Mobile traffic overall, which includes traffic to m.edinarealty.com and traffic to www.edinarealty.com from all mobile devices as well as the apps, comprises about 31 percent of all traffic to the companies’ combined digital assets.*
“We saw where mobile Internet usage was going, and we made a commitment to our agents and customers to provide the best mobile property search tools in the market,” said Bob Peltier, president and CEO of Edina Realty Home Services. “The increase we’ve seen in usage not only shows that more customers are using the technology, it illustrates that there’s an increased appetite for real estate in the marketplace,” Peltier added.
Peltier cited additional statistics to underscore that point. Every month, Edina Realty’s website, mobile site and mobile apps receive an average of 1,685,000 visits, an increase of 46 percent from last year. Registered users are growing at the rate of nearly 4,000 a month, a 66 percent increase over last year.
Property inquiries are up 26 percent; however, potential buyers continue to be frustrated by the low inventory of homes for sale, which is down 17.2 percent from last year.
“While visits are up, the inventory of homes for sale continues to be an issue,” Peltier said. “Homes in desirable neighborhoods that are priced right can sell within days, and often receive multiple offers. So my advice to buyers is: when you see a home you like, don’t delay.”
People who put their homes on the market in the Twin Cities in the last few months benefitted from the low inventory and buyer demand; the median sales price soared up 17.5 percent over last year. At $210,000, the median sales price is the highest it’s been since December 2007, according to the Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS®. Plus, these sellers sold their homes in just 74 days on average, which is down 34.5 percent from last June.
Edina Realty's mobile apps enable iPad, iPhone and Android phone users to point their device in any direction when they’re on the go and find homes for sale. A GPS locator enables users to find homes near them in real-time using Home Scan, Edina Realty’s augmented reality tool that pulls in listing information to the device’s live camera feed. An intuitive map search lets users search homes for sale by city, zip, MLS number, or even the style of home. It also pulls in information on homes that have recently sold.
Mobile app users can also find open houses and get driving directions to check out the listings in person. They can then save their favorite properties for sale and either visit them later in the app or via their MyEdinaRealty account on edinarealty.com. Sharing favorite homes for sale with friends and family via email or social networks is also easily done from the apps.
Edina Realty REALTORS® each have their own branded mobile app and can invite clients to download their mobile app and connect with them. This enables agents to build stronger relationships with their clients, who can communicate and request property showings from within the app.
To download the free new mobile property search app, visit http://app.edinarealty.com/ or search for Edina Realty in the Apple iTunes store or the Google Play store.
For more information on Edina Realty, its mobile apps or the current state of the housing market, contact Edina Realty Customer Care at 952-928-5563 or visit www.edinarealty.com.
Edina Realty, a subsidiary of HomeServices of America, is one of the nation's largest real estate companies with approximately 55 real estate offices and 2,100 REALTORS® throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Edina Realty's family of companies includes Edina Realty, Edina Realty Title, and Edina Realty Mortgage. Edina Realty handled more than 32,660 transactions and $6.9 billion in sales volume in 2012. For more information, visit www.edinarealty.com, m.edinarealty-stage.com, or find us on Facebook: facebook.com/EdinaRealty; and Twitter: twitter.com/Edina_Realty.
*Source: Google Analytics. Data prepared on 7/29/2013.
