Smarter Agent's APTS FOR RENT, a GPS Cell Phone Search Application Powered by NAVTEQ, Takes the Chore Out of Apartment Hunting
biz.yahoo.com
Tuesday January 9, 10:00 am ET
Mobile Apartment Search Tool to Debut at Consumer Electronics
Show (CES) in NAVTEQ Exhibit January 8-11, 2007 (Booth #36226)
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- (CES) -- Smarter Agent, an operator and source for patented GPS real estate searches, and NAVTEQ (NYSE: NVT), a leading global provider of digital maps for vehicle navigation and location-based solutions, announced today the launch and demonstration of the APTS FOR RENT application at CES in the NAVTEQ Booth # 36226. APTS FOR RENT by Smarter Agent is a mobile phone application that instantly returns information about apartments for rent in proximity to the device. This information includes rental price, address, apartment features, and photos of the property. The application will make its commercial debut on a major wireless carrier after CES in late January.
Consumers nationwide can now access apartment rental ads using mobile phones equipped with global positioning system (GPS) technology. Powered by NAVTEQ® map data, users can select 'Map It,' allowing the user to see his or her current location and all of the apartments for rent in that area on an interactive map. The user can also search by city and state to research multiple areas of interest, save properties to their phone, or call the listed number for more information or to schedule an appointment. This application eases the apartment searching process and gives consumers direct access to rentals adjacent to their targeted location. Consumers may download APTS FOR RENT just as they would a ring tone or game, and get a robust experience tailored specifically to mobile users.
"More people will search for real estate from mobile devices than from a desktop in the near term. Additionally, the rental market in the United States is flourishing with approximately 35 million households that rent, including 12 million households looking to rent this year," commented Brad Blumberg, CEO, Smarter Agent. "We've worked to deliver an optimal tool for that extensive pool of consumers to conveniently access rental information, and in turn, provided an unprecedented access point for property owners to advertise to consumers."
"Smarter Agent's APTS FOR RENT is a great example of how consumers can connect to information about the world around them," commented Winston Guillory, Senior Vice President -- Consumer & Business Sales, NAVTEQ. "The convenience that this application affords consumers is highly attributable to the location information and technology that it is built upon. Users have access not only to rental information, but more uniquely to rental information within a specific geographic area. NAVTEQ is committed to promoting the LBS space, and we are excited to see development in both consumer demand for location-relevant information, as well as the response from developers, such as Smarter Agent, to consumers' needs." |
