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Apartments.com adds iPhone app to boost awareness

Rental resource provider Apartments.com has launched a new iPhone and iPod touch application to complement its online services and claim some territory in the coveted iPhone demographic.

The application allows users to search for apartments locally and nationally, delivering instant access to apartment information via location-based searches. The application boasts the same walk through videos, photos, floorplans and integrated mapping as Apartments.com, putting relevant information in the hand of the consumer.

"The most significant need our app satisfies is the consumer need to find the necessary information for their apartment search while not tethered to their PC," said Tim Grace, senior product manager at Apartments.com, Chicago, IL.

"Anyone who is or has been a renter has experienced a time where they walked or drove around a neighborhood searching for "For Rent" signs in an attempt to find a new rental home," he said.

"The Apartments.com iPhone App brings efficiency to this process, allowing you to use GPS to locate apartments from where you are walking or driving and get all the key information (such as price, maps, photos & videos, floorplans, etc.) you need to choose the right apartment for you."

Apartments.com has been active in the mobile world since 2008, providing access to all of its listings on every Web-enabled phone.

The company claims that this application is an extension of Apartments.com's existing mobile strategy in hopes of changing the way people shop for apartments.

The application a comprehensive database of millions of apartments nationwide, GPS equipped for on-the-go renters.

Users have the option to search by their current location or type in a city or zip code to look at apartments across the country.

The application also features walkthrough video tours, professional photography and detailed floorplans.

"Our target is less about a specific demographic and more about a life stage: we serve anyone seeking a new apartment or rental home across the U.S.," Mr. Grace said. "In the case of our iPhone app, we're reaching out to the segment of this audience that's looking to their mobile device as a key tool in the rental search process.

"By delivering what we believe to be the most robust yet easy to use mobile rental search experience via our app, we hope to satisfy both existing Apartments.com users and renters who haven't yet discovered us," he said.

The Apartments.com application also leverages iPhone capabilities using integrated mapping by Google Maps.

The application can save search information along with the proper phone and email contact information for interested buyers.

Finally, users can customize their searches based on number of bedrooms, bathrooms, rent, pet policies and parking.

The Apartments.com application is now available for free in the Apple App Store and the mobile site can be accessed by either typing www.apartments.com in your mobile phone browser or by going to m.apts.com.

"The mobile marketplace is a fast moving one to be sure," Mr. Grace said. "We certainly plan to keep a very close eye on developments with native apps on other platforms such as Android and WebOS as we learn from our foray into the iPhone native app space.

"In addition, we'll be looking for more opportunities to meaningfully connect our mobile web, SMS and iPhone App channels to deliver a more tightly connected and rewarding experience for our users," he said.