It's Monday here in Denver and I've been catching up on real estate news and cleaning out my inbox after being away for a week.  While reading my Google Reader to catch up on the latest news around Denver and in the real estate industry, I came across an announcement I didn't expect but have been greatly anticipating.

I tend to be in the techie side of real estate trends and many home buyers may not immediately realize what all this means and what a huge evolution this is starting in the real estate industry.  Let's use a scenario to look at the history of real estate information.  I want to buy a home or real estate in the Highland.  Back in the old days (at least for me), consumers could only get information on homes for sale by looking in the paper, driving around, or working with an agent who would do their best to present what they thought their clients wanted.  Then, information became available on the Internet allowing people to search for homes by zip code or city, freeing them to look for homes one their time and schedule.  This was an improvement but a zip code can still encompass a large area.  So if I'm looking to be in walking distance of a mixed use urban node, I'm still going to get a lot of listings away from my desired location.  Our company has been proud to offer map-based searching for the past several months, allowing people a more visual experience, that let's them focus around an area and shows them clickable icons to get more information on homes nearby.  This is still a great tool but you're still tied to your computer. 

Now, you can be mobile and independent and can find what's on the market in any area you're located in.  There are a couple technologies that bring this new platform together.  The iPhone has a GPS embedded in it.  Also, when Realtors enter homes in the MLS, these listings are sent out to various sites to maximize exposure, Trulia being a very well known one.  Trulia displays listings on Google Maps which makes for an easy presentation of available homes in an area.  The iPhone and Trulia application combine these features and users can now have the Trulia application show them homes on their iPhone based on where they're currently located, and even according to a search criteria, like 2 bedrooms under $300,000.  Consumers can now access property in the palm of their hand and know where to look in an area they want to be in! 

While the Trulia tool makes the listing agent information available to contact for more information, remember to keep us in mind as your Real Estate Market Connection! We did have a video to include but Trulia is hosting it on Flickr and their blog only accepts YouTube (note to admin, fix this).  

If you use this tool and have any stories to share, please leave a comment and I hope you enjoy!