Apple’s long-awaited smart watch, Apple Watch, officially hits the streets today, and many familiar real estate tech leaders have apps ready ready to go that will empower their software with the immediacy and digital intimacy the device offers consumers and real estate pros alike.
Android’s smart watch, Android Wear, has been out for roughly 10 months; given Apple’s history, an estimate that the device could be the firm’s most profitable product yet and an admiring in-depth review by The New York Times, the age of the smart watch might be upon us.
Consumers will now be able to glance at their wrist to see details about homes or rentals on the market near them using Apple Watch apps from portals Zillow and Trulia, tech-focused brokerages Redfin and Estately, rental site Zumper and real estate mobile app developer Homesnap.
Many of the features touted by the real estate app developers above are geared toward the proto-cyborg buyers and sellers who will be using the device, but as the tool takes hold in real estate — and the culture at large — it has the potential to revolutionize the industry.
Apple Watch wearers can choose to receive notifications with a buzz on their wrist, so agents sporting the device will be able to discreetly and immediately assess the leads coming in from portals, their website or another source without interrupting their workflow or client meeting.
If it’s a hot lead, they can make a quick call and further slash response time, an important factor in closing an online lead. If it doesn’t require immediate attention, they can continue their workflow uninterrupted and deal with it later as needed, making their days more efficient.
Homesnap already has announced some features tailored to real estate pros.
For example, agents using its app, Homesnap Pro for the Apple Watch, can view agent-only data, including showing instructions, compensation data and listing agent contact information. The app is also integrated with the Homesnap Safety Timer, the app’s safety feature.
The subtle and massive ways in which Apple Watch could change real estate and daily life will emerge as everyone — developers, consumers and real estate pros — settle in with the new device.