Denver Home Value Realty Announces Mobile Phone Home MLS – IDX Search

Denver, Colorado, March 28, 2010

Ron Goodman, Owner/Broker of Denver Home Value Realty LLC in Denver Colorado, today announced the availability of a mobile phone compatible MLS / IDX home search on the brokerage’s real estate consumer website at www.DenverHomeValue.com.

Denver Home Value Realty’s consumer clients, and its agents, can now use any mobile phone with a compatible Internet browser to access the new mobile device home search service. Touch screen devices are highly recommended for maximum flexibility and ease of use. Fully supported phones and web browsers include: iPhone, Android based phones, BlackBerry touch screen phones, and most Windows Mobile 4.0 and later phones with modern mobile internet browsers. Many other non-touch screen phones and devices, like most BlackBerrys, will also work with the new service, although ease of use may not be quite as good as with touch screen devices.

How it Works

Unlike many other mobile device centric websites, there is no need for users to go to a different website or url to access the mobile phone home search service. Since the service uses only normal Internet browser functionality, there is also no need for any other special applications on the mobile phone. When a user accesses the main Denver Home Value real estate website from any mobile phone browser, it will automatically recognize the device type and take the user to a special mobile device MLS / IDX welcome page. From that page, the user would confirm they are using a mobile device by clicking through to the mobile device MLS / IDX home search form.

For all mobile phone pages and forms, the website will automatically adjust font sizes and screen layouts for maximum readability on that user’s device. The mobile device displays are optimized for portrait orientation, and for 260 pixel to 320 pixel screen widths, but will work equally well in wider landscape mode, if the user prefers.

At the mobile phone MLS / IDX home search form, the user may select from the most common home search criteria, including property type, property sub-type, price range, minimum and maximum beds and baths, and minimum lot size. For city, county, zip code, and Denver MetroList MLS area name, multiple selections are also allowed via drop-down selection lists. Alternatively, users may search for one or more specific MLS numbers, if those are known, such as may occur when the user is in front of a specific property and wants more information about that particular home.  This can be very handy on the road, as many homes may still have the listing agent’s “For Sale” sign in the yard, but are already under contract with another buyer.

For more advanced home searches, the user should use a PC and the brokerage’s main website, where many more search criteria are provided. More advanced criteria may be added to the mobile phone search as future user demands may dictate. Top priority for future enhancement is a specific address search, which should be available shortly.

For consumers who are not already working with another real estate agent, and who register on the website with valid name(s), email address and phone number, full property details are also available on the mobile phone by clicking on or touching any property photo in the summary search results. This includes access to all available photos provided by the listing agent and office, a basic Google map of the property’s location, and a mortgage loan calculator. Registered users can also save specific properties in their personal “Favorites” list, and review and manage their “Favorites” from the mobile phone.

MetroList Compliance

Compliance with Denver MetroList IDX display rules was a key factor in the product planning process. With the required compliance components designed into the mobile phone IDX service from the beginning, it passed the stringent MetroList IDX Compliance review process on its very first submission, with no changes being required.

Some of the Technologies

The Denver Home Value Realty brokerage website, including its mobile phone home search, is based on the Joomla 1.5 Open Source CMS, with IDX hosting services by Ultimate IDX. For more technical information about how the mobile phone home search was designed and integrated into the main website, including example screen shots of the service, see: this post. For technical specifications of other open source components and products integrated with the main Denver Home Value Realty Joomla website, see: this post. For other real estate brokers and agents who would like to have similar capabilities on their own websites, see the: Denver Real Estate Sites custom website design and construction services offerings, also offered and supported by Ron Goodman.

About the Developer and Author

In addition to over 7 years in real estate sales, Ron Goodman has over 35 years experience in the IT industry, including website and software design, programming, data center operations, consulting and project management positions, primarily in the Banking, Financial, Construction, Automotive and Real Estate industries. He is currently sole Owner and Managing Broker of Denver Home Value Realty LLC, a real estate brokerage licensed in Colorado, established in March, 2009, and affiliated with Metro Brokers, Inc. He also owns and operates DenverRealEstateSites.com, offering advanced real estate website consulting, design, construction and internet marketing support services for real estate brokerages and agents nationwide. His clients include agents and brokerages in Colorado, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, Washington DC, Chicago, Seattle, California, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, and Canada.

Contact Information

For more information, email Ron using the contact form, or call:

Ron Goodman, Owner/Broker
Denver Home Value Realty LLC
9409 S Prairie View Dr
Highlands Ranch, CO  80126
Direct: 303-600-8500
Toll Free: 800-381-8014