Voice input search is coming to online search, and by extension, to real estate search.
Remember the Yellow Pages mantra, “Let your fingers do the walking” ? Well, consumers will let their voices do the walking with voice enabled search. Rather than typing into the Google or Yahoo box, folks searching for a home, or anything else, will just ask what they’re looking for.
Google was recently granted a patent for its Google Voice Search.
This technology is working its way to you via mobile devices like your cellphone, iPhone and Blackberry. What’s great is the mobile devices use GPS to give map based results . So, imagine you can drive a neighborhood, speak a property search and get the results on a map, with links to the home listings. (Heck, you can then drive by the house, point your iPhone at the bar coded For Sale sign to get more information on the home (and contact info) and then call the agent to see the home.)
The following applications accept voice input and return Web results:
Microsoft’s TellMe (video demo link)
Yahoo’s OneSearch (Press Release April 2008)
Sprint’s V-Enable (Press Release April 2008) (Check out the Mobile411 video here.)
By adopting this technology, a real estate website will set itself apart from the competition. Imagine the clout of Realtor.com and the local MLS with this application for consumers?
See you in the future.
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