Property search goes mobile in emerging markets

The app, Lamudi: Property for Sale/Rent, hosts more than 400,000 property listings from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, giving international house hunters a free mobile platform to buy, rent or sell real estate on the go.

The launch of Lamudi's Android app follows the successful roll out of the company's iOS app in four countries last week. The iOS app is currently available in Pakistan, Mexico, Colombia and Morocco, with more countries from the Lamudi network to be added soon.

The Lamudi apps are designed to meet the growing demand for mobile internet services in the emerging markets. The recent State of the Internet report highlighted the pace of growth for mobile in these regions. In Africa and Asia, for example, mobile now accounts for more than a third of all internet usage.

Android remains the dominant mobile platform worldwide, according to recent figures from Statcounter. More than 52% of smartphones are now running Google's operating system. Apple's iOS is the world's second most common platform, capturing 23% of the global smartphone market.

The first app of its kind

Sacha Poignonnec, co-CEO of Africa Internet Holding, Lamudi's founder, commented on the launch: "The Lamudi app is the first app of its kind in the world, due to the vast outreach of the app to 28 different emerging markets around the world, 17 of which are in Africa. This is a huge step for Lamudi in bringing the global real estate market into the pockets of millions of new users, who will now have access to the world's largest online real estate platform on the move. Lamudi is revolutionising the way that users are searching for their ideal home, and will continue to underline its dominance as the market leader in Africa and the world."

Both the Android and iOS apps have customised search functions, allowing users to easily filter results by country. A key feature of the app is the match alert function, which notifies users as soon as a property that suits their needs hits the market. Users can also create a list of favourites to bookmark properties, which can be accessed at any time and on any device.

All listings feature high quality photo galleries, detailed property information, maps, and multiple contact details for property owners or agents. Now house hunters can also share their favourite properties with family and friends via Facebook, Twitter or email.