Realtor.com announced today that it has a new app for people with Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 devices.
The apps are designed to highlight photos of homes and give users of Microsoft’s operating systems the ability to browse listings on the real estate search service. Realtor.com, which is owned by Move, Inc., used Microsoft’s new universal app feature so people who download the free app from the Windows Phone store will get it on their Windows 8 device, or vice versa.
The move means that Realtor.com has mobile app coverage on platforms that Zillow supports, which will be key for catching up to the Seattle online real estate company’s commanding grip on the real estate search market. Zillow reported that 79 million users visited its site on mobile and desktop in April.
Mobile represents an increasingly important chunk of Zillow’s audience, with the company reporting during April 460 million homes were viewed on mobile devices.
Speaking of new apps, Redfin separately announced today a redesigned iPhone app, one which allows users to share home listings via Facebook messenger and filter listings and book home tours from within the app.
“When people are searching for their dream home, they want to be instantly notified when a home matching their desired criteria hits the market, to easily share details about that home with family and friends and to quickly schedule a tour of that home at a time that works for them,” said Andy Taylor, director of product at Redfin. “This redesign enables 
Redfin app customers to do all of that from the palm of their hand, giving them a leg up on other homebuyers out there who are competing for the same houses.”
Redfin, for its part, does not yet have a Windows Phone app.
The apps are just another salvo in an ongoing campaign as the homebuying season picks up.
Earlier this month, Realtor.com unveiled a new pair of ads that highlighted the service’s accuracy in an attempt to draw users away from its competition. In addition, Move sued over Zillow’s hire of former Move exec Errol Samuelson, alleging breach of contract and theft of trade secrets.
The Realtor.com app is available for free for Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8, as is the Redfin app.
