I’ve recently been looking for something to create for Android, something that would be a challenge and not your usual pointless (iBeer/Flashlight yawn…) application. Being a fan of the Rightmove application for the iPhone (which sadly isn’t available for us Android users) I decided to see if it would be possible to create a version for Android, and it is!
I have (so far) created a total of 11 classes, ranging from displaying a user interface to classes which represent an estate agent branch. A main part of the application which the user will never see are the XML handler classes. These 3 objects parse the XML from Rightmove using the SAXParserFactory (Simple API for XML) object, If you’ve ever used this you will know its not the best way to parse XML (in my opinion) but never mind it works. These 3 objects deal with location lookups, property search results and property details and pass information back to other classes dealing with the user interface.
The user interface is quite simple at this stage, I’ve focused on getting the application to work before making it look pretty. The location lookup facility is fully functioning and will return a list of regions from Rightmove which could match that the user is searching for. The next step is to retrieve the properties for this region and display them to the user. At this stage there are no filters like those appear in the iPhone version but this can be added later.
The last step is when the user selects a property to view, this will create a new view that will be similar to that on the iPhone version. As you will see below it still needs a lot of work.
UPDATE: Please see here
Tags: Android, iphone app, Java, rightmove, xml
Hello!! Is this still under development? I have been looking everywhere for such an app. Please email me at dri***@hotmail.com
Still under development, I have been in touch with rightmove to get permission to release to everyone, still waiting for them to get back in touch.
Stay tuned.
Fantastic. Please notify me if you get a breakthrough or would like beta testing. TY
I’ve got an HTC Desire on order and have just managed to get the pennies together for a semi-decent deposit. All the lads in the office with iPhones are chatting about how great the Rightmove app is so I’d be very interested in this!
Best of luck getting the nod from Rightmove, fingers crossed it comes in time for when I get my Desire and have started actually looking for houses. If you can, please let me know how things progress.
Good luck with the development!
-Lewis
Look forward to seeing this become available – please let us know as things move forward with it!
Thanks, Ali.
The Rightmove App for the iPhone is one of the few things I envy about that phone.
I really hope you are able to get this app released as I think there is huge demand for it.
Please let me know whey this is live!
Cheers, Craig.
Unfortunately Rightmove cannot endorse the Android version of Rightmove or allow their data to be used. Therefore I have no choice but to abandon this project
Maybe with more interest, Rightmove may change their decision in the future.
Sorry guys.
Thats terrible news.
You would have thought they would be pro anything that would advertise their site.
Maybe they signed and exclusive deal with Apple – might explain why it was heavily advertised on the TV.
I really hope they come to their senses and allow this app. As someone that is house hunting this app would have been ideal.
Very sorry to hear that.
balls to em – you should just publish it and call it wrongmove!
Is the old app still floating around out there before it got removed?
Ah dang it. And just in time for my Desire to arrive yesterday.
What a shame.
Thanks anyway!
That’s a real shame as I too was looking forward to this app. Hopefully rightmove are developing their own version, otherwise they are just being a bunch of gits.
This just shows why Rightmove are number one, and why every estate agent and letting agent needs to be with them. There brand is massive and introducing extras like this just shows how creative marketing can forward your company. Shame though for all the agencies as its not cheap to be on property portals and property portals also seem to be killing the private seller as its not possible for private sellers to use rightmove (good news for agents though).
Would you like to help me build an android app for the estate agents I work for. cant pay you but it might be fun…
yeah great shame – a very popular app missing out on great opportunity.
RightMove is a bit past it, imo. Everyone these days is using Globrix (http://www.globrix.com), and I’m pretty keen on their mobile version http://mobile.globrix.com.
I’ve got a bookmark to the site on my homescreen, which to me works as well as a dedicated app. If you could add the better search options and user login (for saved searches etc) from the main site, I’d put it on my phone.
[...] in development from what I understand. Sky Sports – pretty sure this is available Rightmove – this guy was making it, but Rightmove blocked him from using their data.. Speculation that they could have some kinda deal with Apple, but more likely scenario IMO is that [...]
Damon
There may still be a way to produce a solution that doesn’t involve Rightmove, but requires more effort and a bit of business acumen (after all, clearly the demand is there).
I own a local information website and was looking to distribute an android app that notified users via their phone of new properties on the market. I spoke with some local estate agents and they were really keen. The advantage is that estate agents reach a local market (or reach those that are looking to move to the area) directly without the use of a property portal.
The problem is that the estate agent site would need to push the property details to the app perhaps via an intermediate website. This requires either integration with the estate agent website or a standalone utility that estate agents use alongside the content management system for their website. Estate agents would be prepared to pay for either the integration work or for the standalone app. I was hoping to use my town as a free testbed and then look to expanding to other areas if succesful.
After all, smart phones have the potential to take over from the internet in some areas, portal sites is an obvious choice, when technology means that estate agents can reach their target audience directly without the use of third party portals. And if Rightmove are slow off the mark.