Monday, December 20, 2010

StreetView on Android

We have now added StreetView functionality to the Android app. This has been somewhat lacking function on the Android application, and many users have requested this feature.
We have also added additional mapping functions to the Rental Details page, with Satellite imagery to make apartment hunting on the Android easier.

This coincides with the new Google Maps update released on the Android platform to support 3D mapping, and enhanced caching support that was lacking behind the iPhone Google Maps application/control. Unfortunately the 3D mapping is not available yet in Canada yet, looking forward to the new update.

Any comments or suggestions and feedback are welcome of course!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Rent Compass iphone app new release

A new release of the RentCompass iPhone app has been released. It took a bit long this time to approve the app, but it was finally released. The new release includes minor bug fixes and tweaks as well as optimizations.
Unfortunately this time around, the update process is not as easy as before, you will need to delete the old app and install a new one due to migration issues.

If you don't have the app, and looking for apartments for rent in Toronto or other Canadian cities, give the Rent Compass iPhone app a go, to find rentals with your iPhone, it is definitely a much improved experience for those who have a busy daily life to search with their computers.
And if you have other mobile phones/devices, find rental apartments on the go with the other Rent Compass apps/solutions on mobile devices.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Android app update

Based on popular demand, we have added support for legacy Android devices. The RentCompass Android app now supports Android 1.5 and 1.6 devices as well as 2.0+ devices.

Legacy devices are a bit of a problem on the Android platform, however, we were able to downgrade some of the functionality of the RentCompass Android app without sacrificing performance or functionality.

Since Android 1.5 and 1.6 still make up 25% of Android devices in Canada, we decided to support these users then upgrade to a later target OS when the the legacy device market penetration becomes less in the future.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Apartment rentals iPhone app

A new version of the iPhone app has been released.
The list view has been revamped to allow for unlimited scrolling, so looking for other rentals does not require zooming in the map view anymore, which was a little confusing for some of our users.
Looking for apartment rentals on the iPhone has never been easier.
We have also added enhanced social media integration with Facebook and Twitter, share rental apartments and house that you like with your friends.
In addition, we added few minor enhancements and bug fixes. Have feedback or suggestions? let us know.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Landlord Rescue

Just came across a great site that is definitely a great tool for landlords. Landlord Rescue, Many great tips for landlords and tenants. Definitely worth visiting.

New updates to iPhone and iPad app

A new update was just released to the iPhone/iPod and iPad applications. The mobile iOS apps now have Facebook support. Say you like a house/apartment for rent and would like to share it with your friends from your iPhone, you can now do that with a single click instead of having to use twitter from the browser. Sharing and finding apartments for rent has never been easier!

There was also few fixes related to improving the reliability of connection when the internet connection is not steady.

Feedback and suggestions are welcome both here and the main feedback form.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Canadian Apartment Investment Conference

Yesterday was quite eventful at the Canadian Apartment Investment Conference. We have met quite few interesting people, CEOs, presidents of major property management companies all across Canada as well as many respected figures in the real estate market. The reception was definitely great for our products and we heard rave reviews all across the board from both existing and non-existing customers. In fact at the end of the conference we heard people shouting from across the room, "Who is from RentCompass?" and came across the room to ask us what we offer. Certainly the buzz generated was not to be taken lightly.
It was quite obvious that Landlords love having services at the caliber offered by us that also includes free rental listing and without spending too much effort on it.
We would like to thank all who have given us the thumbs up, and especially our existing customers with their great vote of confidence. We hope to continue to provide excellent service to everyone, and revolutionize the rental industry in Canada.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

BlogTO likes RentCompass

Erin Bury from BlogTO wrote a review about new ways to search for apartments in Toronto, and she likes a couple of services including RentCompass.

In her review, she liked the comprehensive Google Maps integration on RentCompass and she also liked the resources section.

She also mentioned that RentCompass is the only rental site she has seen with a full suite of free mobile applications.

Check out the full review here

Monday, August 30, 2010

Ashton Kutcher gives Padmapper a boost

Celebrity endorsements have always been great for commercial brands. Ashton Kutcher, is no stranger to giving great endorsements, after all Twitter was given a big boost with his 1 million follower campaign.

Early last week, Kutcher tweeted the following:
"@aplusk Looking for an apartment check out http://padmapper.com and tell me what u think"


With his huge following, of over 5 and a half million followers, a tweeting and re-tweeting frenzy ensued, that lasted days after, everyone was talking about Padmapper.

In fact Padmapper was flooded with so many new visitors that the servers went down despite Padmapper's fairly reliable service.

Later on, we learned that Padmapper did not have much to do with this tweet, so it was an impromptu by Kutcher. Regardless, this certainly had the rental industry buzzing, and for an indie site that does not have a huge financial backing it will certainly give them a major boost, at least in financial terms.

If anything, this little 81 characters of a tweet was much powerful than a TV commercial, generated a lot of buzz than a newspaper article because the echo of the message lasted for days, unlike commercials that people watch them for few seconds and mostly forget about them.

Whether this event is a major game changer in the rental industry, and whether it will last longer than the few days it did is yet to be seen, but we will certainly keep an eye on the situation south of the border.

Friday, August 20, 2010

iphone app update

A new version of our application has been just released. Few fixes and updates were made:
- Improved connection handling, when the application is left dormant in iOS4
- Fixed connection error issues when internet connection goes down.
- Improved multitasking support on iOS4

Feel free to download the latest version of the app and have fun apartment hunting on the go, on your favorite apartment rental iphone app!

Friday, August 6, 2010

Apartment rentals on boards like craigslist

We have all heard of scam listings on boards like Craigslist, Kijiji and other boards that do not require approval before listings go live. It looks like scam artists are now trying to go into monitored boards hoping to slip through without being noticed. Here is a recent attempt of listing, fortunately our approval process is designed to catch scams like this one:

"This property is own by my client late mr terry junk. according to his weal he want me to handle all his properties here in Nigeria and the wons in canada,usa,southafrica.his instruction is to donate 30 persent of the money make from his properties every"

The poster originated from Nigeria, and it looks like he is not hiding that fact! also he is not hiding his poor grammar either :)
We recommend you try to flag postings like these on search boards whenever you find them, since there are many who would fall for these kind of tricks. And you should warn website owners about them in case there is no way to flag such posts.


Stay safe, happy apartment hunting.

Friday, July 30, 2010

iPhone and iPad apps - new version

A new version of the iPhone and ipad applications has been now released. You can now search by location in addition to an address (e.g. CN Tower). Also added support for iOS4 and fast switching.
Few minor bug fixes as well that were causing issues on the new iOS.
Happy apartment hunting with the new fast and improved apps.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Android version launched

We are pleased to announce that Android users across Canada can now find apartments and houses for rent on their mobile device without needing a computer. For more information, please visit Apartment Rentals on the Android

Android press release

RentCompass launches the first Canadian apartment rental search application for Android. The application makes it easy to find rental apartments and houses on the go without needing a computer and enhances the user's experience by adding geo location information to the search result using the phone's GPS. It also allows users to exchange information about rental vacancies via social media tools like Facebook or Twitter.

The android application compliments the existing iPhone and iPad applications and the RentCompass website. The app is available for download free on the Android Market; to learn more visit www.rentcompass.com/android. For the full lineup of RentCompass mobile applications visit www.rentcompass.com/mobile

About RentCompass:
RentCompass is Canada's first apartment rental search provider on mobile devices using native applications. Landlords, real estate agents and property management companies across Canada can visit www.RentCompass.com/AddRental to list unlimited number of rental properties.


Source

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

iPhone application review

iPhone apps review online reviews our iphone application
iPhone Apps Review Online

To learn more about our application and mobile applications visit our Rentals on the Go section

Monday, July 5, 2010

Calgary apartments for rent - Boardwalk PM

We are pleased to announce that Boardwalk's Calgary apartments can now be found on our Calgary Apartments for Rent section and on our rental mobile apps.
Boardwalk began as a private company in 1984. The two brothers started the company by purchasing a building then renovated it. Within six months the brothers had turned the it into a desirable living address then divested in this property for nearly double the original purchase price, using the proceeds to finance additional properties.

Boardwalk became a publicly traded company in 1994 under the symbol BEI. During that year, Boardwalk was able to acquire approximately 1000 units within Calgary and Edmonton.

In 2004, Boardwalk became a REIT. Boardwalk REIT's principal objectives are to provide its unit holders with monthly cash distributions, and to increase the value of its units. Their mission is: "to serve and provide our residents with quality rental communities.". Today Boardwalk has grown into Canada's largest apartment landlord, owning and managing over 35,000 units.
Visit Boardwalk Property Management to learn more about Boardwalk Property management.

Welcome aboard boardwalk!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Happy Canada Day

We wish a happy Canada day to all of our users; tenants, landlords and real estate agents.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Successful launch of the iPad application

Our website packs many neat features and makes finding Apartments for Rent in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and other Canadian cities a much enhanced experience, but we really believe that the mobile device spread is the differentiating factor from other apartment rental listing services, since we have invested significant resources into developing our mobile platform. After all we are a mobile listing service provider.
The iPhone application has been successful for quite some time now, and the newest addition to our mobile platform Apartment Rentals on the iPad has been a great hit with our users. The number of downloads is quite high already due to our name recognition on the mobile device world and the satisfaction of our existing users with the iPhone application.

We are certainly committed to enhance the user experience on mobile devices even further, our vision is certainly making apartment hunting on the go a very simple experience.
Stay tuned for even more exciting products coming soon.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

RentCompass featured on YongeStreet Magazine

Yonge Street Magazine featured RentCompass covering the RentCompass iPad application.

"Last week, the company launched a native application for the iPad, a first for a Canadian real-estate search company. Earlier RentCompass launched the first rental application in the country for the iPhone.

"Our vision is that people should be able to find apartments or houses for rent on the go, whether they are driving or walking in a neighbourhood that they liked, or while commuting to work or school."
Follow the rest of the coverage on
Yonge Street Magazine

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Ontario announces rent increase guideline

Ontario's rent increase guideline for 2011 will be 0.7%, this will have quite the impact to Ontario's rental stock and tenants. "This guideline is wholly inadequate to allow for proper investment in repairs and maintenance of Ontario's aging rental stock" said David Horwood, Assistant Vice-President of the Effort Trust Company.

This comes at a time when the PST and GST are going to be harmonized in a couple of weeks. "Rental housing providers are going to experience a 7 percent increase in costs next year largely due to the impact of the HST" says Vince Brescia, President & CEO of the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario.

Source

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

RentCompass gets reviewed by BuzzBuzzHome

Thanks BuzzBuzzHome! While we don't find ourselves as competing with MLS, it is nice that they think we have solid stuff to compete with them :)

Quote:
"Currently, real estate tech companies are racing to get their sites optimized for the iPad and other touch devices. Mobile touch panels will most probably be the primary web interface of the near future.

And so, it seems RentCompass is positioning itself well to compete with Craigslist, Kijiji, Padmapper, and even the MLS."

Source: RentCompass Review on BuzzBuzzHome blog

Friday, June 18, 2010

CMHC Rental market report

According to the Rental Market Survey released by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), vacancy rates in Canada’s 35 major centres increased to 2.9% in 04-2010 from 2.7% in 04-2009.

"Rental construction and competition from the condominium market added upward pressure on vacancy rates and historically low mortgage rates attracted renter households towards homeownership over the last year," said Bob Dugan, Chief Economist at CMHC.

The centres with the lowest vacancy rates were Quebec City at 0.4%, Regina at 0.8%, Winnipeg at 1%, and St. John’s at 1.1%. On the provincial level, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador had the lowest vacancy rates at 1% and 1.1% respectively.

CMHC's Rental Market Survey also found that the rental apartment availability rate in Canada's 35 major centres was 5.4% 04-2010, up from 5.0% 04-2009. A rental unit is considered available if the unit is vacant (physically unoccupied and ready for immediate rental), or if the existing tenant has given or received notice to move and a new tenant has not signed a lease.

More details can be found on MarketWire

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Rent Compass iPad Press Release

For Immediate Release
TORONTO, June 17 - RentCompass launches Canada's first real estate search application for the Apple iPad. The application is designed specifically to utilize the iPad's high definition touch screen and location services. RentCompass for the iPad makes it possible to search for rental properties on the go without the need for a computer and enhance the user's experience using the device's GPS to search for available vacancies nearby. The iPad App complements the existing RentCompass iPhone App and www.RentCompass.com website. Both applications are available for download free of charge on Apple App Store. More details about the RentCompass iPad application can be found on Apartments for Rent on the iPad

About RentCompass:
RentCompass is the first Canadian rental search service provider on mobile devices using native applications. Landlords, real estate agents and property management companies across Canada can visit www.RentCompass.com to list unlimited number of rental properties.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

RentCompass for the iPad is ready for download

RentCompass for the iPad application has been approved on the app store and is ready for download. It delivers a customized experience specifically built for the revolutionary Apple iPad. Having a larger screen with magnificent colours, you can view photo albums of rentals in high definition and use the iPad multi-touch experience to navigate through the rentals with as little clicks as possible.
Here are some highlights about the application:
* Pan and zoom through Google maps to see more rentals.
* Tilt the iPad to landscape mode to see the rentals in a list as well as on the map.
* Use the iPad's GPS to see homes for rent near you or select a different city to start your search.
* Tap on a property to see more details, features of that property, or tap the address to see a map of that area.
* See property photos on the iPad's vibrant high def screen, swipe the screen to see more photos or tilt the iPad to landscape mode to view photos in full screen.
* Refine your search to filter by price, bedroom and bathroom count.
* Email landlords with a single touch.
* If you like a property, add it to your favorites. Review your list of favorites even when you don't have network connection.

We apologize for the delay but it seems Apple successful release of the iPad internationally caused extra delays this time for our release. In the meanwhile find Apartments for rent on our website or use the RentCompass iPhone app to find Apartments for rent on the go, which also works on the iPad (but not optimized for it)

Enjoy the RentCompass iPad experience

Friday, June 4, 2010

iPad release status update

For technical reasons, the RentCompass iPad application is still awaiting approval on the Apple AppStore. We are still awaiting the final approval from Apple which should happen any day now.

Stay tuned for the new and exciting RentCompass iPad application.
Looking for apartments and houses will never be the same.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Apartment rentals on the go just got better

Continuing with our innovation in the Canadian rental market, RentCompass is releasing an iPad specific application to give an enhanced experience over the existing mobile application. With the iPad release, users can now search for apartment and houses for rent on the go without requiring a desktop.

The iPad vibrant screen will allow people looking for rentals to see large photos of the properties listed on RentCompass. Having a larger screen will also allow apartment hunters to browse on the RentCompass rental maps easier than on smaller mobile devices. The RentCompass for the iPad application also uses many new features available only on the iPad.

Stay tuned for the upcoming release of the iPad custom version of the application. In the meanwhile, you can use the iPhone version of the application, it is still functional on the iPad.

Friday, May 28, 2010

RentCompass gets featured on CBC Television

Being Canada's most innovative service provider in the rental industry, RentCompass was featured on CBC Television "News at Six" on May 28th 2010.
The show had a special coverage on the iPad release in Canada which was being released that day. And there was a special feature on Canadian entrepreneurs focusing on developing iPad applications. RentCompass was chosen as one of two entrepreneurs to be featured on the show.

We are proud and happy that we have been featured on television, and we extend special thanks to CBC for the coverage.

RentCompass is certainly committed to moving forward with enhanced products and services to bring the real estate rental industry in Canada with more innovative technologies and solutions.

Below is a link to the CBC coverage, the clip relating to RentCompass starts around 17:30
RentCompass CBC Coverage

Thursday, May 27, 2010

CAP REIT is now on RentCompass

RentCompass is pleased to announce that Canadian Apartment Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (CAPREIT) rental communities are now available on RentCompass.

As one of Canada's largest owners of multi-family rental communities with 27,795 apartments and townhouses across Canada, CAPREIT maintains a strong presence in or near most major urban Canadian cities.
To learn more about CAPREIT visit CAPREIT

Apartment hunters can now find CAPREIT rentals on the RentCompass website and mobile applications.

Welcome aboard CAPREIT.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Berkley Property Management

RentCompass is pleased to announce that Berkley Property Management rentals are now available on www.rentcompass.com and on the RentCompass mobile applications.

Berkley communities are located close to schools, shopping and transportation. From London to Toronto to Belleville.

Visit RentCompass: Apartments for Rent or download the RentCompass iPhone application to find apartments for rent on the go.

Welcome aboard Berkley.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

TREB new rental market report

The Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) reports today that the rent for 1 bedroom dwelling has increased by 2% and 2 bedroom rent has increased by 5% year over year.

Overall, listings have dropped by 10% in the Toronto area. One important factor affecting annual rental rate growth was the supply of listings. Active listings
for rental condominium apartments fell 10 per cent compared to the first four months of 2009. In the second half of 2009, condominium apartment completions were down by 30 per cent annually.

See the TREB report here

TREB Rental Market report

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Bella Management & Realty Ltd.

RentCompass welcomes Bella Management & Realty Ltd. Bella Management's rental apartments are now available on RentCompass Edmonton Apartments for Rent section and on the RentCompass mobile applications.

Bella Management & Realty Ltd is Edmonton based. They provide a great service, whether you are renting your home and would like to hire someone to help you with that or if you have any general Edmonton rental questions about renting real estate in Alberta, Edmonton you can contact them and they are more than happy to help.
Visit Bella Management & Realty Ltd to learn more.

Welcome aboard Bella Management.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Flagship Property Ventures Corp a new sponsor

RentCompass is pleased to announce that Flagship Property Ventures Corp, one of Toronto's young and dynamic real estate companies is sponsoring RentCompass.com

With its extensive experience in real estate Property Management and Development in the North American market, Flagship Property Ventures Corp is not only a property management company but owners of real estate as well. Flagship Property Ventures Corp always take extraordinary steps to know and understand its clients’ business and the markets they operate in.

It is worth mentioning that Flagship Property Ventures Corp is one of early adopters of RentCompass services, as it is obvious they understand the value of technology of innovation, and the value RentCompass services provide in the industry.

Thank you Flagship Corp for your support, and we hope to be great partners in the future.

Monday, April 12, 2010

CLV Group

The CLV Group rental properties are now listed on RentCompass.

Ranging from quaint heritage apartments to amenity filled high-rises, CLV Group is known for having one of the largest and most diverse selections of residential rentals in Ottawa & across Ontario. With an expansive portfolio of almost 7,000 apartments and townhomes throughout Ottawa (including Kanata, Ottawa West, Ottawa East, Ottawa South, and Downtown Ottawa) and across Ontario.

Thank you CLV Group for putting your trust in RentCompass. We appreciate the fact that you see value in innovation, and welcome that you are joining the revolution of the Rental industry in Canada.

You can now find CLV Group's apartments and townhouses for rent on your mobile device with the RentCompass application or on our website Ontario Apartments for Rent

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Canada's first rental search service on mobile devices

Imagine you are driving or walking through a neighborhood that you like and wished there was a way to instantly know what apartments or houses are available for rent in the area? RentCompass is what you need.

RentCompass for the iPhone combines the rich functions of Google maps with iPhone's GPS into a very easy and powerful tool to find your next apartment or house to Rent.
  • Searching for rentals has never been easier, simply pan and zoom through Google maps to see more rentals.
  • Use the iPhone GPS location service to see homes for rent near you or you can select a different neighborhood or city to start your search.
  • Tap on a property to see more details, features and photos of that property. Swipe the screen to see more photos or tilt to landscape mode to view photos in full screen.
  • Refine your search to filter by price, bedroom and bathroom count.
  • Call and email landlords with a single touch.
Visit Apartments for Rent on the iPhone for more details.