Real LI

In certain countries, notably Japan and South Korea, the cell phone can buy instant noodles at vending machines, pay for train tickets and even analyze blood glucose levels for diabetics.

The United States is behind, but now on Long Island, Century 21 Laffey Associates has begun using the cell phone to not just send alerts of new property listings but also photos, agent's phone numbers and other information. By going onto the Greenvale-based company's Web site, anyone can search for a listing and type in a mobile number to send the information.

Since the company launched the high-tech tool a few weeks ago, traffic on the Web site has increased almost 10 percent.

The company's chief executive, Emmett Laffey, said it's a new way of engaging house hunters, who are increasingly using the Internet to narrow their house-hunting options.

“We envision mobile technology to become the number one way consumers shop for a home in the future," Laffey said, "and the future is now."