The company is announcing this new technology in an advertisement in Sunday’s Herald Tribune.
"QR codes have been around for years in Japan and Europe as a way to link consumers to Web sites, videos, images and other advertising channels, but the technology is really just starting to catch on in this country," said Jan Loomis, vice president of marketing for Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate.

• QR codes, also known as “tags,” are part of an emerging technology, where homebuyers can point their smart phone cameras at newspaper ads, magazines, home flyers, and even for-sale signs on front lawns that contain the QR codes, to link to Web sites with more property information.
• QR code-reader apps can be downloaded free or for a nominal cost from the Web or the Apps Store for iPhone users. BeeTagg QR code-reader is a free app downloadable directly from your mobile device and compatible with most mobile smart phones.

"This technology has great potential in the real estate industry as a way to give home buyers the information they need, the instant they want it no matter where they are," she said. "With so many of us relying on our smart phones these days, we fully expect that QR codes will quickly become an indispensible tool for home shoppers here in the Sarasota area as well as all of our Florida markets."

Loomis said, "Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate decided to introduce the QR codes in the Sarasota area because today is the right time for this technology due to the popularity of the iPhone, BlackBerry, Droid and other smart phones." She expects the technology will be rolled out to the company’s other regions before long.

To date, millions of prospective homebuyers shop for listings on their handheld devices. View more about QR codes and shopping on your smart phone on a Good Morning America YouTube video.