The RealEstate.com mobile versions return listing of more than homes 2 million U.S. homes based on location, price, and size.

Internet-based real estate sites are attempting to piggyback on the popularity of smartphones to enlist a wider audience in a market gone to hell (see Trulia Makes Real Estate Mobile, RealEstate.com Goes Mobile).

GPS-enabled 3G phones with satellite maps have given such digital real estate sites the added ability to offer driving directions and enhanced property details.

A recent survey from RealEstate.com’s rival Trulia said there is a deepening crisis of confidence among homebuyers. More than 70 percent of those that don't own homes in the United States said they have no plans to purchase a new home in the next year.

“We see it as a time to shine by telling people we are here to provide information on home values, mortgages,” said Greg Hanson, a vice president at RealEstate.com. “And we are not just a web site like many of our competitors.”

Unlike rivals Trulia and Zillow.com, Charlotte, North Carolina-based RealEstate.com is not a standalone company. It is part of LendingTree, an online lending exchange that connects consumers and lenders.

RealEstate.com operates as a brokerage in 15 markets with about 1,000 agents who work directly for the company. In the rest of the country RealEstate.com has a network of 300 independent real estate firms to which it feeds leads.

“We are adding mobile apps with the hope that when buyers are interested enough they will come to us,” Mr. Hanson said. “We don’t depend on our advertisers to pick up the ball when the consumer clicks through.”

A month ago RealEstate.com unveiled a mobile phone real estate app for AT&T and Sprint Nextel phone subscribers.