Everyone in the world is dissecting the potential merger of Microsoft and Yahoo. Joel opines on the impact to real estate search. I haven’t been overly impressed with either company when it comes to the real estate vertical and it’s anyone’s guess whether it will receive much attention in a merged environment. Some of the comments I heard from Yahoo at the recent Inman Real Estate Connect event would indicate a desire to take it to the next level, if for no other reason than the overwhelming percentage of real estate related searches that take place organically. Time will tell.

While it’s certain that there are a number of synergies that can be identified in the takeover bid, I happen to think the biggest impact will be in the world of mobile. It’s no surprise that Google has filled a big basket with Android, but you can not discount the progress both Microsoft and Yahoo have made in that arena. Together they promise to give Google a pretty good run for the money. Publishers and distributors of mobile content will be casting a watchful eye on the effort. All the while the genius strategists at Apple will be calling plays from both sides of the field.