Real estate apps are mobile applications aimed at making the process of property transactions easy. These apps are designed in a way that makes it easy for buyers, sellers, realtors, landlords, and investors to find each other quickly and conveniently. Real estate apps consist of vast databases with hundreds of thousands and in some cases millions, of properties listed in them. This helps buyers look for their ideal home within the comfort of their homes, cars, or even from across the country. Sellers, landlords, and property managers also benefit from these apps as they can post details of their listings on multiple channels. Real estate apps also offer a convenient advertising platform for realtors and agents who are looking to build their client base and acquire leads. In a few years, these apps may drastically shrink the size of in-person brokerages.
Real Estate App: features for user:
- User Onboarding: User onboarding is the most basic feature of a real estate app, and it has to be as simple as possible. There are three ways to do this –Social media authorization, Authorization via email, and Phone verification. You can choose any of the above methods to allow users to sign up for your app. But, combining all the above options can be a great idea too.
- User Profiles: Users should be able to create their profiles in the app so that they can perform different activities in the app. There should be different profiles for different sets of users. All the options displayed for the buyer’s profile will be vastly different from the agent’s profile. A buyer will be able to access the home listings, save the favorites, see individual listings in detail, make an inquiry, etc.
- Listings and Database: The property listing is another basic feature of the real estate app. You have to show the list of available properties with all the necessary details in the listings. Users who want to rent or sell their property should be able to add their listing without any difficulty.
- Filters and Categories: To simplify the property searching process, you will need to provide advanced search options to users. Add categories and filters so that users can easily locate properties that suit their needs.
- Property Profiles: These profiles include an extensive amount of information about the property, such as description, photos, videos, rich media, price details, value proposition, neighborhood information, owner details, and so on. You might also need to include the contact details of the property owner or the agent in property profiles.
- Favorites Shortlisting: Your app should allow users to shortlist and save their favorite properties. It helps them make their decision-making process much easier. Users can access their favorite properties along with all the details in their profiles
- Maps: You can’t just imagine a real estate app without this feature. Integrating maps in the app can help you provide loads of valuable information to end-users. Not only you can show property locations, but display the data and statistics related to the select properties too. You can find location-wise information such as crime rate, infrastructure, nearby schools, average income, and the risk of natural disasters on government websites.
- Push Notifications: Push notifications are a powerful marketing technique. You MUST have this feature in your real estate app to succeed in the long run. Push notifications allow you to retain and stay on top of the customer’s mind. It is also helpful for effectively promoting your services.
- Property Cost Calculators: The price calculators can be a useful addition to your real estate mobile app. You can ask developers to add a custom cost estimation feature that will give users an idea of the total property cost. Make sure that the calculator is detailed enough. It should allow users to estimate the final amount based on different factors such as initial payment range, taxes, loan interest amount, and loan repayment schedule.
- Calendar: The calendar might sound like a nice-to-have feature, but it’s very helpful for both buyers and agents. If buyers want to schedule an appointment with the agent or seller, they can directly check the available dates and schedule the appointment right in the app. The calendar will send reminders to both parties at the scheduled time.
- Call or Direct Messaging: Providing users with in-depth property information is just one part. You got to take the users to the next stage of the sales funnel by adding the call or direct messaging feature. There are different ways you can connect buyers with agents: Direct call, Callback option, Online chat, Book a consultation.
- Analytics: Analytics is one of the most significant features of any mobile application. Analytics gives you valuable insights as to how your app is performing and what needs to be done to improve its performance. You can get helpful information about the users and their in-app behavior such as the amount of time spent on a specific screen. This data would help you make better app decisions.
- Virtual Tour: A virtual tour or 3D walkthrough is an incredible way to give buyers a real-time feel of the home they want to purchase. According to the report, 70% of first-time homebuyers believe that a 3D virtual tour of the for-sale homes is as important as an open house.