Let’s admit it, the smartphone has become the most practical weapon in the digital age. With the rapid emergence of apps, businesses have found more and more creative ways to reach their customers. The real estate and mortgage-lending industries are gradually realizing the benefits of connectivity. This is evident in the increasing popularity of mobile applications that aid in the process of home buying.
In this article, we have compounded the best real estate apps to help you get started with finding your new home.
Redfin
Combining service and technological excellence, Redfin has redefined efficiency that led it on top ground in digital real estate. It offers a reliable way for users and agents to communicate and provides up-to-date listings from its extensive database of over 70 million addresses.
Features:
- powered by MLS (Multiple Listing Service), with an updated feed every 15 to 30 minutes
- is available in both android and iOs
- home photos, details, Walk Score™ ratings, and more
- available exclusive Redfin Agent Insights on specific homes
- everyday customer service
Zillow
As the leading real estate marketplace, it is no surprise that Zillow is the most downloaded real estate app for both Apple and Android mobile devices. With over a hundred million homes in its listings and more than a million not on MLS, it has provided more reach like no other. The app:
- allows users convenient navigation via an interactive map
- has recent video walkthrough feature which gives buyers a more realistic view of the property
- gives users instant notifications
- allows searches to be saved
- allows synching app with the user’s zillow.comaccount
- offers transaction histories for properties
- provides access to state-specific mortgage rates.
Homesnap
If you already have your eye on a specific property and want to know the details without going through the traditional hassle of talking to an agent first, only to change your mind later, Homesnap offers a more practical alternative. Simply snap a photo of the property of interest, and the app gives you access to MLS data, including census information and tax records, how much it is worth when it was last sold, details of the home interior, local school ratings, similar listings, nearby sales, and more.
Its extensive database provides information for over 90 million homes.
realtor.com
Backed by over 800 MLSes, realtor.comReal Estate provides accurate and real-time access to listings, inclusive of other property records. The app is widely used by professionals on the go, owing to its user-friendly interface and unique options. It’s helpful not only to home buyers but also to agents where they can opt to cross-share private listing data and easily schedule showings from the app.
The realtor.commobile also features the Doorsteps Swipe™ app, which helps you narrow down your options to things that matter to you such as beds, kitchens, baths, price, and/or locations.
Trulia
Trulia lets you zoom in on properties, a feature mostly exclusive to the app. Its comprehensive, high-resolution gallery of photos and custom categories help you lock in your choice on properties based on features that are not usually accessible from other apps – features like in-house photos, neighborhood information, school and crime ratings, and easy-to-use filtering.
Trulia also offers a brilliant mortgage app that helps you calculate home prices, see your monthly payments, and compare personalized loan quotes.
Dwellr
Dwellr is a real estate app run by the US Census Bureau. It utilizes information from the American Community Survey to provide accurate neighborhood information including median home values, racial data, and other demographic-specific statistical records compiled into an easy-to-use app. This helps you get a feel of the neighborhood you are considering before making an offer.
Ellie Mae’s Millennial Tracker
Released just this May, Ellie Mae’s Millennial Tracker app tracks millennials’ loan trends in the US via an interactive online tool. It guides lenders on how to serve millennials better in their home-buying pursuits based on real-time available statistics.
Free Mortgage Calculators
Free mortgage calculator apps for iOs and Android are readily downloadable online. From Zillow to Quicken Loans, you have diverse options to fit your choices and preferences.
Easy information access is truly the biggest perk of our generation – use it to your advantage! Ease your home buying experience with these handy real estate apps or talk to a lenderto get professional opinion.
Justin McHood is America's Mortgage Commentator and has been providing expert mortgage analysis for over 10 years.
