13 Must-Have Features that Make a Winning Real Estate App in 2021
Did you know that one out of every four individuals utilizes a real estate mobile app to search for, purchase, and sell homes online? Real estate has traditionally been a profitable industry, and with the advancement of cellphones, it has become much more so.
The trend of online property searches has reached an all-time high, fueling strong rivalry in the real estate market.
According to market research, 95 percent of real estate companies have websites with property listings.
Building a website, on the other hand, is a little step in the face of such fierce competition. If you want to keep ahead of the competition, you need a bespoke mobile app for your real estate business in addition to a website.
And, in order for people to download and utilize your real estate mobile app, it must stand out from the overcrowded app stores.
So, what makes a real estate app “outstanding”? What characteristics distinguish your app? Before we get to the answers to these questions, let's look at why creating a mobile app is so important for your real estate firm.
Why Should Your Real Estate Business Have a Mobile App?
The real estate market has been heavily computerized. Homebuyers are no longer hopping from one realtor to the next in search of a suitable house. People may now instantly view a variety of homes and properties on their cellphones.
According to a report by the National Association of Realtors:
In 2018, more than 44 percent of individuals looked for houses online initially, and this figure is expected to rise in 2021.
In 2018, about 81 percent of older millennials, 80 percent of younger millennials, and 78 percent of generation X purchasers found their houses on mobile (Source)
More than 90% of baby boomers (aged 53-71) consider virtual house tours to be the most important feature of a real estate app.
Homebuyers, sellers, and Realtors are all utilizing smartphone applications to navigate the real estate market.
However, given the high level of competition, you must ensure that your real estate app has some distinguishing characteristics that will help you stand out from the crowd. Let's take a look at some important features you should add in your real estate app.
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A Real Estate Mobile App Must-Have Features
The major objective of creating a real estate app is to attract users' attention and make the purchasing or selling process easier.
Of course, you don't want just another real estate app in the app stores that no one uses. As a result, it's critical to stay up to date on the latest trends and features and include them into your app.
We discuss some fundamental as well as fashionable elements that should be included in your real estate app below.
1. User Onboarding (Signup/Login):
The most basic aspect of a real estate software is user onboarding, and it should be as easy as possible. There are three options for accomplishing this —
- Social media authorization
- Email authorization
- Verification by phone
You may allow people to sign up for your app using any of the ways listed above. However, combining all of the aforementioned alternatives might also be a good idea. It will give consumers with more convenience and flexibility, as well as simplify the sign-up procedure.
2. User Profiles (User, Sellers & Agents):
Users should be able to establish profiles in the app so that they may do various activities within it. A separate set of users should have various profiles.
The options presented for the buyer's profile, for example, will be substantially different from those displayed for the agent's profile. A buyer will be able to search for homes, store favorites, view specific listings in detail, submit an enquiry, and so on. (We'll go over these features in more detail later.)
An agent, on the other hand, would be able to access his own listings, schedules, list of prospective buyers, amount of views on specific listings, advertising choices, and so on.
There may be some common factors as well. Maps and communications, for example, may be made available to all users.
3. Databases and Listings:
Another fundamental component of the real estate app is the property listing. In the listings, you must provide a list of available homes with all of the essential data.
Users who wish to rent or sell their home should be able to easily add their listing.
Because the property listing will continue to increase, you will require a large database. More users, and therefore more listings, will be added in the future, thus ensure that the database or servers are adaptable enough to handle scale-up operations. A solid database is essential for any real estate software.
4. Categories and Filters:
Do you know what the most time-consuming aspect of searching for homes online is? You guessed it - locating the PERFECT home.
You will need to give sophisticated search options to consumers in order to ease the property search process. Add categories and filters to make it easier for consumers to find properties that meet their needs.
5. Property Profiles:
These profiles contain a wealth of information about the property, such as a description, photographs, videos, rich media, pricing details, value proposition, neighborhood information, owner information, and so on.
More than 80% of consumers decide whether or not to buy a property based on the images and videos provided.
In addition, you may need to provide the property owner's or agent's contact information in property profiles.
6. Favorites (Shortlisting):
Users should be able to shortlist and bookmark their favorite homes on your app. It greatly facilitates their decision-making process.
Users may access their preferred homes as well as all of the information on their personal accounts.
7. Maps:
It's difficult to envision a real estate app without this function. Integrating maps into your app may help you deliver a wealth of useful information to your customers.
Not only can you display property locations, but you can also display data and statistics about the selected properties. Government websites provide location-specific information such as crime rates, infrastructure, nearby schools, average income, and the risk of natural catastrophes.
An expert real estate app developer, such as Hyena Information Technologies, will assist you in retrieving this information from public sources and displaying it on a map in your app.
8. Push Notifications:
Push notifications are an effective marketing tool. You MUST include this function in your real estate app if you want to be successful in the long term.
Push notifications enable you to keep and stay top of mind with your customers. It is also beneficial in efficiently marketing your services.
You may utilize push notifications to reach out to prospects or to give out industry news on a regular basis. You may also inform users when prices change or when a new property is listed in a certain location.
To gain the full benefits of push notifications, however, the messages must be customized. You should only deliver messages that are relevant to the end-users.
9. Property Cost Calculators:
Price calculators may be an excellent addition to any real estate mobile app. You can request that developers include a bespoke cost estimator tool that will provide consumers with an estimate of the entire property cost.
Make certain that the calculator is sufficiently detailed. Users should be able to predict the ultimate cost depending on several parameters such as the beginning payment range, taxes, loan interest amount, and loan payback schedule.
10. Calendar:
The calendar may appear to be a nice-to-have tool, but it is really useful for both buyers and agents.
Buyers who wish to book an appointment with the agent or seller can do so directly in the app by checking the available dates and scheduling the appointment. At the appointed time, the calendar will send reminders to both parties.
11. Call or Direct Messaging:
Providing users with detailed property information is only one aspect. You must move consumers to the next step of the sales funnel by including a call or direct messaging capability.
You may link buyers with agents in a variety of methods, including:
- Direct call
- Callback option
- Online chat
- Book a consultation
If a buyer is interested in a specific property, he or she should be able to contact the dealer or owner to get more details.
12. Analytics:
One of the most important elements of any mobile application is analytics.
Whether you want to develop a real estate marketplace where users can purchase, sell, or rent their homes, or just an unique app for your company, you need understand how your app's end-users interact with it.
Analytics provides vital information into how your app is doing and what needs to be done to enhance it. You may obtain useful information on users and their in-app activity, such as the length of time spent on a certain screen. This information will assist you in making better app selections.
13. Virtual Tour:
Finally, but not least. A virtual tour or 3D walkthrough is an excellent method to offer purchasers a true sense of the house they wish to buy. According to the research, 70% of first-time purchasers feel that a 3D virtual tour of for-sale houses is just as significant as an open house.
Real estate app virtual tour feature:
“Rich media, such as these new 3D Homes, will enable purchasers and renters more easily envision themselves living in the home, regardless of how far away they happen to be,” says Jeremy Wacksman, CMO of Zillow Group.
Of course, photographs and videos are still an important component of the listing, but virtual tours provide an interactive platform where customers can see and engage with the property.
What Does It Cost to Create a Real Estate App?
Now that you understand why your real estate company should engage in app development, you may be asking how much it would cost.
What exactly does it cost to create a real estate mobile app? To be honest, there are several elements that influence app development prices.
In general, the cost of developing a real estate app is determined by the following factors:
- Features set
- Design
- Device (iOS and/or Android) and Technology
- Hourly rate of the app development company
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