15 Must-Have Features for Your Next Real Estate App in 2024

Like all industries affected by the digital age, real estate is no different. A study conducted found that every 1 out of 4 people uses a real estate app to conduct property searches. Each year, the number of mobile phone owners and app users is rising. People are now seeing the true potential these mobile apps hold and the role they play in taking businesses to unimaginable heights. This shifting trend in people searching for properties online has sparked immense competition in the real estate industry.

If you too are looking to build a real estate app, you can just get in touch with us at Trango Tech

However, building a website is just a tiny little step when we are talking about such a vast competition. In addition to a website, you need a custom mobile app for your real estate business if you want to stay ahead of the game. We’ll add all the real estate app features and functionalities you want, like the one below, and more, to your real estate mobile app. Before we move on to discussing the must-have features a real estate mobile app should have, let’s discuss what real estate mobile apps are.

What Are Real Estate Apps?

Real estate apps are mobile applications that are designed to help real estate agents, brokers, buyers, and sellers in navigating the real estate industry. These mobile apps typically provide users with access to listings and databases of properties for sale or rent, as well as tools for managing real estate transactions.

Real estate mobile apps can be beneficial to both real estate professionals and consumers. For real estate agents and brokers, these apps can help them to manage their properties, schedule appointments and property tours, communicate with clients, and even provide virtual tours of properties.

For buyers and sellers, real estate mobile apps can provide them with an easy way to search for properties, view photos and descriptions of properties, compare prices and features, and even schedule appointments to view properties in-person.

We have a separate blog that provides a list of some of the best real estate apps available for both iOS and Android platforms, along with their features, pricing, and user reviews. It includes apps for property management, lead generation, marketing, communication, and more, making it a comprehensive resource for real estate professionals.

Why Should You Invest In A Real Estate App For Your Real Estate Business

Investing in a feature-rich real estate mobile app can bring numerous benefits to a real estate business. Here are some of the key advantages:

• Enhanced Customer Experience: A well-designed and user-friendly mobile app can provide customers with a seamless and personalized experience where they can easily search for properties, schedule appointments, and communicate with agents, making the process of buying or selling property more efficient and enjoyable.
• Increased Visibility: A real estate mobile app can help a real estate business to stand out from the competition by providing an additional channel for marketing and promotion. It can also improve the brand image of the real estate business by showcasing their expertise and professionalism.
• Improved Communication: A real estate mobile app can facilitate real-time communication between buyers, sellers, and agents. This can help to reduce response times, increase customer satisfaction, and ultimately lead to more successful transactions.
• Streamlined Workflow: A real estate mobile app can automate many of the repetitive tasks associated with real estate transactions, such as appointment scheduling, document management, and property tours. This can save time and reduce errors, allowing agents to focus on more important tasks.
• Access to Data: A real estate mobile app can provide businesses with valuable insights into customer behavior, preferences, and trends. This data can be used to optimize marketing strategies, improve customer service, and make informed business decisions.
• Increased Sales: A real estate mobile app can help you generate more leads, close more deals, and increase revenue. By providing customers with an easy and convenient way to access property listings and connect with agents, businesses can expand their reach and attract new clients.

Overall, investing in a feature-rich real estate mobile app can bring numerous benefits for your business, from improved customer experience and communication to increased sales and revenue. It is an essential tool for any real estate business looking to thrive in the highly competitive and saturated industry.

15 Must-Have Real Estate App Features

What features or functionalities should a real estate app have? Let’s look at some of the most desired and sought after features and functionalities real estate mobile apps should have in 2024. Although all the desired real estate app features cannot be included in a blog, let’s take a look at some of the most sought after features that should be included without any second thought.

1. User Onboarding (Signup/Login)

The most fundamental aspect of a real estate app is user onboarding, which must be as straightforward as possible. There are three options for doing so:

• Social Media
• Email-based Authorization 
• Phone Verification

Any of the aforementioned approaches can be used to let users sign up for your app. You can take it to the next level by combining and offering all of the aforementioned signup options to your users as they will benefit from the versatility and ease your app offers while simultaneously helping streamline the registration process.

2. User Profiles (User, Sellers & Agents)

In order to engage in various activities inside the app, users should be able to create their own profiles within it. Different user groups will have different and distinct profiles. For example, the features and options available in the buyer’s profile will be different from that of the agent’s profile. A buyer will have access to the homes for sale, be able to save their favorites, view each listing in detail, send an enquiry, and more. An agent, on the other hand, would be able to access his own listings, schedules, list of potential buyers, amount of views on certain listings, advertisement choices, and more. There may also be some commonalities between all user profiles such as access to messaging and mapping functions.

3. Listings and Database

Another fundamental component of a real estate app is property listing. Your app must display a list of available homes along with all the pertinent information needed. Users should have no trouble adding to their listing if they want to rent, sell, or exchange property. Ths listings and database feature should be equipped for scalability as in the future, there will be more users and, consequently, more listings. So make sure the database or servers are adaptable enough to handle the scale-up activities and expansion, if the need arises.

4. Filters and Categories

With the aid of this function, your real estate app users will be able to search specific queries by adding new categories and have various filters. Let’s examine the differences between the categories and filters on a mobile app for real estate.

Filters

Any app must feature filters so that users may narrow their searches and receive helpful results that meet their specific needs. Your real estate app should preferably have the following filters:

• Location: The area that the property is located in was chosen.
• Budget: This represents the upper and lower limits of the amount you can spend on the property.
• Size: The square footage or the details of numerous rooms that make up the space.
• Property Type: Residential or non-residential property type.
• Amenities: Includes or excludes amenities. facilities like a playground, a pool, a gym, and many others. 

Categories

Now that the results of the filter have already been viewed and understood, let’s look at what categories does a real estate mobile app have. Your users can find the ideal and best property by using these categories, which help you focus your search.

• Residential
  • Housing Societies- buildings with 10-12 floors.
  • Housing complexes- buildings with space of 20 floors or more.
  • Individual house- Single or double story houses.
  • Standalone building- 6 floors or less apartments.
  • Standalone flats- non-society or non-complex flats.
  • Villas- luxury houses 1-2 story houses and exterior patios, gardens, and pools.
  • Row houses- duplex houses or terrace houses.
• Non Residential or commercial
  • Commercial buildings- Office buildings.
  • Commercial office spaces- residential + offices.
• Rent
• Buy
• Sell
• Mixed use- Renting and Selling.
• And more!

These days, practically all real estate apps have this capability to aid their consumers with a flawless user interface. For the benefit of its users, the mobile app needs to include these functionalities. Such features will benefit the programme and its users and help set it apart from your rivals and direct competitors.

5. Property Profiles

In-depth facts about the property are included in these profiles, including but not limited to descriptions, images, videos, rich media, price information, value propositions, neighborhood information, owner information, and more. More than 80% of customers base their decision of buying a home on the uploaded photographs and videos. The contact information for the realtor or the property owner is included in the property profiles.

6. Favorites (Shortlisting)

Users should be able to shortlist and save their preferred properties using your app. This will greatly facilitate their decision-making process as users will get immediate access to all the pertinent information on their individual profiles as well as their preferred properties.

7. Maps

Adding a maps feature in a real estate app can help give your consumers tons of useful information. You can not only display the locations of the properties for easier on-site navigation to the property but also include data and statistics pertaining to the chosen properties. You can add geographic data on government websites, like the crime rate in the surrounding area, infrastructure, surrounding schools, median income, and likelihood of natural disasters, and more.

8. Push Notifications

The use of push notifications for marketing purposes is extremely effective. For your real estate app to be successful in the long run, a push notification feature is a MUST. Push notifications will let you stay in touch with and remember your customers. Effectively publicizing your services is another benefit push notifications entail. They can be used to contact potential customers or occasionally distribute industry news, inform users when prices change, or when a new property is listed in a particular area. To fully profit from the push notifications feature system, the messages sent must be tailored as only relevant messages can benefit the end users.

9. Property Project Cost Calculators

By including a price estimator or property project cost calculator in your real estate mobile app, users will be able to get a rough estimation of how much the lump sum project cost of the property will come up to about. By giving users the option to go into specific and choosing a variety of variables, such as starting payment range, taxes, the amount of the loan’s interest payment, and the loan’s payback plan, when calculating the project cost, users will be able to obtain a much more accurate and detailed estimate (with a breakdown of the project cost).

10. Calendar

Although the calendar may seem like an insignificant feature, both buyers and brokers can benefit from it. Buyers can check the available dates and set up an appointment(s) immediately from within the app if they wish to meet with the agent or seller. The calendar feature will also drop a reminder to both parties at the appointed hour, about their scheduled meeting.

11. Call or Direct Messaging

One important aspect of converting leads is providing users with a comprehensive property guide along with all the relevant information. By adding the call or direct messaging feature to the real estate app, you can move users to the next stage of the sales funnel. There are several ways to link buyers and agents:

• Direct call
• Callback option
• Online chat
• Book a consultation

12. Analytics

One of the most important components of any mobile app is analytics. You should be aware of how your app’s end users are interacting with it whether you’re making an exclusive app for your company or a real estate market where users may buy, sell, or rent properties. Analytics will help you understand how well your app is working and what needs to be changed to further optimize it and make it work better. You can learn useful details about users and their in-app activity, such as how long they spend on a given screen. You can then segment your users on the basis of their behavior and use it to your advantage in various marketing campaigns, as necessary, to maximize the value of your data and help drive more sales in the long run.

13. Virtual Tour

It’s amazing how much a virtual tour or 3D walkthrough can help intrigue and allure potential buyers to get a sense of the house they want to buy. 70% of first-time homebuyers, according to the study, think that a 3D virtual tour of the for-sale homes is just as significant as an open house. With the rising popularity of next-gen technology, it would be better to implement them before they become an industry norm to help give you an edge over your competitors.

14. Tenants

When being used by tenants looking to rent properties, they can specify their needs and the availability period they are seeking. They can also include other information such as their stay’s length and their budget, helping filter out their searches so they are more relevant to their needs. The tenant can also identify whether they are looking for a residential or commercial space.

15. Chatbots and AI Assistance

Chatbots and AI assistance feature in a real estate app refers to the use of artificial intelligence and chatbot technology to provide personalized and automated support to app users. This feature can be integrated into a real estate app to help users search for properties, book appointments, get information on property features, and even get help with mortgage calculations. Integrating chatbots and AI assistance into a real estate app can be beneficial for both real estate agents and app users.

For agents, it can help to streamline their workflow by providing automated responses to frequently asked questions, and even schedule appointments or property tours. This can save them time and allow them to focus on more important tasks like closing deals and networking. For app users, the chatbot and AI assistance feature can provide them with 24/7 support and assistance. It can help them find properties that meet their specific criteria, answer any questions they have about the properties, and even provide them with advice on buying or selling real estate, helping enhance their user experience.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Real Estate Apps

Why do I need a real estate app?

There are several reasons why you might need a real estate app, depending on your role in the real estate industry. Here are some of the most common reasons:

1. If you are a real estate agent or broker, a real estate app can help you manage your listings, communicate with clients, and schedule appointments on-the-go. It can also provide you with valuable insights into customer behavior and trends, helping you to optimize your marketing strategies and improve your customer service.
2. If you are a buyer or seller, a real estate app can provide you with easy access to property listings, enabling you to search for properties that meet your specific criteria. You can also use the app to schedule property tours, communicate with agents, and receive real-time alerts on new listings or price changes.
3. If you are an investor, a real estate app can help you track real estate market trends and identify potential investment opportunities. You can use the app to search for properties in specific areas, compare prices and features, and access data on rental yields and occupancy rates.
4. If you are a landlord or property manager, a real estate app can help you manage your properties, track rental payments and maintenance requests, and communicate with tenants.

What are the benefits of using a real estate app?

There are several real estate app benefits of using a real estate mobile app, both for real estate professionals and consumers. Here are some of the most significant benefits:

• Convenience: A real estate mobile app allows users to access property listings, communicate with agents, schedule appointments, and manage transactions from anywhere, at any time. This is especially useful for busy professionals or those with limited availability.
• Efficiency: A real estate app can automate many of the repetitive tasks associated with real estate transactions, such as appointment scheduling, document management, and property tours. This can save time and reduce errors, allowing agents to focus on more important tasks.
• Personalization: A real estate mobile app can provide users with a personalized experience, based on their preferences and behavior. Users can set up filters, save searches, and receive notifications on properties that match their criteria, making the process of finding the perfect property more efficient and enjoyable.
• Transparency: A real estate app can provide users with access to up-to-date information on property listings, including photos, descriptions, and pricing. This can help to increase transparency and build trust between agents and clients.
• Data and Insights: A real estate mobile app can provide users with valuable data and insights into the real estate market, such as trends, pricing, and occupancy rates. This data can be used to inform buying and selling decisions, and to optimize marketing strategies.
• Accessibility: A real estate mobile app can provide users with access to a wide range of property listings, including those that may not be available through traditional channels. This can expand the pool of potential properties for buyers and renters, and increase visibility for sellers and landlords.

What are the must-have features for a real estate app?

There are several must-have real estate app features for a real estate mobile app, depending on the target audience and business goals. Here are some of the most important features to consider:

• User Onboarding: The real estate mobile app should have a seamless onboarding process that allows users to sign up or log in easily, preferably with social media or Google accounts.
• User Profiles: The real estate mobile app should have distinct profiles for users, sellers, and agents, with personalized features for each user group.
• Listings and Database: The real estate mobile app should have a robust database of property listings, with relevant information such as price, location, amenities, and photos.
• Filters and Categories: The real estate mobile app should have advanced filters and sorting options that allow users to narrow down their search based on specific criteria, such as price range, property type, location, and amenities.
• Property Profiles: The real estate mobile app should have detailed property profiles that provide users with all the information they need to make informed decisions, such as property features, photos, videos, and virtual tours.
• Favorites (Shortlisting): The real estate mobile app should have a feature that allows users to save their favorite properties and keep track of their shortlisted properties.
• Maps: The real estate app should have integrated maps that show the geolocation of properties, nearby amenities, and points of interest.
• Push Notifications: The app should have push notifications that keep users updated on new listings, price changes, and other relevant information.
• Property Cost Calculators: The real estate mobile app should have a feature that allows users to calculate property costs, including mortgage calculator, taxes, and insurance.
• Calendar: The real estate mobile app should have a calendar feature that allows users to schedule appointments, property tours, and other important events.
• Call or Direct Messaging: The app should have a feature that allows users to contact agents directly, via call or direct messaging.
• Analytics: The real estate mobile app should have analytics that provide insights into user behavior, property trends, and other key metrics.
• Virtual Tour: The real estate mobile app should have a feature that allows users to take a virtual tour of properties, giving them a realistic view of the property.
• Tenants: The app should have a feature that allows landlords or property managers to manage their tenants, including rent payments, maintenance requests, and other important tasks.
• Chatbots and AI Assistance: The real estate app should have a chatbot or AI assistant that can answer common questions, provide personalized recommendations, and improve user engagement.

How can a real estate app help me find a home?

A real estate mobile app can help you find a home in several ways:

• Search and Filter: Real estate mobile apps have a robust database of property listings with advanced search and filtering options that allow you to narrow down your search based on specific criteria such as price, location, property type, and amenities.
• Notifications: Real estate mobile apps can send you notifications when new properties are listed that meet your search criteria. This saves you time and ensures that you never miss out on a great property.
• Personalization: Real estate mobile apps can provide a personalized experience based on your preferences and behavior. You can set up filters, save searches, and receive notifications on properties that match your criteria, making the process of finding the perfect property more efficient and enjoyable.
• Virtual Tours: Real estate mobile apps may offer virtual tours of the property, allowing you to get a realistic view of the property and its features before scheduling an in-person tour.
• Direct Messaging: The app allows you to contact agents directly, via call or direct messaging. This can help you get answers to your questions quickly and efficiently.
• Cost Calculators: The app can help you calculate property costs, including mortgage payments, taxes, and insurance. This can help you make informed decisions about affordability.

Can I use a real estate app to connect with a real estate agent?

Yes, you can use a real estate app to connect with a real estate agent. Most real estate apps have a feature that allows you to contact agents directly, either through direct messaging or phone calls.

Can a real estate app help me schedule property viewings?

Yes, many real estate apps allow you to schedule property viewings directly from the app. When you find a property that you’re interested in, you can use the app to contact the listing agent or a local real estate agent to schedule a tour. The app may also allow you to schedule a tour directly through the app by selecting a preferred date and time.

How can a real estate app help me stay organized during the homebuying process?

A real estate app can help you stay organized during the homebuying process in several ways:

• Save Properties: You can save properties that you’re interested in to your favorites or shortlist within the app. This makes it easy to keep track of the properties that you’re considering and to compare them side by side.
• Notifications: The app can send you notifications when new properties are listed that meet your search criteria or when there is an update on a property that you’ve saved. This helps you stay informed and on top of any new developments.
• Schedule Viewings: As mentioned earlier, you can use the app to schedule property viewings and keep track of your appointments.
• Document Management: Some real estate apps allow you to manage your documents within the app, such as pre-approval letters, contracts, and other important documents related to the homebuying process. This helps you keep everything in one place and easily accessible.
• Cost Calculators: Many real estate apps provide cost calculators that help you estimate your monthly mortgage payments, property taxes, and other costs associated with buying a home. This helps you stay informed and make informed decisions.

Are there any free real estate apps available?

Yes, there are many free real estate apps available for download on both iOS and Android devices. Some of the most popular free real estate apps include Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, Redfin, Homesnap, and more.

How can I be sure the information on a real estate app is accurate?

Real estate apps usually obtain their data from multiple sources, such as MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and other real estate databases. While the information provided in these apps is typically accurate, it’s important to remember that there may be delays in updating the data. To ensure that the information on a real estate app is accurate, you should always verify it with the listing agent or real estate broker. They can confirm whether a property is still available or if there have been any changes to its status or price. It is recommended that you use multiple real estate apps to view listings and cross-check them to ensure the information is accurate, or to the fullest extent possible.

Can I use a real estate app to get an estimate of a home’s value?

Yes, you can use some real estate apps to get an estimate of a home’s value. These estimates are commonly referred to as “home valuations” or “home value estimates” and are generated using data analysis and algorithms that take into account factors such as the property’s location, size, age, and recent sales in the area. Some popular real estate apps that offer home value estimates include Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com.

Are there any downsides to using a real estate app instead of a traditional real estate agent?

While real estate apps can be a great tool for home buyers and sellers, there are some potential downsides to using an app instead of a traditional real estate agent:

• Lack of personalized service: Real estate apps are designed to be self-service tools, which means you won’t have a dedicated agent guiding you through the process or providing personalized advice.
• Limited expertise: While real estate apps can provide basic information on properties, they may not offer the same level of expertise as a licensed real estate agent. Agents can offer insights into local real estate market conditions, pricing trends, and negotiation strategies.
• Legal and financial expertise: Real estate transactions can be complex, and apps may not provide the legal and financial expertise that a real estate agent can offer. Agents can help you navigate contracts, financing options, and other legal and financial considerations.
• Limited access: Real estate apps may not have access to all of the properties that are listed for sale, especially those that are not listed on MLS or other public databases.
• Technical issues: Real estate apps can sometimes have technical issues, such as inaccurate or outdated information, system crashes, or slow loading times.

It’s important to remember that real estate apps can be a useful tool in the home buying and selling process, but they should not be relied upon as a substitute for a licensed real estate agent.

If you’re looking to build a real estate mobile app like Houzz, you can reach out to a reputable real estate app development company like Trango Tech. Building a website is just one small part of the equation in today’s highly competitive real estate market. To gain an edge over your rivals, you need a customized mobile app that can offer a range of features and functionalities.