The real estate business is on the verge of a drastic transformation. The industry is on a cusp of a significant change and is leveraging the power of digital technology to enhance its business model. Online property search is at an all-time high, and has fueled a fierce competition in the real estate market. This has led to more and more real estate businesses getting a mobile presence by creating their real estate app. According to a report by Statista, the real estate app revenue is expected to surpass $20 billion by 2020. This is mainly due to the convenience and easy navigation of these apps. Today, there are thousands of real estate apps available in stores. However, not all of them have a good number of users. So, what makes a real estate app successful? What features should it have? Keep scrolling ahead to learn more!
10 Must-Have Features of a Real Estate App
Not all real estate apps are equal, and some have managed to gain more success than others. If you think your real estate business can benefit from having its own app, here are ten essential features that will make your real estate app successful:
1. Easy registration
The registration process is always the first step in any app, and it should be simple enough so that anyone can easily register. The design should be appealing, text input fields easy to reach, and everything should be neatly organized.
2. Social media integrated login page
The second thing that every user looks for on your app after successful registration is the login page. Without logging into the app, they cannot use it at all. Thus, by integrating the login page, you can initiate your application process and let them use it without any hassle. You can integrate social media logins to make it more convenient for app users.
3. Personalized property search
It is one of the essential features that you must integrate into your real estate app so that users can easily search for their desired properties by entering basic details such as location, price range, type of property, and many more in the search bar. You may allow users to search for properties based on their preferred size, style, or purpose (residential, commercial, or others).
4. Geolocation and mapping
Listings of properties according to their location, proximity to desired areas & neighborhood are the essence of any real estate web or mobile application. Thus, Google Maps integration is an absolute must in any real estate application that you intend to develop.
5. Advanced sorting and filtering
The sort and filter feature are perhaps one of the most critical aspects of a real estate app. The majority of users already have a basic idea about what they want their dream home to look like. They know their budget, the location they desire, the number of bedrooms they need, etc. Hence, with advanced search and filtering options in your app, users can narrow their search and find homes or offices that meet their specifications.
6. Image gallery and virtual tour
When it comes to buying property or renting a house, customers need to see as many pictures and real estate videos as possible before making up their minds about visiting the place in person. In addition to this, potential buyers may also be interested in seeing 3D walk-throughs of properties so that they can get a complete view of the property. You may create videos using a professional real estate video maker tool for the greatest virtual experience. As a result, your app must allow agents to produce real estate videos and publish them to the app.
7. Multiple listing service (MLS)
A multiple listing service (MLS) is an information network through which users can access listings and get more details about a property. Listing information is updated by real estate agents regularly, but there’s often no standard format that agents use to update their listings on MLS. A good real estate app will ensure that listing information is updated in a specific form for users to see all the relevant details about a property.
8. Mortgage calculator
Every buyer wants to know how much they’ll pay for a mortgage before closing the seller’s deal. A mortgage calculator helps buyers determine how much they’ll pay each month after considering factors like interest rates, home value, down payment, etc. It also helps them determine how much they need to save up for a down payment before buying a house or apartment.
9. Agent profile and booking options
Integrating the agent profile feature can help your users know more about the property agents. Furthermore, your real estate app should allow users to book a meeting with agents so that they can visit their favorite properties and negotiate on prices with owners or agents. This way, buying a property will become easier for your app users.
10. Push notifications for lead generation
Any app, be it a real estate app or any other app, must have a push notifications option to ensure that app users get regular notifications and updates about the properties they might be interested in or any new property listed on the app. It can help you generate more leads and eventually convert them into sales.
App development for the real estate industry
A mobile app can change the way you do business. It enables you to target consumers on the go and showcase the best of your offerings. Realtors can offer their clients an immersive experience with a mobile app by providing easy access to the property information. Moreover, they have the opportunity to convert leads into sales faster than ever before. Nowadays, they can manage inventory and sell properties more quickly with an intuitive application. A real estate app can help you attract new buyers and build a strong brand image in the real estate industry with the right features. In short, an optimized real estate application will help you generate more leads and allow you to increase sales by facilitating purchase decisions for home buyers and investors.
Wrapping up
Every business aims to create an app that is a big hit with its users. The real estate sector is no different. The advent of mobile apps has changed the way real estate businesses work. A well-thought-out and designed real estate app can help you improve your reputation in the market and attract more customers and grow your business manifold. However, it is essential to identify features that can help you achieve this goal and define your strategy accordingly. The top 10 elements listed in this blog post will surely help you create a winning real estate app.
