Looking for the best apps for looking for houses is not a easy task. There are many apps to choose from. Here are 7 of the best house-finding apps available on iOS and Android operating systems.
Table of Contents
Best Apps For Looking For Houses
What Is a Real Estate App?
A real estate app is an app that brings you a variety of real estate services on the go. You can search for homes, look for a commercial property to house your business, find a realtor, or look up your current home’s value. Real estate apps combine real estate knowledge and technology in a convenient format that is easy to use. Each real estate app has different features and tools that cater to specializations. Some features are better suited for those seeking commercial properties, others will help you determine home valuations, and other tools can make you a better landlord.
How Much Does a Real Estate App Cost?
Real estate apps are typically free. Most apps allow you to freely browse properties, lenders, and agents. You can also use these apps to read about news and major events in the industry for free. However, if you want to list your house for sale on the app, then there may be fees. There may be listing fees between 1% and 3% of the home’s selling price. If you’re a broker who wants to put a commercial listing in the app’s database, that will cost you, too.
What Should You Expect From a Real Estate App?
Real estate apps vary greatly from one another, so you can expect different things from different apps. For example, you may expect to see businesses for sale on an app that specializes in commercial properties. Other apps focus on auctions, so you can expect to find live auctions with bank-owned homes and foreclosures on an app like that. Some typical features you could expect to find on most real estate apps include active listings that are currently on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), agent and lender referrals, and blogs about the latest real estate news.
How We Chose the Best Real Estate Apps
There are a plethora of real estate apps out there. We combed through many of them and decided on the best 8 to recommend to you. We chose these top 8 real estate apps by weighing major factors including unique features, the type of real estate they’re best suited for, tools and perks they offer, and their search functions.
Best app to find houses for rent
Best for Comparing Rental Rates
The Zillow Rentals app (Apple, Android) gives users access to spaces for rent throughout the country. You have the ability to personalize a search with specific features such as pet policy, in-unit laundry or on-site parking, and then save the searches that interest you the most. Zillow applies its Zestimate technology, best recognized to estimate the market value of a home, to show Rent Zestimates, making it easier for renters to compare an asking rent with others in the local area.
Trulia Rentals
Best for Scoping Out the Neighborhood
Trulia Rentals (Apple, Android) helps streamline inquiries with its one-click feature, which puts interested renters in direct contact with the property manager, without having to fill out an inquiry form for every apartment they’re interested in or search for a phone number. The Trulia Neighborhoods feature allows renters to learn important details about the area a rental is in, with surveyed opinions from local residents on safety and walkability, photos of the area and whether local laws protect gender identity and sexual orientation in housing, employment and public accommodations.
Apartment List
Best for Curated Apartment Options
Apartment List (Apple, Android) initially opens to ask you a series of questions about your next rental – location, budget, how you prioritize those details and what amenities are most important to you. Once you’ve answered the questions, Apartment List presents you with categorized groups of rental listings that match everything you want or are a bit kinder on your budget, among other options. When going through the listings, you can create a short list of favorites by approving or rejecting your options like you would on a dating app.
Apartments.com
Best for Real-Time Availability
Apartments.com’s app (Apple, Android) provides real-time availability on a map-based app, with a focus on including details of the amenities apartment communities offer and additional fees renters can expect. Filters make it easy to search within your own parameters, from school information to commute to work or other spots you frequent. Apartments.com also verifies its listings to cut down on the possibility of scam listings or dated information.
[ SEE: 7 Secrets You Can’t Hide From Your Landlord. ]
HotPads
Best for Major City Searches
HotPads (Apple, Android) is best known for its apartment listings in major cities, but the app displays inventory throughout the country. Features include neighborhood details, such as nearby schools and a walk score, to help you get a feel for the area around the apartment you’re considering. If you find a listing that you think would be a great fit for a friend or family member, the share button allows you to send the information with a couple simple clicks.
Zumper
Best for Completing the Renting Process
Zumper (Apple, Android) offers instant alerts as rental listings that meet your needs come online. Zumper also partners with TransUnion to provide you with your credit report so you can submit a rental application to a landlord securely through the app. Renters can take advantage of features such as booking tours, prequalifying for an apartment, making an offer on a rental and in some markets even paying rent once you’ve signed a lease.
Homesnap
Best for When You’re Out and About
Homesnap (Apple, Android) doesn’t offer a rental app separate from its sale listings app, but you have the ability to filter to only looking at properties for rent. The app’s signature feature still works, allowing you to take a photo of a home with a “for rent” sign and the app will find the active listing for you to check out the details. On the map feature, you can also view recently rented properties to compare an asking rent to what current tenants are paying in the area.
[ READ: 8 Red Flags to Help You Spot a Rental Scam. ]
Rent.com
Best for Boundary Search Options
Rent.com’s app (Apple, Android) allows you to find available visit times and book a tour for the apartments you’re interested in. You can narrow down your search based on certified residents’ reviews, which are obtained by a Rent.com survey of residents. Rent.com makes its boundary search, which is common in other apps, even more useful by being able to focus on more than one area that may not be connected.
Apartments by Apartment Guide
Best for Providing Landlords With Info
Apartment Guide (Apple, Android) provides high-definition photos and floor plans for a deeper look at available spaces. The app lets you save listings and send interesting ones to a friend for a second opinion. With the ability to contact property managers and landlords directly from the app, you’re also able to provide information they’ll want to know to approve your application, like income, credit score, needed move-in date and if you have any pets.
Apartment Finder
Best for Meeting Your Budget Needs
Apartment Finder (Apple, Android) caters to new renters and budget-conscious tenants. The app offers filters that help apartment hunters find the best deal based on their budget, including properties that accept housing vouchers, are offering specials and whether utilities are included in the rent. As you reach out to property managers and landlords, you can keep track of your communications in the Apartment Finder app as well.
Conclusion
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