We know how to build a real estate app for your business principle. As developers of cisin and Rently (rental real estate software) as well as custom solutions for realty companies (Real Estate Association Rently RadPad), we have the experience needed.
This article presents our experience in developing custom real estate apps. It includes real estate technology trends, types of real estate applications, the features and functionality that make a great app, as well as the processes involved in creating a mobile real estate app in a wide range.
Why Real Estate Mobile App Development is a Leading Trend in the Industry
Real estate is growing faster than anyone could have imagined. The real estate market is a fast-paced environment. If you don't satisfy all your clients, then you will lose. A mobile solution app for real estate can be a powerful weapon against your competitors.
The following are the main reasons why you should opt for mobile app development in real estate:
- A faster sales process: A customized real estate enterprise solution that includes virtual tours, document signing and transfer digital platform, and advanced search capabilities can help agents speed up the sales process.
- A 24/7 communication channel within an app: Having such a channel allows for immediate communication and reduces waiting times.
- An improved customer experience: Customers will enjoy saving their searches and favorite properties, getting detailed neighborhood information, using a mortgage calculator quickly, taking 3D tours and much more.
- Automating routine tasks: Homebuyers and agents will benefit from the automated chatbot responses, rapid document exchange and streamlined filing out of property information.
Real Estate App Ideas & Types
A custom real estate application can serve a variety of functions. Before you begin the process of developing a real estate app, it is important to identify its type, purpose and features.
Must-Have Real Estate App Features
It is important to first consider the target audience when deciding what features to include in a real estate app. The functionality of the app is also important. Let's examine some features more closely.
Agents or clients can be targeted by all real estate applications.
Here is a short description of each feature in the real estate mobile apps mentioned above.
Navigation and Street View
Users can understand the area better by using maps. Google Maps API allows interested parties to preview the area without having to travel there.
Search Advanced Features
Search functions should include at least the following: listing type, location, price range and property type. Also, consider including lot size, square footage, as well as year of construction.
3D Virtual Tours
Virtual tours make listings more appealing to homebuyers. It gives a more accurate understanding of the layout and detailed information about the property.
Search Favorites and Save Search Results
Allow users to create and save lists of properties and searches. This will help them stay engaged. Agents can also use this information to recommend similar options. These lists should be easily accessible through the user profile. This feature is popular when developing a mobile application for real estate agents.
Property Cost and Mortgage Calculators
Calculators can provide automatic estimates to help make the process easier. Mortgages, monthly payments, tax, and insurance are included in mortgage costs.
Feedback System
Ratings can build trust and loyalty among homebuyers. Apps that allow users to rate neighborhoods and agents and leave feedback from past clients are more transparent and reliable. Apps for real estate agents can also benefit from this feature.
Chatbot
Chatbots and online chat can provide customers with answers on demand. Users can learn more without having to search for a topic.
Augmented Reality (AR)
Both buyers and sellers can benefit from AR. Users will be able to customize their properties by changing the wall colors, adding new furniture and renovating interior designs.
Categories and Filters
Other options to simplify the search are categories and filters. If you are developing an app for real estate, make sure to understand the features that your clients want and include them in the categories and filters.
Databases
A real estate app must have databases integrated, especially if the app helps to find a home. MLS data can be streamlined and configured to fit the format of the app using third-party applications like iHomeFinder.
Real-time Messaging
Agents, homebuyers, and agencies should all have instant messaging capabilities to communicate. Not only can you send emails and texts, but also attachments and files. To create more options for communication, we recommend using voice and video calls.
Calendar
Buyers can easily schedule appointments or viewings with their agents using the calendar. The app will show them the available dates, and they can book these through it. It is crucial for a company to collect and process information about the preferences and behaviors of its customers. The results of the analysis can help make your search for a home or apartment more efficient.
Personal Profiles
Agents can also benefit from a profile. Realtors can use their profiles to describe their features and experience, to attract clients or advertise their listings.
Administrative Panel
This feature is extremely helpful for property management like owner managers, agents, and landlords. Each party could submit or remove listings and monitor their revenue streams.
The panel allows rental agency access to credit reports and rental histories of their tenants. These features are included in cisin RadPad to simplify administration and ensure smooth operation.
The list of features for a real estate site may be different, but they are also very similar.
Additional Useful Features for Real Estate Mobile App
It may not be possible to make a real estate agent app stand out with just basic functionality. You can add some useful features to your app. Here's an overview.
CRM Integration
Your real estate app can benefit from a CRM system. It is a great way to manage communications with your clients and leads.
Integration of MLS
Multiple listing service (MLS), also known as a property database, is a private one that allows real estate professionals to access numerous listings for a fee. Integrating a multiple listing service (MLS) will enable professionals to import and publish additional real estate listings on their platform.
Comparative Feature
Comparing offers will simplify the lives of tenants and homebuyers. Users will no longer have to compare housing offers on separate tabs. Instead, they can do it all in one place.
Currency Converter
Integrate a currency convertor with your in-app payment option. This will make your users' payment experience even easier.
Advertising and Marketing Tools
Provide tools for landlords, real estate agents, and sellers to help them promote their listings. Email marketing, content-based marketing or social networks like social media marketing are all examples of marketing.
Personal Recommendations
Personal recommendations will also make your real-estate application more attractive and profitable. You can create customized offers based on the data you have collected about your users.
How to Create a Mobile App for Real Estate
Real estate app development and design are on the rise. There are best practices and processes that you should follow to give your customers a great user experience.
Research
This is the first step to a quality design. To offer the best ready solutions, you research your market and target audience.
User Flow
Users of real estate apps expect to find an apartment or a house quickly. Make sure your app has basic features like navigation forms and integrated filters. Consider how your users will interact with the application.
Information Architecture
A well-designed information architecture is essential to ensuring a smooth user experience. This step will ensure that content, buttons and other elements are logically placed in your app.
Wireframes
Wireframes are the first step after you have completed all previous steps. Wireframes are the preliminary layouts for your app's major screens, such as home, sign-in, sign-up, and walkthrough pages.
Interactive Prototypes
This step involves creating an interactive prototype, a functional version of your design. This will allow you to understand exactly how users will interact with the app.
UX/UI design and user testing
You can then implement the UI/UX of your real estate app and test it with users to improve.
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How to Create a Real Estate Application: Tech Stack
You need a powerful database to build your real estate application. This list contains useful tools for developing real estate applications:
- CoreData Frameworks or Realm Frameworks -- Manages a list of saved properties.
- Google Places api -- Provides users with information about the local area.
- Firebase or Apple Push Notifications Service -- combines push notifications.
- SimpleRets iHomeFinder and Spark APIs -- normalizes MLS flow data.
- FacebookSDK -- Integrates a Facebook Sign-in option.
- Zillow api -- provides access to Zillow neighborhood listings and information.
- Mapbox API or Google Maps API -- creates custom maps.
- Java (or Kotlin) -- Android development language.
- Swift (Object C) -- a development language for iOS.
- Amazon S3 -- Cloud storage for listings.
As a general rule, the company that develops the app for real estate takes on the entire technical aspect of the project.
Developing Apartmani Real Estate Engine
Apartmii, a custom engine that creates a mobile real estate app, can be integrated directly into any real estate software development. We used industry best practices as well as our expertise in real estate mobile app development.
It can accelerate or skip development steps by utilizing new technologies in real estate that provide a safer, easier experience for users. It uses AI to learn user behavior, virtual tours and AR to highlight features. A basic UI is available for everyone to use.
The technology stack that was used to develop cisin
- .NET
- NodeJS
- JavaScript
- React JS/Native
- Typescript
- AWS
- Kotlin
- Swift
- WebRTC
- Kubernetes
- Elasticsearch
- Azure
Real Estate Application Development APIs to Add
In general, developers of real estate apps (or realtors) will integrate APIs into their applications for renting, buying, or selling houses. Here are some of the most popular APIs that developers use to integrate into real estate mobile apps:
- Google Maps API
- Mortgage Payments API
- Zilyo API
- Zillow API
- Points of Interest (API)
- Yelp Fusion
- Community API
- SchoolDigger API
- Rets.ly
- JustRETS
These APIs are the most basic and cover all features of any mobile real estate application. These APIs can change depending on what features you require for your app.
You should integrate more APIs the more features you add to your app. You will hear this from any real estate mobile application development company.
Innovative Technologies That You Can Implement In House-For-Sale Apps
You can incorporate a variety of emerging technologies into your mobile app for real estate agents and developers. This might include:
AI for Task Automation
AI can automate data gathering, processing information, creating analyses and reports and certain customer interaction.
AR/VR for Property Showings
With a VR real estate app, buyers can minimize travel time and view properties on their smartphones and tablets. AR will allow them to personalize their homes. You can learn more in our other article about the cost of developing VR apps.
IoT Technology for Real Estate
Improve productivity, streamline your operations and improve customer engagement. It is possible to do this by integrating IoT into a real estate application. We used smart home and locked technologies to allow agents to unlock properties remotely for showings during our development process of Rently.
Big Data
Data-driven decisions can be made by analyzing and extracting insights from vast amounts of data. Big data can be used to predict user behavior and make better search recommendations.
Real Estate App Development Cost
You may now be wondering what the cost of developing an app for real estate is. There is no definitive answer because of various factors. Some of these factors include the complexity and features of your software.
Let's first list the major stages of real estate mobile application development.
Web and Mobile Development
Real estate app development begins with the basic stages.
Here is where you can implement your tech features, from the administrative panel to the technologies and core features that you would like to include in your app, such as AR, chatbots, or push notifications.
It is important to remember that the more complex features you wish to implement, then the higher your development costs.
You should also consider whether your app is for iOS or Android. It's best to develop cross-platform applications that are compatible with all major OS to meet the needs of your clients.
In 2022 96% of consumers will search online for property. 60% of the customers used their mobile devices.
Read More: What Expenses Are Involved In The Development Of A Real Estate Apps?
UX/UI Design
By studying your target audience, a unique UI/UX will create positive experiences and responsive user interfaces. A mobile real estate app that is adaptive will work on any device.
Testing and Quality Assurance
Testing your product is essential before it's released to the public. Manual and automated testing at cisin will ensure performance and bug elimination.
This will also provide insight into the application's usage and improve key features and interfaces.
Project Management
The project manager will make sure that all milestones are met and that the scope of the project is exactly what you want. A project manager will perform a risk analysis to identify security vulnerabilities and communicate with the client on the development of real estate applications.
Project management costs typically range between 10% and 15% of the total budget. Considering our current estimate, it will cost approximately $5,500.
What is the cost of creating a real estate app? Take a look at the following table:
Simple and basic solutions can range from $25,000 up to $45,000. Apps that are more complex, like those shown above, cost upwards of $70,000.
The complexity of the project will determine how much it costs to develop a real estate mobile application.
You will need more talent and technology to build a complex app. You can still get an estimate of the price for your custom real estate app before you begin to work on it. Contact us, and we'll give you an estimate for your custom real estate application and explain the costs involved.
What Should You Look for When Hiring an App Developer in Real Estate?
Finding a reliable vendor is the final step to developing a realtor mobile app. How do you find the right vendor? Here are some tips:
- Look at the portfolio of your real estate developer: Pay particular attention to projects that reflect your requirements and ideas.
- Make sure your vendor is familiar with the real estate market: This will ensure a smooth and mutually beneficial relationship.
- Attention to the communication style of your vendor: Take into account both personal communication and organizational issues like reporting.
When choosing a real estate development company, the main goal is to hire candidates who have experience and possess the required knowledge and skills.
Real estate apps are in high demand due to a number of factors, including migrations, unstable economics and historically low mortgage rates. This rush also creates a very competitive market for real estate platforms. You have to find your niche quickly to get ahead.
I personally have faced this problem as a Product Manager. My team and I have gone through several milestones in building real estate applications before launching an app that was successful for the Dubai market. These experiences have taught me valuable lessons, which I would like to share with you.
Discover what it takes to develop a product that solves real estate issues!
Developing A Real Estate App In 5 Steps: Nomad Example
We have finally reached the process of developing a real estate app. All mobile app development teams are the same.
- Research
- Develop
- Launch
- Iterate
Real estate app development is unique in some ways. This section will discuss the challenges that arise at each stage of creating a mobile real estate app.
Step 1:
Your app cannot be built in a vacuum. Your product will still fail if you try to do this. You should decide which problem of the user will be addressed by your product to avoid this. To do this, you will need to:
- Determine the market that you want to target.
- Select the target audience
- Find out what users are experiencing and try to solve it.
The client of the Nomad project came to us with a specific problem - the chaos in the Dubai real estate market. At that time, all the platforms with listing listings were flooded with buzzy agents and fake offers. Such circumstances made searching for an apartment a long and tedious process.
We wanted to create an application that would simplify the house-hunting process in Dubai. It also aimed to reduce the bureaucracy and take on the monopoly agents have.
Step 2:
How are you different? What must have features, details or service sets you apart? What is your basis for believing?
Your product shouldn't be unique. Maybe uniqueness isn't your best ace. What if your product is valuable because it's available? You may offer a level of organization that is unmatched by your competitors.
Think about it!
Step 3:
Listings make up the majority of any real estate application. These are databases of real estate information or apartment and home offerings that can be easily integrated into your app. Listings are important because you want to make sure that your app offers something for users.
Listings can easily be integrated into your app. It is not always possible since MLS isn't always available in every market. There are some special broker communities that handle such listings in certain markets. In this case, you can partner up with them and call the day.
Sometimes, there isn't a unified database available. You will need to gather the data yourself in these situations.
We had to return to the Nomad situation. When we launched the app, Dubai did not yet have an MLS. We had to contact individual agents and brokers to get our apartment listing.
There are a few other things to take into consideration besides the list:
- How do you update your listings database?
- Can users upload their listings? Can only agents list their items?
- Are there moderators and administrators to verify that the offers are genuine?
Step 4:
When working with a new concept, it is easy to fall in lust with it. You sleep with your new idea in mind and wake up wondering how it'll work. When you love something, it's hard to question it. You may discover that there isn't a market for your product.
You need to have a product team that can test your idea with real users. Only after your idea has been validated can you move on to the development phase. You will also need to assemble a team of programmers.
It's possible to have both product managers and programmers working together in a single team. We help the CEO & founder implement their ideas in code at cisin. Check out our high quality work.
Step 5:
After you and your experienced team have validated an idea, development begins. Every day matters in startup development. It is crucial to create a quick and simple MVP. You need to consider how your attractive product could scale and adjust the architecture accordingly.
The product development studio can also help. You will be able to find the best way to implement your concept within a few months. The Web Architect will also ensure that your product architecture is scalable.
Create Your Own Real Estate App using Cisin
Purchasing or renting a home has become easier since mobile apps were introduced into the real estate sector. These apps benefit all parties involved in the process of searching, including agents, brokers, and consumers. A professional, well-developed app for real estate can be a great success. This is especially true as more homebuyers than ever are using online searches. In our article about how to create a real estate app, we have tried to convey this message.
Cisin will ensure that you have a highly competitive app to help you enter and stay in the market. We can help you to discover the digital potential in your real estate business and make your idea a reality. Drop us a note!
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Wrap-Up
The niche of real estate mobile application development is highly competitive. Trulia, Zillow and other big names led the competition and established the rules of play for all. This does not mean that you shouldn't try to enter this race. Find your niche, market or audience and offer a solution for that group. You have now created a brand new business!
If you need Property Booking Online Solutions app development we are ready to help you out.
Contact us if you need more ideas on how to implement an idea. Contact us if you have any new ideas.
