Digitalization has disrupted almost every industry and Real Estate is not an exception. Do you know that every 1 in 4 people uses a real estate mobile app to find, buy, and sell properties online? 

Homebuyers are seen preferring mobile apps to check out several properties, compare them and get an estimated cost before making a final purchase decision. According to the National Association of Realtors report:

• More than 50% of people look for properties online first, and this number will inevitably increase in the coming years.

• According to market reports, a whopping 95% of real estate agencies have mobile apps with property listings.

• Roughly 81% of older millennials, 80% of the younger millennials, and 78% of generation X homebuyers find their properties on mobile.

Wondering what it cost to build a Real estate mobile app for your startup? This blog enlists some vital features that you must include in your real estate app & remain ahead of your competitors. The total cost analysis of your Real Estate mobile app is done at the end.

10 Must-Have Features to Consider for Your Real Estate App

Considering the vast competition, you must ensure that your real estate app has some unique features that help you stand out from the rest.  In order to fulfill the primary goal a real estate app – user attraction and buying -selling process smoother, you must look for some essential features. Also, it is important to keep yourself updated about the latest trends and features and incorporate them into your app.

Here are some basic as well as advanced features that you must incorporate into your real estate app development.

1. User Signup/Login Process

To offer convenience and flexibility to the users as well as make their sign-up process simple, you must seek to involve:

1. Social media authorization

2. Authorization via email

3. Phone verification

2. User Profiles (User, Sellers & Agents)

Give an option to create different profiles in the app so that Users, sellers & Agents can perform different activities in the app. For three of these profiles, options & functionalities would be different. Where a buyer can access the home listings, save the favorites, see individual listings in detail, make an inquiry, etc, an agent would be able to see his own listings, schedules, list of interested buyers, number of views to individual listings, advertisement options, etc.

Some features can be common such as maps and messaging that can be accessible by all the users.

3. Robust Database to Store Massive Data

This is another basic feature that showcases the list of available properties with all the necessary details. Users looking to rent or sell their property should be able to add their listing with ease. Since there would be a big amount of property listing data, make sure that the database is robust and servers are flexible enough to support the scale-up operations.

4. Filters and Categories

Making the user search queries quick, simple & easy is the foremost concern for any mobile app. For a simple search process, you will need to include advanced search options so that users can easily locate the properties that they are searching for.

5. Property Profiles 

This part contains an extensive amount of information about the property, such as description, photos, videos, rich media, price details, value proposition, neighborhood information, owner details, etc.

Most users get attracted to the photos and videos of the property listings. Thus having a well-defined property profile is a crucial thing with an extra feature of incorporating graphics and other data.

6. Favorites (Shortlisting)

Your app should allow users to shortlist and save their favorite properties. It helps them make their decision-making process much easier. Having a favorites section is thus necessary.

7. Map Integration

Maps are an important feature of any real estate app. You can’t just imagine a real estate app without this functionality. Integrating maps in your real estate app can aid to most valuable information to end-users. Not only the property locations, but it allows displaying of the data and statistics related to the particular property. Users can get location-wise information such as nearby schools, hospitals, utility shops, etc.

8. Push Notifications

The push notifications feature is recommended for a powerful marketing technique. Having this feature in your real estate app can help you succeed in the long run. It promotes your services, sends industry news, or can notify users when prices are changed or a new property is added in a specific location.

9. Property Cost Finder/Calculator

The price calculators are advanced features that can be a useful addition to your real estate mobile app. You can add a custom cost estimation feature to provide your users with an idea of the total property cost.

10. Virtual Tour/3D Walkthrough

Lastly, the trendiest feature to consider- A virtual tour or 3D walkthrough! It is an incredible way to give buyers a real-time feel of the home they want to purchase. According to the report, 70% of first-time homebuyers believe that a 3D virtual tour of the for-sale homes is as important as an open house.

Though photos and videos would also fulfill the need, virtual tours offer an interactive platform and can be an added advantage allowing users to see the property 360 degrees, without an in-person visit.

How Much Does it Cost to Develop A Real Estate App?

If you are wondering about the cost, then here is the in-depth analysis done to provide you with a rough estimation of the Real estate App development cost.

There are many factors that affect the overall app development cost. These include:

• Features you are looking to incorporate- simple & advanced
• UI/UX Design
• The device (iOS and/or Android) and Technology stack used
• Hourly rate of the development company

The hourly rates largely depend on the location of the mobile app development company. For example, companies in North America usually charge between $50 to $250 per hour while the same development can cost as low as $15 and can go up to $40 per hour in Asian countries like India.

Connect to an Expert Real Estate App Development Company

Are you looking to build your own Real Estate app? Connect to experts!

QSS Technosoft is a prominent Mobile App Development Company that connects all your stakeholders – Buyers, Sellers, and Real Estate Agents together in one place. Our qualified and experienced team of real estate app developers provides cutting-edge solutions to meet your specific real estate business requirements. Whether you are a top-class real estate company, a small firm, or an individual builder, broker, or agent running a property business, we will help you get the most growth-oriented real estate app that will get you maximum profits.

For an in-depth discussion about your real estate app requirement, connect to our experts now!