Best Real Estate Apps

Zillow, founded in 2005 by two former Microsoft executives, is one of the leading apps in the real estate market. In fact, Zillow is the most-visited real estate website in the United States.

It is noted for keeping up to date with fast-paced real estate markets. For example, when a realtor or seller changes a property status from “for sale” to “pending and under contract,” you’ll see that change in the app within 24 hours. Property listings come from one or more of the multiple listing services, as well as from individuals posting their own homes for sale, auctions, foreclosures, and other properties.

Zillow offers the option to list apartments for sale, rent, lease, and prospective homebuyers can virtually tour properties and receive update notifications about selected properties from the app. Zillow is free for buyers and sellers because its primary revenue source comes from advertising and lead generation costs from realtors.

The Xome Auctions app is available on both Android and Apple app stores and hosts one of the largest collections of exclusive properties. Xome delivers transparent bidding and fast closing. Users can also use Xome’s pre-auction feature to bid on properties early.

You can search for residential or commercial auctions by location, status, and auction asset type, such as bank-owned, short sale, or newly foreclosed. Sort properties by price, beds, baths, square feet, auctions starting soon, or by auctions ending soon. The app includes a walk, commute, and bike score along with listing and sales history so you can see the historical value of the property over time. 

The listings on the app come from multiple listing services as well as from exclusive Xome sources. The app wins best for auctions because of the comprehensive features available to the bidder. Details like financing, property and neighborhood statistics, alerts when someone else bids on a property you are watching, and property price history all keep the bidder well-informed. Xome Auctions further exceeds its competitors with an efficient e-signing capability for contracts.

Redfin launched in 2006 and is an actual real estate brokerage firm that created an app to take them to a national scale and revolutionize the buying and selling processes. Users can search for houses, condos, and townhouses for sale, and the app also lists open houses in case you want to tour in person.

For sellers, the platform allows you to list your property for sale, and it charges a listing fee of 1.5% or 1.0% if sellers buy and sell with Redfin, which is lower than standard listing broker fees. It also pays a commission rebate to the buyer if the buyer uses a Redfin agent. That potential dollar figure is shown in the app listing.

Redfin’s app interface is simple and easy to use. You can review some neighborhood details and set up notifications to alert you to every available house that meets your criteria. And you can book a home tour within the app. Redfin earns its revenue through listing fees, commissions, and advertising fees, so the app is free to use.

Trulia was founded in 2005 and acquired by Zillow Group in 2015. It uses Zillow data to provide home values and other information but presents it differently than Zillow. The app is free for users and earns high reviews.

Trulia allows users to view a property in multiple ways. For instance, you can view it via traditional online photos, but Trulia offers demographic stats, as well, such as nearby shopping, eating establishments, recreational facilities, schools, and commute times to major cities, if applicable. Trulia also offers resident reviews, where users can share information about a town or city, like the ease of parking or a neighborhood's walkability scale at night. There is also a Trulia Rentals app so that renters can use both apps for leads on apartments and houses.

Trulia builds its home value estimates from more factors than any other app, such as city and county assessments, local comparative sales of similar homes, and price history trends. Generally, their estimates are within 20% of the sales price.

Realtor.com was founded in 1996 and is owned by Move, Inc., a branch of News Corporation (NWS), and it is associated with the National Association of Realtors. The Realtor app is the best for rental unit owners because it showed when the rental listing was last updated, which is helpful when users are looking for up-to-date information. It provides surrounding area information on schools and noise—another primary interest.

Realtor's app is free for everyone and mainly earns revenue through advertising. The app caters to the rental market, and landlords can list their properties and accept applications without paying fees. Like similar apps, users can search listings using filters, and properties are viewed through pictures and video tours, making it easy for a rental property owner to highlight their home's best features.

Apartments.com, founded in 1992, has been owned by the CoStar Group (CSGP) since 2014. CoStar researches the best commercial real estate companies in the United States. It has helped Apartments.com by providing them with an extensive research crew providing attractive listings through its professional photography and videography.

The app's revenue comes mainly from advertising fees and application fees that cost up to $29 for every 10 applications in a 30-day period. Apartments.com has a large inventory of properties for rent, including apartments, houses, condos, and townhomes; the convenient "apply now" feature is only $29 for 10 applications. Its extensive search and sort capabilities go beyond some of its competitors.

LoopNet was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. The platform is owned by the CoStar Group, which owns several other information and marketplace websites. LoopNet is solely for commercial property investors.

The app allows you to search by location and whether you want a property to buy or lease. You can filter by price, size, year built, and capitalization rate. There are 12 property types to search, such as retail, healthcare, office, restaurant, and multifamily apartment buildings.

LoopNet's app efficiently connects app users to commercial listing brokers so investors and listing brokers can swiftly exchange information and schedule tours from within the app. Since timing can be a critical factor when closing on an investment property, the app's notifications, convenient communication, and streamlined listing inventory are essential assets. The platform earns its revenue through commissions, listing fees, and advertising fees.