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shapecharge/Getty Images September 16, 2022 Rae Hartley Beck is a writer and editor with over eight years of experience in personal finance. Her work has most recently appeared in Bankrate, MoneyWise and Investopedia. Rae specializes in credit card rewards, investing, real estate, home improvement, lending and financial advice for millennials, Gen Z, Gen Alpha and their parents. Troy Segal is Bankrate's Senior Homeownership Editor, focusing on everything from upkeep and maintenance to building equity and enhancing value. Bankrate logo

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At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict editorial integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for how we make money. Bankrate logo

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Founded in 1976, Bankrate has a long track record of helping people make smart financial choices. We’ve maintained this reputation for over four decades by demystifying the financial decision-making process and giving people confidence in which actions to take next. Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. All of our content is authored by and edited by , who ensure everything we publish is objective, accurate and trustworthy. Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest financial decisions an individual will ever make. Our real estate reporters and editors focus on educating consumers about this life-changing transaction and how to navigate the complex and ever-changing housing market. From finding an agent to closing and beyond, our goal is to help you feel confident that you're making the best, and smartest, real estate deal possible. Bankrate logo

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You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey. Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers. We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. Real estate apps have been around for over 10 years now — and it seems like new ones come out as regularly as homes come to market. As their numbers grow, so does their variety: In addition to applications for buying, selling, and renting real estate, there are now platforms for obtaining mortgages, investing in real estate, and even designing a house. Here are the nine of the best applications on the market today.

What are real estate apps

Real estate apps (short for applications) are a one-stop shop for prospective tenants, home buyers, home sellers, home owners and investors — not to mention the folks who like to just browse. They consist of databases with thousands — sometimes even millions — of properties, like a vast, location-spanning Most of these mobile apps make their money by charging a listing fee, selling ad space to Realtors or contractors, or taking a cut of the sale price or rent. Some are backed by real estate companies or brokerages, like Zillow and Redfin. Others are independent.

Types of real estate apps

The majority of real estate applications are focused on the and renting experience. They’re a place for buyers to browse homes for sale or rent and a place for sellers and landlords to do market research, and list their properties for sale or rent. There are real estate apps that focus on to buy, sell or lease. Some provide directories of real estate agents and brokerages; others are oriented towards lenders and financial services. Rising in popularity of late have been apps geared real estate investments and home design.

Zillow

Best for initial research for home buying renting or selling

One of the most well-known and highly rated real estate search apps, the free gives users access to a wide range of properties with detailed filter criteria. Through the app, you can coordinate your search for a home with someone else, meaning you or your roommate or partner can share your favorite finds easily. The Zillow app does have a few flaws, however. Zillow’s “Zestimate,” its home evaluation tool, doesn’t always give an accurate picture of a , especially when details are missing from a listing. Real estate agents can also pay to have themselves featured as a contact for a property, even if they aren’t the actual listing agent, which can confuse things for homebuyers.

Pros

Most widely used application Can find homes for sale or for rent Can view sale price history for the whole neighborhood

Cons

Sometimes flawe price estimates and rental estimates Your information may be sold to lenders and Asking questions can lead to wave of unsolicited emails

Redfin

Best for saving on commissions

If you’re seriously home-hunting, the can be a useful tool. Redfin is a , so in addition to searching for properties through the app, you can go ahead and buy one with a Redfin agent and receive a portion of the agent’s commission back. If you sell your home and buy another one with a Redfin agent, you’ll only pay a 1% listing fee for your home, saving you from the standard 3% on both transactions. The Redfin app also offers home value estimates, which might be more accurate than Zestimates, but still aren’t a substitute for an appraisal. Overall, the app is highly rated by users, and it’s free, making it a solid option for house hunters.

Pros

Save thousands in commission when buying or selling Accurate home value estimates

Cons

Limited neighborhood info Rental side is new with limited listings

Trulia

Best for getting a feel for a neighborhood

Trulia is actually owned by Zillow and uses information that comes from Zillow, but augments it a bit. includes features like drone film footage, quotes from people who live in the area, school ratings and walkability scores. Trulia’s home value estimates may be more accurate than Zillow’s because it uses more data points.

Pros

Extensive neighborhood data available in the app More accurate home estimates Easy to identify and contact the listing agent

Cons

Not great for : no agent directory, neighborhood price history isn’t as thorough Application can be difficult to navigate

Apartments com

Best for renters

Are you looking for a rental? The can help you easily unearth your next place. The app offers a streamlined search experience for apartments, condos, homes and townhomes, and you can sort through rentals based on unique filters such as wheelchair access, in-unit laundry, pet-friendliness or the addition of a dishwasher. Although it’s free to browse rentals through the app, you’ll run into a fee if you want to apply for one directly through the platform. The in-app rental application costs for up to 10 applications made within a 30-day period.

Pros

Apply to many apartments for the same fee View many types of rentals in one spot

Cons

Limited adoption outside of metropolitan areas No reviews from current or former tenants

Realtor com

Best for landlords and for most accurate data

Homebuyers and renters alike can gain access to the most (and most up-to-date) listings by using the free . With an extremely wide selection of properties available, you’re able to see all of the options out there. Realtor com is also affiliated with the ) and has access to a large portion of multiple listing services, so its listings are usually refreshed quicker compared to other sites. Realtor is the only application on our list that lets landlords list rentals and take applications for free. So it might benefit you if you’re thinking about leasing that garage apartment or guest house or a second home. In addition, listings on the Realtor com app include handy information and filters, like the noise level of a neighborhood or commute time, which can be helpful when looking for a place to call home.

Pros

Updates the quickest: best spot to find brand new listings and see when something is sold Commute and noise level data in app Free rental listing and applications

Cons

Can’t filter results as thoroughly as other apps No easy way to see neighborhood home values

LoopNet

Best for commercial real estate

Residential real estate isn’t the only game in town. If you’re looking for a commercial property, the can help you find the perfect fit, and more information than what would be available on other apps geared toward residential homebuyers. You can easily search based on the type of commercial property you’re looking for, including office, retail, restaurant or . One drawback that seems to be an issue among users, however, is the inability to save your search within the app. That means you’ll be forced to re-enter your search filters every time you want to explore listings.

Pros

Easy to find commercial properties for rent and for sale Thorough details in property listings

Cons

Only lists properties, not businesses that are for sale Limited tools like rent forecasts and loan calculators

Landa

Best for beginning real estate investors

The Landa allows users to invest in real estate with as little as $5. Users can view rentals available to invest in and buy shares in properties. The application has an interface that allows you to see your real estate portfolio all in one place and updates you when you receive your share of the rental income.

Pros

Easy to find investment properties Low financial cost to get started

Cons

Limited real estate investment education within the application Newer company, limited track record

Rocket Mortgage

Best for financing

Rocket Mortgage is one of the top home loan lenders in the country. They have developed an industry-leading application that allows you to do most of the process on your phone. You can get pre-approval for a mortgage, submit documentation for underwriting, and e-sign your documents all in the secured application.

Pros

Streamlines the lending process: You can prequalify, submit documents and sign them all in the application Can submit mortgage payments on the app Includes affordability and payment calculators

Cons

Limited in-app financial education

Houzz

Best for people designing and building homes

Houzz is ideal for anyone designing their own home. The app allows you to decide layouts, color palettes and more. It can connect you with , designers and builders all in one place. It even has a shopping cart where you can pick out furnishings and lighting fixtures, and have them shipped directly to your build site.

Pros

Connects you with local construction professionals Presents digital mock-ups of how things will look in your home Offers high-quality furnishings

Cons

High prices for most goods and services Potentially limited list of contractors

FAQs

How do real estate apps determine home value

One prized feature of home buying-oriented apps is the property evaluations they set on listings. They determine home value through proprietary algorithms. These algorithms incorporate data that includes things like recent home sales in the area, age of the home, of the home, number of rooms and any previous sale price of the home — all factors that often use, too.

How accurate are real estate apps

Real estate applications have varying accuracies. The tools used by Trulia, Realtor and Redfin are generally viewed as the most accurate. Zillow’s estimate has become a bit of a joke in the industry.
Also, the apps don’t have a way to know everything that can significantly affect your home’s value — like its or its condition. For example, they can’t know if you recently , or that the carpeted floors are redolent of years of smoking and cats. All of these things can make the sum your home commands on the market quite different by than the estimate their computer came up with. SHARE: Rae Hartley Beck is a writer and editor with over eight years of experience in personal finance. Her work has most recently appeared in Bankrate, MoneyWise and Investopedia. Rae specializes in credit card rewards, investing, real estate, home improvement, lending and financial advice for millennials, Gen Z, Gen Alpha and their parents. Troy Segal is Bankrate's Senior Homeownership Editor, focusing on everything from upkeep and maintenance to building equity and enhancing value.

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