Real Estate Mobile App Development: How to build an app like Zillow and Trulia?

Some property investors used to believe that realtors are the best matchmakers bridging the gap between buyers and sellers. However, in this digital world, we must give a twist to this cliché. The real matchmakers are nothing but an app like Zillow and Trulia. You know that buyers look for a dream home, which ensures their emotional security and protects their investment. But, to own that home, they look for agents, check for property listings, manage paperwork, and finalize the deal. Don’t you like to simplify the process to increase your real estate business revenues? Then, invest in a real estate app development company to make your business more profitable.

Get inspiration from Trulia and Zillow for your app development.

The global property market presents you with lots of opportunities, and in the coming years, you will have better potentials in this market. The major reason behind the growing real estate sector is the introduction of the app. Besides, the popularity of real estate websites and apps, like Trulia and Zillow, proves this fact.

Let us first introduce you to the two biggest names in the world of real estate apps.

Zillow has turned out to be a globally recognized platform, with more than 190 million users. It started its journey in 2006, and now, more than 80% of Americans search for homes using this digital platform. The highly functional and intuitive app enables users to buy, sell, and rent out homes.

Trulia was once the strongest competitor of Zillow, and it is designed with the goal of giving easy access to property listings from desktop and mobile. However, later, Zillow acquired the real estate startup Trulia and successfully reached the target.

Now, do you like to make your app successful, like Zillow?

The popularity and success of Zillow should not be the only reason for choosing real estate app development solutions. There are several other motives for digitizing your business and creating this property-related app.

Why should you choose real estate app development?

• Add mobility to your business

Let potential buyers have a 360-degree view of the property without stepping out of the house. By using their mobiles, they can check out their apartment details and find the right one based on their needs.

• Get a location-centric solution

As smartphones have the GPS feature, users can make location-centric searches. It will be easier for them to locate the nearby houses and real estate for sale.

• Find direct marketing opportunities

Real estate apps provide you with a chance to promote your business directly to your target audience. You have no issue with spam and third parties. Thus, you will find more customers and make several deals.

• Provide better customer service

As the property deals are complicated, your clients may have any questions about the transaction. Therefore, communicate with them directly and develop a positive relationship with them.

• Send instant notifications

Property investors like to stay updated with the latest offers. The app can automatically send a message to notify them about the available deals.

What are the must-have features of real estate apps?

Although the application development process is complicated, the final product needs to be intuitive and rich in features-

• Simple and clean app design
• Large database
• Smooth performance
• Advanced filtering algorithms
• Listing profiles
• Push notification
• Authorization systems
• Security

The best developers take care of every element of your app. Let us review several other features of your real estate apps.

• Easy signup/login

Both buyers and sellers can create their personal accounts by registering with the app. Users can save their search histories, preferences, and other relevant information. However, do not make the registration process long and intricate. Nowadays, app developers integrate social media signup buttons into the platform.

• Edit profile

Users can view their profiles from the dashboard and edit them. The best app enables them to personalize their profile details to get higher values from the portal.

• Search property

By using relevant keywords, potential buyers can identify the right property. The advanced search feature and different filter criteria will help them locate the dream house. You may add different criteria, like price rates, customer ratings, type, location, and amenities.

It is better to add analytics into the app and collect information from the server to identify users’ interests. Moreover, developers can implement the unique save search feature that enables realtors to know their clients’ preferences.

• A database is a must

One of the valuable parts of a real estate app is the database. Zillow and similar other portals rely on the MLS system to browse through property-related information. While brokers and agents choose Zillow Group, Zillow obtains the data. However, Zillow has its format to reveal the database. You may also choose the Zillow API to display the dynamic content.

• Property-related information

Buyers and investors will always like to know about the property details before making any deal. To gain the buyers’ interests, sellers need to mention-

1. New/old house- The age of the house
2. Its condition
3. The price rate- Is it negotiable?
4. Property location
5. The previous owner of the house
6. Whether anyone has bought the house previously
7. Brief details of the house

• A clear view of the map

The presence of a map is nothing new in real estate apps. However, what should you add to your map? By integrating heatmap, you can reveal neighborhood details, like crime details, population density, and traffic flow. Developers will add some markers on the map to ensure the viewer’s convenience without affecting readability. Trulia also has heatmaps representing data distribution.

Moreover, you may integrate the draw feature into the map. By using fingers, users can circle apart, and the digital map will reveal details of that zone based on their interests.

• Real-time messaging

To ensure regular communication with clients, the real-time chat system is vital in your real estate app. The server can identify every user’s offline and online status and ensure the instant delivery of messages. Besides, you can implement real-time chat software by applying the XMPP protocol.

• Video walkthroughs- Tours in the virtual world

Buyers like to inspect the property before making a purchase. To save their time, effort, travel cost, you can leverage benefits from technologies like Virtual Reality. There is no need to schedule real estate visits to check the property. Virtual tours are best for buyers making their property deals abroad.

Virtual tours are especially helpful when people want to purchase a house overseas. Some real estate apps also have special features to trigger interactions with live audio and video sessions. These apps can send messages while capturing notes and images. They will automatically save the tour information on the cloud platform for future use.

• Other elements related to the app interface

We know that every house needs interior decorations. Similarly, your mobile app should have a proper UI with minimal decorations. Although real-time videos are essential, it is vital to include standard videos, images, and other visual content.

Moreover, menus with the right words and terms also play a role in developing UI aesthetics. You will feel comfortable with the navigational pattern of the app.

Now, have you decided on earning money from real estate apps? You can look for the best real estate app development company and know the monetization opportunities. You may restrict some features for premium users and make money from developing the app.