Mobile App Development
Real Estate App Development: Features, Costs, and Technologies
Time is money, and the real estate industry knows this better than anyone. In such a dynamic sector, documents are often signed on the go, making mobile technology essential. What’s more, real estate customers are becoming more tech-savvy and demand convenient, mobile-friendly solutions, so the need for advanced, user-friendly apps continues to grow. But how do you leverage mobile technology in real estate? And more importantly, what does mobile app development look like for a real estate business?
These questions likely led you here—to our comprehensive guide on developing a real estate app. It has everything you need to know, from benefits and critical features to technologies, processes, and costs involved in real estate app development.
Benefits of Real Estate Mobile Apps
Before we get to the “whats” and “hows” of real estate apps, let’s explore the “whys.” You might already know your personal “why” for real estate application development, but gaining a few extra insights never hurts.
The benefits of developing a real estate app can impact everyone involved in the purchasing process: agents, investors, and buyers. While the pros we’re listing are fairly common, they highlight how you can benefit from building real estate apps as a business owner (or, more specifically, product owner).
Enhanced customer engagement
A real estate application is an easy-to-use tool for searching and presenting properties. It opens up many opportunities for sellers and buyers to secure the best deals at the right time. The application can collect user data and adjust property recommendations based on their preferences. Additionally, it can alert users about any properties they might be interested in or price changes for properties they’ve saved.
With built-in messaging features, investors can directly interact with agents, making it easier and faster to close deals. These features provide a more dynamic and user-friendly experience than traditional desktop platforms, making the app a preferred choice for users and enhancing their engagement with your business.
Streamlined property management
In real estate, updating listings and changing statuses are tasks that can’t wait. With an application right in their pocket, real estate agents can make adjustments to deals on the move, ensuring that property information is always up to date. What’s more, with modern technology, routine tasks like updating statuses can be automated, freeing up more time for agents to close deals.
Another feature of real estate mobile apps that simplifies property management is integration with CRM systems, which helps businesses access client information and manage relationships in real time, no matter where they are.
Improved property search and discovery
Real estate applications typically offer intuitive, advanced filtering, such as searches for location, price, property type, etc. What makes these apps special is that location searches can be done in real time thanks to GPS and built-in maps, and users can even receive notifications when they’re near a property that matches their preferences.
A real estate app can also include AR features, such as immersive virtual property tours or access to neighborhood amenities through the camera. This can reduce the need for multiple in-person visits to make a decision.
Increased efficiency and productivity
We’ve already mentioned in-app messaging, automation features, and the ability for real estate agents to update property information on the go. However, that is not the only way a real estate app can make property-selling easier and faster.
For example, the application can offer scheduling where agents and buyers can view each other's available time slots and book property tours directly from its interface. Furthermore, users can receive notifications about upcoming visits or important property updates.
Another helpful feature is that real estate mobile applications support digital documents and e-signatures, which makes it easy to sign and share documents from anywhere.
Revenue generation opportunities
Real estate applications are relatively easy to monetize. For example, they can generate revenue through in-app advertising or by offering premium listings to sellers or agents who want better visibility for their properties. The app can also have subscription plans with advanced features, such as enhanced search tools, early access to listings, deeper market analytics, and an ad-free experience.
Another way to monetize the real estate app is to establish referral programs with local service providers, such as mortgage lenders or home insurance companies. In this model, you get a commission each time a customer comes from the app.
Types of Real Estate Mobile Apps
A real estate application is not just one universal software solution for all real estate needs and purposes (even though you can potentially build one). Instead, there are different app types, each offering specific features. So, before developing your own real estate app, we recommend familiarizing yourself with the available options to have a clearer picture of which suits your goals best.
Property listing apps
Property listing apps combine different sources and databases to give users a comprehensive view of properties and an opportunity to search for available ones based on their preferences. Using it allows you to:
- Search and filter properties by various criteria (location, price, type)
- Access detailed property descriptions and images
- Save favorite listings for easy reference
- Receive notifications for new listings that match user preferences
- Contact agents or sellers directly through the app
This real estate app type is ideal for potential buyers or renters looking for new homes or investment opportunities, as well as real estate agents who want to showcase their listings and reach a wider audience.
Real estate agency apps
The name of this type is pretty self-explanatory: these are apps developed specifically for real estate agencies to manage their operations and interact with clients. The functionality includes:
- Centralized property management and listing updates
- Client relationship management tools
- Lead tracking and reporting features
- Scheduling appointments and property viewings
- Marketing tools to promote listings
Real estate business apps present an excellent opportunity for property companies to improve client communication, gain deeper insights into customer behavior and sales trends, and speed up deal closing.
Property management apps
Property management apps help landlords or property managers interact with tenants and oversee any property issues to promptly resolve them. Usually, these apps offer the following features:
- Rent collection and tracking
- Maintenance request management
- Tenant communication tools (messages, notifications)
- Financial reporting and analysis
- Lease management and documentation storage
All of the above helps keep tenants satisfied, and landlords reassured that the property is in good living condition.
Mortgage/loan calculator apps
These apps can help property buyers understand mortgage conditions, such as monthly payments, interest rates, and the total cost of a loan, and compare different mortgage options. Loan calculators typically include:
- Mortgage payment estimation based on loan amount and interest rate
- Comparison tools for different mortgage products
- Amortization schedule generation
- Affordability analysis based on user income and expenses
- Access to mortgage-related educational resources
Such calculator apps are extremely useful for homebuyers who want to make informed financial decisions before purchasing a property.
Real estate investment apps
Real estate investment apps help investors analyze potential property investment opportunities. They often feature:
- Cash flow analysis and ROI calculations
- Property comparison tools
- Access to real estate market data and trends
- Investment portfolio tracking
- Educational resources on real estate investing
These apps can appeal to new and experienced property investors, providing insights and analytics that can guide investment strategies.
Rental apps
These apps help tenants search for rental properties, communicate with landlords, schedule viewings, and apply for leases. The most common features include:
- Search and filter rental listings
- Direct messaging between landlords and tenants
- Online lease applications and document submissions
- Tenant screening tools for landlords
- Scheduling and notifications for viewings
Rental apps make communication easier for both parties in the rental process, speeding up vacancy filling for landlords and property searching for tenants.
Home valuation apps
With home valuation apps, you can estimate the value of a property based on different factors, such as recent sales data, neighborhood trends, and property characteristics. These apps mostly include:
- Instant property value estimates
- Comparative market analysis tools
- Access to recent sales data in the area
- Historical value trends for properties
- Guidance for sellers and buyers based on real estate market conditions
Home valuation applications can be helpful to people who want to sell their property and evaluate it correctly, buyers who want to be sure about the worth of the chosen property, or investors for better strategic planning.
AR/VR-based real estate mobile apps
These applications provide a better property viewing experience by allowing buyers to take 3D tours using their phones and allowing them to adjust the interior with furniture arrangements or renovations. Here are the most common features:
- Virtual property tours and walkthroughs
- Augmented reality features for home staging
- 3D visualization of properties and layouts
- Interactive tools to customize spaces digitally
AR/VR-based real estate apps can be particularly useful in markets where in-person visits may be challenging or for showcasing properties still under construction.
These are the most common types of applications businesses create to improve processes in real estate businesses. Whether you want to develop a specific type of real estate app or combine features from different ones, the choice is entirely up to you.
If you need help understanding which app type suits your needs best, don’t hesitate to contact ElifTech for a consultation.
Essential Real Estate App Features
Not all businesses develop a real estate app for a specific purpose or audience. And sometimes, the predefined functionality we discussed earlier might not work for them. That’s why we want to show you the additional features you can add to any app tailored to your needs.
Property filter and search features
In most real estate mobile apps, you can search for a property using a keyword or by adjusting filters (location, price, property type, number of bedrooms, neighborhood ratings, proximity to schools, specific amenities, etc.).
Property listings with detailed descriptions
This is basically a profile of the property with different details, like square footage, price, number of rooms, amenities, neighborhood details, high-quality images, and, in some cases, video tours.
Interactive map integration
With interactive map integration, users can see the property's location in relation to the surrounding infrastructure, like shops, parks, schools, pharmacies, and more. They can zoom in, get directions, and even see street views to visualize how well a property location fits their lifestyle.
User profiles and dashboards
Profiles help users manage their activities within the app. For example, buyers can view their saved properties and set up search alerts, while sellers can manage property profiles and track inquiries. You can also include dashboards that summarize all relevant information for easier and faster access to critical actions and updates.
In-app messaging and communication
This feature facilitates direct communication between buyers, sellers, and agents within the app, reducing the need for external emails or phone calls. With its help, the negotiation and property inquiry process is handled faster and more smoothly.
Virtual tours and AR/VR support
AR/VR real estate apps are designed for 3D showcasing a property's interior with the option of adjusting its appearance. So, in addition to standard photos and videos, you can power your real estate app with this interactive feature.
Mortgage and loan calculators
You can include mortgage and loan calculators in your application to help buyers estimate mortgage payments based on factors like loan amount, interest rates, and loan terms, or even compare different loan products.
Push notifications
With push notifications, your real estate app can inform users in real time about new property listings, price changes, upcoming appointments, or responses to inquiries.
Integration with MLS (Multiple Listing Service)
You can include a feature that connects your application to MLS databases, allowing users to access a broader range of property listings, including those from multiple agents and real estate businesses.
Scheduling and appointment booking
The scheduling functionality allows agents and sellers to provide available time slots for property viewings and buyers to book visits directly through the application.
User reviews and ratings
This feature lets users leave feedback on properties, agents, or even landlords. They help future tenants or buyers make informed decisions while boosting credibility for trustworthy businesses.
The real estate app features listed above are the standard ones users typically expect to see. For more advanced features, let’s look at some AI-powered options.
AI Features of Real Estate Mobile Apps
Did you know that the annual growth rate of AI in real estate is expected to reach 34% by 2028? With that in mind, we’d like to show you how artificial intelligence can be used in successful real estate apps and what features can be added thanks to AI.
AI-powered property recommendations
Your application can use machine learning algorithms to analyze and learn user preferences from their search history and behavior. It can then recommend properties that align with their interests.
Chatbots for instant customer support
AI chatbots can provide users with immediate answers to frequently asked questions, guide them through the app, and assist with property inquiries, such as whether a park is nearby.
Predictive analytics for market trends
AI can enhance your real estate app with the ability to analyze the market and predict future pricing trends, property types, and more. This will be particularly helpful for investors looking to develop more informed financial strategies.
Image recognition for property analysis
With this feature, buyers can use your app to analyze property images to extract valuable information about the property, such as architectural features or living conditions, and even estimate potential renovation costs.
Natural Language Processing (NLP) for search queries
The best thing about NLP is that users don’t have to use specific keywords and can explain their needs using more conversational language. Thanks to NLP, your real estate app will understand simple human speech, turn it into search queries, and retrieve relevant results.
Smart virtual assistants (SVAs)
SVAs go beyond chatbots by providing more contextually aware assistance. They learn from user behavior over time to offer proactive suggestions and can help users schedule appointments and interact with other applications, such as CRMs or payment systems.
AI-driven lead scoring
With AI-driven lead scoring, your real estate app will analyze buyers’ behavior, engagement levels, and demographic information to assess the likelihood of them purchasing a property. This will allow agents to focus on high-potential leads.
Automated content generation for listings
To save agents time, you can include a feature that allows AI to generate property descriptions and marketing content directly within the app.
Voice search integration
With voice search, your users can quickly find information while multitasking or on the go, which makes your real estate app more accessible and user-friendly.
If you'd like to integrate AI in your real estate app, our AI software development services can help.
Thanks to AI features, real estate applications become more advanced, simplifying various aspects of property negotiation for buyers and sellers. While this technology is not a necessity, it certainly is an advantage. But what are the essential technologies for real estate app development?
Technology Stack for Real Estate App Development
The choice of technologies depends on several factors, such as the app’s functionality, platform (a real estate website, an iOS or Android app), integration with third-party services, security requirements, and scalability needs.
While we don’t know your specific requirements, we’ve prepared a table showcasing the essential technologies for developing a real estate app, complete with examples. This will give you an idea of what expertise to look for, whether within your in-house team or from third-party vendors.
If you want to learn more about the most suitable tech stack for your project or the development team you’ll need, feel free to contact ElifTech—we’ll be happy to assist.
Cost of Developing a Real Estate App
Now that you have a better understanding of how to develop a successful real estate app, it’s time to move on to the next important question: how much does real estate app development cost?
The answer isn’t straightforward, as each app is unique, and businesses take different approaches to building them. Here are the factors that affect software development costs and some practical tips on how to save money.
Factors affecting the cost of mobile app development for real estate
Understanding how the price of a real estate application is formed can help you plan real estate app development accordingly. This way, you’ll be able to create the application you want while also ensuring it matches your budget.
Features and functionality: The more features you want for your real estate app, the more expensive it will be. Additionally, keep in mind that some features, like property listings, are less complex and, therefore, cheaper to implement than, for example, AI recommendations or virtual tours.
Platform selection: If you want your application to be accessible to both Android and iOS users, or if you also want to include a web or desktop version, it will require more resources than developing an app for just one platform.
Design complexity: A complex, visually rich interface with animations, transitions, or intricate graphics will be more expensive to develop than a simple, minimalistic design.
Development team location: If you’re considering hiring real estate app developers or outsourcing to a third party, you may want to explore different locations and compare their rates.
Integration with third-party services: The overall cost of developing the real estate app can change significantly depending on the number and complexity of integrations.
Regulatory compliance: You may need to comply with various regulations and standards required in your region and for your application type. Ensuring compliance, in turn, can add complexity and cost, especially if legal or security considerations necessitate additional features.
While it may initially seem that creating the app of your dreams will deplete your bank accounts, there are strategies to reduce development costs without sacrificing quality.
Real estate app development cost-saving tips and strategies
Being experts in real estate mobile application development, we at ElifTech have a few tricks up our sleeves on how to reduce the cost of building real estate apps. Here is the list of our best practices:
- We recommend our clients start by developing an MVP version of their app with essential features and gradually add advanced functions as needed.
- You can use frameworks like React Native or Flutter to develop apps for both iOS and Android simultaneously, reducing the development effort.
- Generally, if you partner with an offshore development team, you can significantly reduce development costs since you don’t need to maintain an in-house team. Plus, you’ll have access to a larger pool of talents with experience in advanced technologies.
- It’s possible and, in some cases, even preferable to use pre-built components or third-party services (e.g., map integrations, CRMs) to avoid reinventing the wheel.
If you adopt these strategies when developing your real estate application, you can stay within budget without compromising your needs.
Real Estate App Development Process: 5 Important Steps
The real estate application development process generally includes five main stages; however, the specifics can vary depending on the project and the approach you choose. This is the typical process we follow at ElifTech when developing real estate mobile applications.
1. Idea validation and market research
The first step is conducting thorough market research to validate your real estate app idea. This includes identifying target audiences, analyzing competitors, understanding market demands, and gathering feedback from potential users through surveys or focus groups. With this information, you can make sure that your application actually resonates with users and fits into the existing market landscape.
2. Defining the app’s MVP
An MVP is the first version of your application that includes only the core features necessary for the app to function and deliver value to users. So, at this stage, we use the gathered information to identify those core features.
3. UI/UX design considerations
During this phase, we create wireframes and prototypes to define what your app will look like and outline the flow of the application, basically defining how users will interact with it.
4. Development and testing phases
That’s when developers begin coding the app, transforming the approved designs into a functional product. Once the initial version is complete, we test your real estate app to identify and fix bugs, ensure compatibility across devices, and verify that all features function as required.
5. Deployment and post-launch support
After successful testing and bug fixing, your app is ready for deployment. We can launch it on relevant platforms like the App Store or Google Play or distribute it inside your organization.
Then comes post-launch support, which includes monitoring app performance, gathering user feedback, and providing ongoing updates or maintenance.
How to Get Started with Real Estate App Development?
Developing a real estate app requires careful planning and an understanding of your business goals and technical needs, as well as the needs of your users. This is why expert guidance and partnering with professional real estate app developers are essential for success.
Companies like ElifTech ensure your app meets the highest standards, assisting you at every stage of development—from idea validation and design to development and post-launch support.
Ready to take the next step? Contact ElifTech for a consultation, and let us help you bring your real estate app idea to life.