Searching for a new home can be an exciting yet stressful time. Luckily, advances in technology have led to useful house hunting apps that streamline the process. By putting robust search features, market insights and listing alerts right at your fingertips, these real estate apps empower home buyers to find their perfect match with ease.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore the top house hunting apps available today. You‘ll discover key capabilities that set each platform apart along with tips for using these tools effectively in your home search. Whether you‘re just starting out or honing in on closing the deal, read on to find the best real estate app for your needs.
Key Features of the Top House Hunting Apps
Before diving into the top 12 apps, let‘s briefly overview some of the most useful features you‘ll find across today‘s top-rated platforms:
- Advanced property search – All apps allow you to filter by location, price, beds/baths, home type and more.
- Market insights – Real-time data on pricing trends, neighborhood stats and more help inform your search.
- Listing alerts – Get notifications when new homes matching your criteria hit the market.
- Home valuation tools – Estimate a property‘s value with proprietary algorithms and local data.
- Mortgage calculators – Determine monthly payments and your true price range.
- 3D home tours – Virtually walk through listed properties to get a feel for layout and space.
- Agent connectivity – Message real estate professionals through the app to ask questions or schedule tours.
Now let‘s explore how today‘s top real estate apps put these features and more to work for you.
1. Zillow
With over 200 million monthly visitors, Zillow reigns supreme when it comes to real estate apps. The platform offers an unbeatable breadth of listings with data pulled in from across the industry. Users praise Zillow‘s map search functions, automated valuations and seamless integration with premier listing service MLS. Premium subscribers unlock even more insights on everything from price cuts to days on market. While some agents argue Zestimates aren‘t always accurate, Zillow gives buyers an excellent jumping off point to gauge home values.
Key Features:
- 150M+ listings from MLS and other sources
- Zestimates for valuation guidance
- Rental search with price history
- Neighborhood insights on noise, walkability and more
Best For: Buyers who want maximum search power with real-time inventory and market updates.
2. realtor.com
As one of the most visited real estate sites, realtor.com also offers a robust mobile app experience. Listings are refreshed every 15 minutes, allowing buyers to capitalize on new inventory in near real-time. With over 145 million monthly visitors, the app provides tremendous reach along with great agent connectivity. Unique offerings like the Affordability Calculator equip users to determine accurate price parameters. The app also stands out with data visualizations conveying complex market insights.
Key Features:
- Affordability calculator to determine price range
- Neighborhood persona profiles
- 3D home tour capability
- Interactive maps to analyze market competition
Best For: Savvy buyers who want to understand granular market forces impacting home prices and competition.
3. Redfin
While less broad in national reach than Zillow or realtor.com, Redfin makes up for this with best-in-class localized data. Redfin Direct agents actually work leads within the app, allowing buyers to book home tours instantly. The app also updates hyperlocal market stats every 5 minutes, ensuring timely insights. Redfin Estimate valuations leverage on-the-ground expertise for accuracy. For investors and renovators, the app‘s investment calculator is a bonus.
Key Features:
- Local MLS listings from Redfin agents
- Investment calculator projecting costs vs. potential returns
- Book tours with Redfin agents directly through the app
- Granular price change insights updated every 5 minutes
Best For: Investors and buyers focused on understanding hyperlocal market shifts instantaneously impacting home prices.
4. Trulia
While similar to Zillow, Trulia differentiates itself through curated neighborhood insights direct from locals. The app‘s "What Locals Say" feature compiles area reviews along with nuts and bolts data on topics like walkability and crime rates. Trulia also stands out with tools helping buyers time upcoming listing price changes. Filters allow you to identify likely overpriced properties ready to drop. These unique capabilities make Trulia a sleeper hit among savvy buyers aiming to score a deal.
Key Features:
- Neighborhood reviews and ratings from locals
- Market temperature tool predicting price changes
- Rent vs. buy calculator
- AR imaging overlaying available homes onto street views
Best For: Value-focused buyers who want to leverage insider intel to negotiate better deals in desirable areas.
5. Rocket Homes
While Rocket Homes doesn‘t brand itself as a brokerage, the app actually does have agents ready to serve up listings while helping manage mortgage, title and closing processes. Unique search filters allow buyers to zero in on homes most aligned with their commuting needs and lifestyle priorities. Customized alerts notify users when new appropriate inventory hits the market. Rocket Homes also provides access to exclusive seller lead generation lists to uncover homes not yet actively marketed.
Key Features:
- Custom commute search pairing homes optimally located for work
- Lifestyle search dialing in homes that match kids, pets and other priorities
- Buyer agent pairing for turnkey real estate transactions
- Interest rate watches alerting users to favorable mortgage shifts
Best For: First-time buyers who want guidance search to closing while finding homes fitting their commute and lifestyle.
6. Compass
Compass differentiates itself through tech-forward proprietary platforms combined with dedicated agent support. The app allows buyers to favorite listings across devices while getting notifications if prices drop. Compass Concierge provides on-demand assistance with agents ready to answer pressing questions. For sellers (or future sellers) the Compass Coming Soon feature gives early access to homes agents are preparing to list.
Key Features:
- Favorites synchronization across devices
- Chat with Compass Concierge for instant agent access
- See upcoming listings through Compass Coming Soon
- Automated notifications if favorited home prices drop
Best For: Tech-savvy buyers hungry for early inventory notifications powered by Compass‘ internal big data capabilities.
7. Homesnap
Homesnap conversely casts itself as a more agent-centric platform, though home buyers can certainly use the free app as well. Unique offerings let users sort favorite properties into collections for easy reference. Drawing tools allow buyers to drop pins and select areas of interest for custom property alerts. Homesnap also provides sidebar snapshots conveying property tax history. For buyers in the research phase, the app delivers.
Key Features:
- Create saved home collections
- Drawing tools to select custom areas for alerts
- Historical tax data snapshots
- AR lot views overlaying listed homes over real neighborhood perspectives
Best For: Meticulous researchers who want to easily catalogue prospects while understanding granular financial factors impacting total ownership costs.
8. Homes.com
Part of the Homes.com family of sites, this app allows buyers to access over 5 million listings directly from 475+ Multiple Listing Services databases. The breadth of inventory spans thousands of smaller local brokerages often missed by larger consumer portals. Useful visualization tools overlay everything from school districts to traffic patterns over listed properties. Custom commute mapping further zeros in on ideal locations balancing work and home.
Key Features:
- Huge inventory from 475+ MLS databases
- Visual overlays showing school zones, noise maps and other area insights
- Saved home progress tracker with notification alerts
- Mortgage calculators and rate comparisons
Best For: Buyers who value access to the maximum number of properties while understanding hyperlocal contextual factors impacting home selection.
9. Realtydroid
Realtydroid casts itself as a more visually driven platform. Listing details only occupy 1/3 of the screen with the rest devoted to photos, maps and guides. Swipe-friendly interfaces allow rapid sorting while augmented reality previews let buyers view properties overlaid in real neighborhoods. Realtydroid also equips users to create saved searches with parameters like price drops or new Construction only. Useful checklists help buyers track home visits while accessing curated neighborhood highlights.
Key Features:
- Swipe card interface to quickly sort listings
- Augmented reality neighborhood previews
- New construction and price drop alerts
- Area restaurant and attractions check-in guides
Best For: Visually oriented younger buyers who want a more graphic, mobile-first experience finding, touring and evaluating homes.
10. Owners.com
Owners.com takes an agent-focused approach with seasoned professionals guiding clients through home tours while managing negotiations plus closing details. The app allows buyers to book showings with top local agents directly. Users can favourite listings across devices while filtering by standard criteria like price and neighborhood. Owners.com stands out by putting agent expertise at the core of a smooth, integrated real estate experience.
Key Features:
- Book showing appointments directly with top agents
- Favourite properties synchronization across devices
- Agent-managed tours, negotiations and closing
Best For: Busy buyers who want a true concierge experience with an agent dedicated managing details across the entire home purchase process.
11. CoStar
CoStar mainly services commercial brokers with deep market insights, but consumers can access 1M+ residential listings through the app as well. Unique tools like Sales Comp Reports chart comparables to identify listing opportunities. Property history views track ownership changes over time. For investing-minded buyers, CoStar provides unparalleled data clarity. Sort options also include lease rates for those interested in multifamily rentals.
Key Features:
- 1M+ residential listings from proprietary research
- Sales comp reports benchmarking properties
- Historical ownership chain tracking
- Lease rate indexing for rental investors
Best For: Investors and builders interested in commercial and residential markets.
12. Auction.com
As the name suggests, Auction.com allows buyers to bid on residential properties online across the United States. Foreclosures, bank-owned homes and other distressed asset listings often sell below market value. Auction properties subtracted from MLS may offer hidden opportunities. The app features open bid transparency while enhancing mobility. Users can get notifications when auctions matching property preferences open. Auction.com unlocks an entirely unique acquisition method for unwavering negotiators.
Key Features:
- 500K+ asset auctions including residential listings
- Notification alerts for upcoming relevant property auctions
- User-friendly bid tracking and connectivity
- Sortable dashboard to follow favourite auction opportunities
Best For: Confident buyers excited to capitalize on below-market listings while mastering the auction acquisition process.
Tips for Using Real Estate Apps to Aid Your Home Search
With this overview of the 12 top house hunting apps, how can you start leveraging these platforms most effectively? Here are quick best practice tips:
1. Get Clear on Must-Haves
Compile a list of your absolute highest priority features like location, number of bedrooms etc. Rank these in order of necessity. Some may be non-negotiable while others more wish list. This will help refine searches.
2. Determine Your Budget
While most of us browse listings aspirational out of budget at times, know your firm upper limit for monthly payments. Mortgage calculators built into apps can determine affordability.
3. Setup Alerts
Configure notifications to receive prompt updates when new listings matching defined criteria hit the market. Act fast by scheduling tours for fresh inventory.
4. Study Sales Trends
View historical sale prices and days on market for context gauging fair asking prices. Is the market heating up or cooling down?
5. Drive the Neighborhood
While virtual tours have improved, nothing substitutes for experiencing the vibe and flow firsthand. Visit at varied days/times.
The right real estate app will get you closer to your dream home faster by expanding your market visibility while dialing in priority parameters. Now empowered with a breakdown of the top 12 platforms, features and functionalities – happy house hunting!
