The 9 Best House Buying Apps to Navigate the 2024 Real Estate Market
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Steph Mickelson, Contributing AuthorClose
Steph Mickelson Contributing AuthorSteph Mickelson is a freelance writer based in Northwest Wisconsin who specializes in real estate, building materials, and design. She has a Master's degree in Secondary Education and uses her teaching experience to educate and guide readers. When she's not writing, she can be found juggling kids and coffee.
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Kelsey Morrison, Former HomeLight EditorClose
Kelsey Morrison Former HomeLight EditorKelsey Morrison worked as an editor for HomeLight's Resource Centers. She has seven years of editorial experience in the real estate and lifestyle spaces. She previously worked as a commerce editor for World of Good Brands (eHow.com and Cuteness.com) and as an associate editor for Livabl.com. Kelsey holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, and lives in a small mountain town in Southern California.
House hunting has become so much more than finding four walls and a roof to live under. For some, it’s become a full-fledged hobby. If you’re addicted to scrolling house buying apps but were sidelined by 2023’s high mortgage rates, we’ve got good news for you: The National Association of Realtors (NAR) is predicting a 13.5% uptick in existing home sales in 2024, spurred by expected Fed rate cuts, growing inventory, and rising incomes.
Ready to take your app-fueled house hunting from aspirational to transactional? We tested dozens of house buying apps to find the most user-friendly and accurate online portals for discovering your next home. Read on to learn more about our top 9 house buying apps for 2024.
Best for browsing: Zillow
Zillowing has become the new Googling. And it’s quickly becoming a legit hobby as well as a way to take on serious house hunting. It can also be used for self-care, as a love language, or as motivation to do your taxes or study harder. Zillow is the most downloaded real estate app and offers a vast database of listings, detailed property information, and a user-friendly interface.
- Millions of listings: Zillow boasts one of the largest databases of real estate listings in the United States — 135 million and counting! Users can browse a wide range of properties, from single-family homes to townhomes and condos. The listings are regularly updated to reflect current market conditions.
- Up-to-date information: Most changes or updates show up within 24 hours, so you’re getting up-to-date information … and it gives you an excuse to check the app every day! You’ll find comprehensive details for each listing, including property descriptions, high-resolution photos, floor plans (when available), and useful information on nearby schools and amenities.
- Sharing tools: On this app, you can add shopping partners to save and share your favorite home with friends, family, and even your over-involved mother-in-law. Comparing notes on homes and features can help streamline the buying process.
- Agent finder: Want to connect with a real estate agent in your area who knows the market well? Zillow has an in-app directory service where you can browse an agent’s reviews, areas of expertise, years of experience, current listings, and more.
- Inaccurate home values: Zillow’s estimate of a home’s market value, the Zestimate, isn’t always accurate. Because it pulls from public, MLS, and user-submitted data, the Zestimate hinges on the amount of data available. Where there is less available data, the numbers may be off.
- Advertisements: While Zillow offers a free version of its app, it does come with advertisements, which can be somewhat distracting as you’re scrolling through properties. The only way to remove ads is to subscribe to Zillow Premier Agent, but that app is designed for agents and brokerages.
Includes rentals: Yes
Available at the App Store and Google Play
Best for auction junkies: Xome
Whether you’re an investor seeking opportunities or a homebuyer in search of a fixer-upper, the Xome app gives you access to a wide range of real estate auction listings. The app will walk you through every step of the process, from searching for and discovering the perfect place to information on titles and closing.
- Auction variety: Xome advertises many different types of property auctions, including foreclosure auctions, live auctions, and online auctions. This variety allows users to explore various property types and investment opportunities.
- Current information: Xome’s large database of auction properties is refreshed every 15 minutes, so you’ll always be in the know. The app provides comprehensive property information including property descriptions, photos, property condition reports, virtual tours (when available), and important details about the auction process.
- Bidding options: Xome allows users to place bids on properties directly through the app, making the auction process convenient and accessible.
- Useful filters: You can use the app’s overlays to discover points of interest like neighborhoods, restaurants, shopping, schools, and more. You can also view the Xome Value for any home in the United States.
- Geographical limitations: Xome’s availability and the number of auction listings may vary by location. Users in certain regions may have access to a more extensive database of properties and auctions compared to others.
- Additional costs: Some Xome auctions may have a buyer’s premium, which is an additional fee on top of the winning bid. Buyers need to be aware of these potential costs and factor them into their budget when participating in auctions.
- Property conditions: Properties sold at auctions come in various conditions, and some may require extensive repairs or renovations. To avoid unexpected costs, buyers should do thorough research to assess the condition of the property before bidding. If touring the property ahead of bidding is forbidden, driving past the home and exploring the neighborhood could help you make a better-informed decision.
Includes rentals: No
Available at the App Store and Google Play
Best to get to know the neighborhood: Trulia
There’s nothing worse than finding the perfect home only to discover that you hate the neighborhood. Trulia boasts 34 neighborhood map overlays that include crime statistics, schools, amenities, commutes, and more. With this house buying app, you can find a home you love that’s in the perfect neighborhood.
- Neighborhood highlights: Trulia offers robust property and neighborhood searches with neighborhood details that include crime statistics, school ratings, nearby amenities, and even commute times to the office or your child’s daycare. The ‘What Locals Say’ feature will give you insider information like whether it’s walkable to restaurants or safe to leave packages outside.
- Real-time alerts: Customized email and push notifications allow you to stay updated on your ideal homes and neighborhoods. This app is great for those who are in an active home search and really want to dig into prospective neighborhoods.
- Hidden FSBO listings: For sale by owner (FSBO) listings can be difficult to find in the app. Under filters, locate the tab called ‘Listing Source by.’ Agent is highlighted by default, but you can select the ‘Owner & Other’ tab to view FSBO listings in your desired area.
- Incomplete listing information: Trulia’s database of property listings is not as sizeable nor as up-to-date as other apps. Listings may lack certain details, or they may be buried in drop-down menus, so it’s a good idea to cross-reference the information with other sources or consult your real estate agent.
- Mixed reviews: While Trulia boasts a 4.8-star rating on the App Store and a 4.7-star rating on Google Play, we found some common complaints in the reviews. The app regularly asks you to verify that you’re human, which some users found annoying, and others expressed frustration that the commute time feature had seemingly disappeared with the latest update.
Includes rentals: Yes
Available at the App Store and Google Play
Best for reliability: Realtor.com
The Realtor.com house buying app is the official search portal for the National Association of Realtors. As a result, this easy-to-use app boasts more homes for sale nationwide than any other house buying app.
- Countless features: With the Realtor.com app, you can contact the listing agent, view open house times, request a private showing, and get directions to the property — all with one tap. The My Home tab is particularly useful and allows you to claim your home to view multiple home value estimates, keep tabs on your equity, and review local market trends. There’s even an in-app news feed for those who want to read about the latest mortgage rates or take a peek inside celebrity homes.
- Real view: From the map view, click on the box icon to unlock Real View, which lets you toggle filters for noise, flood or wildfire risk, points of interest, satellite view, and 3D view. This can help you identify whether that home you’re eyeing is in an area with significant wildfire risk, which may require special insurance coverage.
- Responsive: Customer support seems active in the reviews, replying to people with issues and addressing them where they can. The company offers a way to give feedback through the app and its website allows you to submit questions.
- Agent difficulties: The “Contact Agent” feature connects the user to local agents who pay for leads rather than the actual listing agent. If you’re applying filters to find an agent, you may have trouble if they didn’t use the keywords that pertain to your search.
- Limited neighborhood details: While the Realtor.com app provides extensive property details, it doesn’t offer as much community information compared to some other real estate apps. On a listing page, you’ll find basic information about local schools, the noise level, and flood risk but not much else. Users may want to complement their research with other resources or apps that specialize in neighborhood insights.
Includes rentals: Yes
Available at the App Store and Google Play
Best for saving money: Redfin
Redfin leverages modern technology to keep their costs low. This allows them to offer lower agent commission rates than a standard real estate agency, making it a great choice when you want to make the most of your money. They pull their listings from local multiple listing services but Redfin agents’ listings come up first in relevant searches.
- Tour scheduling: The app lets you instantly schedule in-person or video chat home tours with local Redfin Agents. You can choose your preferred date and time, and select time slots have guaranteed agent availability. It also shows you how popular a home is based on its page views, letting you know if you need to schedule that tour ASAP or if it can wait until next week.
- Big savings: When you buy with a Redfin Agent, you’ll get part of their commission — on average $7,000 — applied to your closing costs. If your refund exceeds your closing costs, you’ll get a check for the difference. That means more money in your pocket for new light fixtures or cans of paint.
- Fresh listings: Expect new listing updates every five minutes – there’s always something new to check out! In addition to homes listed on local MLSs, Redfin displays foreclosed properties, for sale by owner properties, and records of past sales. The Redfin Estimate (the market value of a particular home) is updated every day for homes that are on the market and once weekly for those that are not.
- Minimal neighborhood details: There is less info about neighborhoods than on other apps. You’ll find GreatSchools summary ratings complete with reviews, a Walk Score and Bike Score, plus climate risk factors like flood, fire, heat, and wind.
- Limited to certain markets: Redfin doesn’t have agents in every U.S. market (although they’re active in more than 80), so while you can use the app, you might not be able to hire a local Redfin agent with a lower commission if you live in a less densely populated or rural area.
Includes rentals: Yes
Available at the App Store and Google Play
Best for agent/client collaboration: Zenlist
While homebuyers will need an invitation from a subscribing real estate agent to gain access to Zenlist, the app is designed to streamline communication and open up access to MLS inventory, including private listings, which is a huge advantage in a competitive market.
- Private listings: When competition is high, private home listings (sometimes referred to as off-market listings or pocket listings) can give buyers a leg up by granting them access to exclusive opportunities not available to the general public. Some multiple listing services have their own private listing networks, separate databases that let agents view non-public listings before they’re ready to hit the market as well as listings that will never be made public due to privacy concerns. With Zenlist, agents can grant their clients access to the private market database, which they can browse at their convenience.
- In-app messaging: Important information can get lost in the shuffle when you’re switching between emails, text messages, and phone calls. Zenlist’s in-app messaging platform allows clients to chat with their agents, or agents to chat with other agents. Clients can share notes on a property with their real estate agents (and vice versa), and agents can monitor their clients’ in-app activity, like how many properties they viewed and which ones they added to folders like ‘Tour Requests.’
- Stay on schedule: The home buying process can be hectic, but Zenlist takes some of the hassle out of it by keeping a record of the homes you’ve already toured and sending you reminders about upcoming showings.
- Only available in certain markets: Zenlist is currently offered in Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Baltimore, and the BrightMLS area, which covers Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
- Learning curve: While Zenlist aims for user-friendliness, some people find the app’s features and interface difficult to navigate at first. Reviewers have previously complained of bugs, faulty filters, and lagging in the messaging platform.
Includes rentals: Yes
Available at the App Store and Google Play
Best for commercial real estate: LoopNet
Most of the apps on this list deal with residential properties, but LoopNet is the go-to resource for commercial real estate. It’s a great tool for individuals and businesses seeking to buy, lease, or sell commercial properties, from office spaces and industrial warehouses to retail storefronts and investment properties.
- Diversity: LoopNet has one of the largest databases of commercial properties, offering a diverse range of listings. Explore office spaces, retail properties, hotels, industrial facilities, multi-unit investment properties, and more. Users can browse properties that are for sale, for lease, or hitting the auction block.
- Advanced search: If you’re in the market for commercial real estate, use LoopNet’s advanced search features to refine your search by price, building type, lot size, number of units, and more. These filters make it easy for users to pinpoint properties that align with their investment or business goals.
- Subscription model: It’s free for users to browse listings on LoopNet, but commercial property owners must pay to list and advertise their properties. Some find it worthwhile, however, because it attracts subscribing brokers with their own investors. The cheapest marketing package starts at $99 per month and goes up to $1,099 per month.
- Search results: One downside of the LoopNet app is not being able to search for commercial businesses that are for sale. It’s also lacking an agent directory; however, both of these features are available on the website.
Includes rentals: Yes
Available at the App Store and Google Play
Best for versatility: Homes.com
The Homes.com app offers a simply smarter home search with useful homebuying tools, interactive maps, and detailed neighborhood information. Because of their partnerships with MLS boards and local data providers, you can find homes on this app that aren’t listed elsewhere.
- Browse foreclosures: You can search thousands of foreclosed homes and lots for sale with the Homes.com house buying app. These include bank-owned real estate listings, REO, HUD, and more. To narrow down your search, select filters, scroll down to ‘listing type,’ and tap ‘foreclosures.’
- Agent directory: The agents tab allows you to find an experienced agent in your area, displaying facts like their total sales and home price range. There’s also in-app messaging where you can connect with your agent or a co-shopper.
- Useful searches: In the menu tab, tap the neighborhood search or school search to view photos and videos, read reviews, scan home facts, or learn about transit options, crime statistics, demographics, and more. On listing pages, you can also find profiles of agents specializing in that area, upcoming open houses, recently sold homes, and more.
- Agents dislike it: Homes.com was a replacement for the HomeSnap app, which was extremely popular among real estate agents for its showing scheduling capabilities, private agent remarks, access to listing documents, and more. The number of bad reviews left by agents has dropped the app’s score down to 4.6 in the App Store and 4.1 in Google Play.
- Potential for fake listings: Users have pointed out that there’s no way to report fake listings, which can lead to home buying or rental scams. Others have complained that there’s no way to filter for rentals that allow pets or specific keywords.
Includes rentals: Yes
Available at the App Store and Google Play
Best for creative searching: Torii
Torii lets you search in the usual way by typing in a town, ZIP code, price range, and the like. But you can also get creative with the Tinder of real estate apps and search by swiping left to get rid of a property or right to save it. It’s like finding your perfect match — but in house form.
- Help with closing costs: Torii will give you back up to 10% of the commission they receive to help pay your closing costs. If you opt to buy a home with one of their agents, this could potentially save you thousands of dollars — 2% to 5% of the total loan amount on average (in 2021, the U.S. average was $6,905).
- Home buying tools: This app offers a whopping 10 tools to help you find exactly what you need. You can hunt for fixer-uppers with Fixer Finder, or use Comps Chomper to find accurate comps when negotiating the sale price.
- Dating app-like functionality: If you enjoy real estate listings that look like dating app profiles, you’ll love scrolling through Torii. You can tap the information icon to read more about the property, the heart icon to save it, or the trash icon to remove it from your feed.
- Limited reach: Torii supports all of Massachusetts, and you can search for homes in select areas of New Hampshire and California. To use the ‘Swiper’ feature, it’s best to enter a bigger city in one of the supported regions like Boston, Massachusetts, or Manchester, New Hampshire. Inventory is limited as well, so users may need to supplement their search with additional apps.
- Most services are Massachusetts-only: If you’re looking for the full package — complete with an agent, attorney, appraisal, lender, and more — Torii will only be of use to you if you’re buying in the Bay State. The company seems to be focused more on its home buying services than on its home searching app, and as a result, the app has struggled to keep up with the competition.
Includes rentals: No
Available at App Store and Google Play
With all of these house buying apps, the house hunting process has never been easier or more fun. So whether you’re looking for your next home, your dream home, or you’re just browsing, you’ll find an app that’s perfect for you!
Header Image Source: (Rohit Tandon / Unsplash)
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