Whether you’re a first-time buyer or about to upgrade your property for a second or third time, it’s a smart play to use technology to make your home-hunting as efficient as possible.
Many buyers are now using phone apps exclusively to find their dream homes.
These are some of the best.
Zillow
The market leader for Apple and Android phones. Its strength is the ease with which you can compare homes and prices in different neighborhoods. It also has an excellent 3D home tour feature.
Realtor.com
Excellent search functionality features with filters that help you target the “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves”, which you will have already identified as part of your home-hunting criteria. It also offers excellent property profiles that can highlight issues, such as a flood zone.
Redfin
This is a straightforward app to use. It also encourages communication between prospective buyers and the relevant agent. This means you can easily schedule a walk-through of a property. It also includes climate risk data.
Trulia
This site polls residents in specific neighborhoods on the quality of the area, so you’ll know whether it’s a safe place to walk on the street, for example. Like the others, it has a robust listing service.
Movoto
Movoto offers in-depth neighborhood information and five-year price trends of your target areas. It also has an excellent listings feature.
Rocket Homes
A mortgage broker, Rocket Homes couples its listing service with the ability to apply for a mortgage for a target home. It also has credit-tracking, which can be used without an inquiry impacting your credit score.
Homes.com
Lots of great features in this app, including a tool that allows you to collaborate with friends, family and your agents when you see a property you love.