Develop Feature-rich Real Estate App like Zillow or Trulia: The Thriving Guide for Realtors

Everyone agrees with the famous saying that there’s no place like home. Right? Ultimately, you can’t get the homely feeling at a top-rated hotel or resort. Coming back to our comfort place (home) has always been the most relaxing feeling. Consequently, when it comes to buying a home or property, it is obvious to look back and forth for choosing your dream home. However, technology-driven solutions have eased down the procedure of searching for the ideal home. Today, you can check on your desired properties from real estate apps like Zillow and Trulia on your smartphones.

One can search, see, and seal the deal for their home with just a matter of clicks now. Real estate app development has made the steps for buying or renting homes relatively straightforward for users. However, the online trend in the industry has started with revolutionary applications such as Zillow & Trulia. Based on a recent report by Zillow, 40% of millennials find online home-buying options way more comfortable. 

Well, Zillow and Trulia become the epitome of groundbreaking and advanced real estate apps in the US market. The latest upcoming real estate agencies are taking into account the Zillow app as the inspiration for building new-age applications. 

And after receiving many queries from clients, here is a detailed overview for all the real estate agents who are planning to set up their app which should be more performance-rich and better than Zillow or Trulia. Before moving into that, let’s clarify the importance and relevance of creating your real estate app in 2024 and beyond.  

Why should you develop your Real Estate App in 2024?

In the fast-paced world of technology, structuring and sustaining your business presence is a hard nut to crack. Having an online entity for your business is as important as registering your business under lawful institutions. 

The real estate industry is growing with many emerging market trends. To maintain a level of the marketplace, developing a real estate app like Trulia would be a great choice for achieving new heights. Additionally, mobile apps for real estate are a profitable solution for keeping the velocity of digital presence in the long run.

Apart from that, it is evident that people are more likely to search online for their home requirements. Mobile apps have gained users’ trust by offering every aspect at their fingertips. So, if you’re planning to have your real estate app with its unique and successful presence, evaluating the features of Zillow or Trulia would really minimize the task.

What are the Significant features Required for developing Real Estate Apps like Zillow & Trulia?

The key features of your real estate app are the components that make or break your impression. Here is the list of features that assist in making real estate apps like Zillow and Trulia. 

• User Login

The welcome screen of an app is a standard feature in almost every application. Including it in your real estate mobile app is suitable as users can directly sign up and create their accounts. It is an onboarding process for users that navigate them through the primary fundamentals of the app. 

Normally, you can oversee the available capabilities, navigation patterns, listings, etc. It assists in smoothly presenting the app features. Having a user profile or account is an essential approach to enhancing the UX. However, as you, the user log in you will get their personal information such as email and social profiles. So, ensure to maintain the security of their sensitive details in the appropriate database. 

Zillow offers seamless direction to make users sign in, so you have to keep in mind their comfort. The sign-up process shouldn’t be portrayed as a forced task.

• Strong Database

The most influential and unseen component of your real estate app development process is the database. A robust database will add value to your real estate app. It assists in enhancing the growth and engagement of users. 

Data integration is the simplified procedure of the real estate mobile application development process. It is mandatory to make you connect with The more extensive and up-to-date your database is, the more likely it is to keep users interested in your application.

Well, Zillow and Trulia have ensured to get all-inclusive sources of data from the US market. The major companies from where Zillow and Trulia source data are the National Association of Realtors (NAR) & Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Furthermore, building connections with real-estate agencies and traders is a major factor to boost your database rapidly. You can develop an app like Trulia with making a widespread network of realtors in the state. 

• Search, Filter & Sort

After signing in, the user is taken to the home screen or dashboard of the app. On the home page, they may begin their search for their ideal home. You can allow the users to consumers will utilize multiple filters to rapidly locate the best solution for them. The personalized features boost your app’s relevancy because users can filter out the best-fit properties based on their own criteria. The filters usually provide options for budget limits, location, type of home, number of rooms, and so on. 

Offering property verification and filtration is a vital aspect that must be included in the process of making real estate apps like Zillow and Trulia. Additionally, real estate app developers should strive to include as many shortlisting features as possible to improve platform validity. For instance, adding filters with maps about nearby schools and hospitals within 2-3 KM. So, it scrutinizes the search and helps in making the ideal property choice.

• 360-Degree view or Virtual Tours

Today, technology has upscaled and intervened in our life in and out. Instead of going in person to see the actual property size and locality, virtual tours and 360-degree photos can be a great help. Virtual tours of the property are gaining popularity in real estate apps due to the entrance of the pandemic.  

It allows end-users to virtually visit the property before making a purchase. Virtual tours and 360-degree views of the property can be excellent way to convert app visitors into potential prospects. It improves the probability of the user connecting and investing in the property. Moreover, virtual tours can have a significant impact on the revenue model and engagement of your real estate mobile app. 

• Map Integration

Like Zillow, integrating map functionality assists the users to get the exact location and information of the property. It is a good way to fetch the details of your neighboring outlays and gives users deeper insight into the nearby shops, restaurants, etc. 

The mapping feature is a kind of solution to analyze the locality and define pros and cons easily. It is also beneficial for property seekers to physically visit the property site. Furthermore, Trulia provides you with a list of required info such as;

• Reviews & ratings of nearby schools, shops, hospitals, hotels, etc.
• Crime rates 
• Average Traffic
• Population statistics
• Distance to Airports & other public transport, etc. 

So, it is a smart mapping feature that allows you to inspect and collect in-depth details about the users’ property needs. Integrating a mapping feature in your real estate app development makes you gain the trust of the users instantly. 

• Push Notifications

The push notification is a top-notch feature that works as a marketing tool for your real estate application. The advantages of strategically implemented push notifications pop in frequently. It enables you to knock the head off customers and retain them. So, the push notification feature in the app keeps the users updated on messages they receive, price fluctuations, new property listings, and much more information.     

Read Also: Top 15 Best Push Notification Tools to Monetize your Mobile App

• Property details

Have you seen the property listing on Zillow? It mentions the property type, status, size, images, year of origin, address, rooms, etc. The property details section is the most important part of the app for users. They spend most of their time reviewing the details. 

Therefore, for developing a real estate app like Zillow, you need to offer every possible information from price/sq.ft to contact details of the owner/agent. It should be stated clearly in the app. Providing in-depth insights into each property listed in the app will improve your efficiency. It also enables your app to enhance its goodwill. 

• Chatbot or Messenger

Chatbot features are expanding more fastly in the market. It is the appropriate way to connect and chat with the visitors. Basically, users can inquire about any property and get answers instantly. It is a better way to enhance your user’s engagement rate and convert them into customers. 

Moreover, users can move further down a sales funnel by engaging in online conversations to learn more about a specific property. Zillow has collaborated with real estate agents and established communication channels between both buyers and agents. It streamlines the process of a customer’s property listing. 

• Dynamic Calculator

During your real estate mobile app development, adding the versatile and impeccable features of the calculator eliminates the hassle for customers. They will get instant interest rates as per the loan amount mentioned. The calculator ensures the calculation of the price, taxes, and other factors. Hence, it helps you with effective calculation and provides an accurate alternative for a loan. 

Which is the on-demand technology stack for Real Estate App development? 

After understanding the essential features, it is important to bring them on with adequate technological functionality. In a nutshell, you have to emphasize the tech stack required for developing a real estates app like Zillow or Trulia. 

Selecting and finalizing the right technology stack makes the whole app development process smooth and seamless. Creating a full-fledged real estate mobile app with all the aforementioned features and capabilities demands a powerful backend solution and the right platform. 

• Backend programming languages: Python, PHP, or MySQL
• Database Management: Realm and CoreData 
• APIs: Google Maps and Zillow app API
• Android app development: Java or Kotlin 
• iOS app development: Objective C or Swift
• SDK: Firebase SDK and Facebook SDK

The tech stack requirement is indeed the major consideration, however, everybody wants to look out for the app development cost. Let’s evaluate the cost to develop an app like Zillow. 

Read More: Why and How to Hire Dedicated Developers? 

What is the Cost to Develop a Real Estate App like Zillow or Trulia?

The real estate app development cost is the most critical section that every client refers to priorly. And why not, the cost of creating robust and feature-packed apps requires an extended budget limit. 

Zillow and Trulia are the top-notch online home buying app due to their state-of-the-art offerings. Therefore, if you want to build a real estate app like theirs, you must consider all the parameters that affect the process. 

Moreover, the complexity of the app and the professional team of app developers are the major points to consider. Although, the cost of building an app like Zillow would fairly range from $20,000 to $40,000. You can minimize the cost of the development process by hiring developers from India. 

In India, you can hire dedicated developers on an hourly basis at around $20 to $50. Although for making a real estate app, the cost would be roughly $30,000 to $80,000 with advanced features and your required tech stack. Rlogical can make it even more affordable for you. Hire our developers & get an excellent app development service today. 

Bonus Tip: The testing process plays a crucial role in providing a bug-free app, increasing the cost. Usually, QA testing costs range between 6-15% based on the overall project cost. Although you will get it as a complimentary benefit from Rlogical on your first real estate app development project with us! 

How long does it take to make an app like Zillow or Trulia?

Make an real estate app like Zillow requires a lot of understanding and good technical skills. Building an app from scratch takes a reasonable amount of time. The process includes; 

• Strategizing the app goals
• Analyzing app requirements
• UI/UX design process
• Stages of app development 
• QA testing & automation
• Deployment & maintenance

The entire process somewhat takes a time duration of at least 8-12 months. So, your competitive edge in real estate application development will have all predetermined features with the correct tech stack. 

4 Dominating Real Estate Technology Trends in the Upcoming Decade 

1) Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence is already flourishing and has great demand in the future. And real estate can reap the benefits of using AI tools. It assists them in analyzing current trends, and consumer behaviors. AI can be extremely useful as a marketing tool for real estate. You can create personalized emails, produce automated visual content, and enhance the user experience accordingly. 

2) Blockchain

Although blockchain technology is sort of linked with cryptocurrency, it has many benefits for the real estate industry. It helps secure transactions with the proper authentication of property details. You can easily exchange and share data on your real estate app. It simplifies the rental collections process and payments to property owners. 

3) Internet of Things (IoT)

IoT is an effective mechanism to facilitate many tasks associated with buying, selling, and leasing properties. So, IoT manages all the aspects of real estate from house searches to final agreements swiftly. It is best suited for enhancing the efficiency of the app and ensuring smart decision-making through proven analytics.  

4) Big Data

Big data is the modern-age technology that enables real estate agents or brokers to examine numerous amounts of past data to forecast future trends. Proper analysis of customer buying patterns, Big data helps in making your buying decisions more insightful. Resultantly, it makes your app deliver an enriched customer experience and optimum satisfaction. 

Create your Cutting-edge Real Estate App with Rlogical! 

Over the last decade, we have helped clients globally in achieving their business goals. Our expert team of developers has worked on various domains. You can hire full-stack developers for building your real estate mobile app. At Rlogical, you will get the below-mentioned perks;

• Customized app solutions
• On-time delivery
• Post-deployment support
• Cost-effective resources
• Flexibility to your time zone
• Less turnaround time

Our full-stack developers have potential experience in building real estate apps like Trulia. They have an edge in various technologies and maintain the best possible combination of frontend and backend programming. Still confused? Get our free consultation on your real estate project.      

Summing Up

The prevalent apps such as Zillow and Trulia provide user-friendly features. It has streamlined the buying process for users and improved the property-selling process for realtors. However, you can also join the list of top real estate apps by following the above tips. Hire the leading real estate app development company and kick-start your app development process. We can help you with this though. Let’s discuss your project today! 

FAQ

 1) What are the advantages of building a real estate mobile app like Zillow?

You will get multiple advantages when making a real estate app like Zillow. Some of the primary ones are;

• Improved ROI
• Performance-driven applications
• Relevant property solutions
• Detailed property listing
• Deliver an optimized user experience
• Smooth transactions, etc. 

Having a real estate app makes a win-win situation for all the parties such as customers, realtors, and app owners. 

2) What is the standard cost range to develop a real estate app?

Developing your real estate app with the appropriate technology stack and experts ranges between $20,000 to $80,000. You can get a FREE estimation on your project. 

3) Why choose Rlogical to build your real estate mobile app? 

Rlogical has proven experience in satisfying clients worldwide. With over a decade of experience, we have established a team of experts in various domains. Our developers build your real estate app that incorporates the following functionalities;

• Personalized Property Search 
• Vast property database
• Images of the property
• Define possession status
• EMI calculator

Hence, the user will get an effective experience while scrolling your real estate website. Hire our dedicated developers and get the leading-edge real estate mobile app. 

4) Which are the leading competitors of  app like Zillow and Trulia? 

The leading competitors of Zillow or Trulia in the market are;

• Redfin
• Realtor.com
• Zumper
• Homes.com
• Rightmove