technology

Great technology can go a long way to help you find your dream home. Although you may have an agent website for the home search, most of us want a great app for the smartphone to help us find the home we want. The smartphone is the go to device to search and find home. But before you go download any old real estate app, it’s good to know that there are a few different types to consider and more importantly the tools and information they provide can be critical to help you find, tyour, and decide to buy that dream home. So whether you’re on an active house hunt, looking for an investment property or want to put your abode on the market, take a look below to learn more about (and download) the what I think are the best real estate apps available today.

Best for Buying a Home – Realtor.com

Realtor.com is, not surprisingly, the official search portal for the National Association of Realtors. One benefit of using its site is the close relationship realtors have with the Multiple Listing System (MLS) that provides data feeds used by most sites on this list. Because of the special relationship, however, Realtor.com is often updated a little faster and has a wider range of listed properties. There are also mortgage calculators, home affordability, rates.

Why I like it: The homes on the app are truly what is available. The ability to search by location, and to get the time and driving instructions to me make it the most useful of the apps. Its also easy to share any home you find by text, or email. Its still the standard for me to recommend for house hunting. The only knock is realtor.com has decided to not have a home value tool like Zillow for active listings

Best for Homeowners: Zillow

Zillow is arguably the best known real estate app, and for good reason. Zillow was a pioneer in online home value estimates​, the Zestimate, and tells users estimated home values, past sale prices and more for virtually every home in the United States. If you are a homeowner, you can create an account to track your estimated home value over time and insights into a potential sale price if you decide it’s time to move.

Zillow App – Good but Not Great

Why I like it: While the the big miss for Zillow is the homes for sale data isn’t necessarily active or currently for sale nor updated in real time. The feature

You Probably Think There Should Be More Apps…

You wouldn’t be wrong but I think if you have both these apps you probably have what you need to be successful for buying or selling a home. Realtor.com’s app is the best for home search. Zillow is the best as a homeowner to keep track of your home values. Although these apps are free they are heavily an ad platform for agents, lenders, and real estate pros.