An iPhone Realtor? How to Buy a House On Your Phone

Working with a real estate agent can be frustrating sometimes, but luckily there are other options: the iPhone realtor.

Finding an apartment or buying a house used to mean searching through classifieds, calling a real estate agent’s office to see what’s available and waiting to hear back from the people you’ve contacted. Today, iPhone apps and websites provide access to all your real estate needs with a few taps. Your smartphone really can act as your realtor. Here are five apps and sites to make the most of your “iPhone realtor” and find your next home or apartment hassle-free.

1. Zillow

Have you ever gone on Zillow to look at multimillion-dollar homes? Are you slightly salty when someone buys the $10 million Los Angeles mansion you were eyeing? When you decide you want to move, Zillow is an excellent app to use for homebuyers and renters. A significant advantage it has over its rival apps is it’s available throughout the United States. Other apps only serve particular cities and their markets in the country.

This app is also suitable for sellers who want to start the process themselves. They can list their home on Zillow without relying on an agent who will make postings in classifieds. Zillow can also give you an estimate on your home. Use the Zestimate feature to determine its market value.

2. Redfin

Redfin is a great app for homebuyers. It prides itself on being a discount service with lower fees than its competitors. Buying a house on this app will give you a portion of the buyer’s commission when purchasing a home. The listing fee is also about half the cost of a typical real estate service. One con of Redfin is it only serves specific markets in the United States and Canada. 

You can easily save listings that catch your eye and send them to any friends or family to see if they’re interested. You can also hide any listing you don’t like and want to remove from future searches. Once you find a house you like, you can schedule a tour or even ask the real estate agent questions through the app.  

3. Apartments.com

The apartments.com app is among the most reliable for apartment hunters. One of its best features is it requires listers to verify their information. This feature makes it more user-friendly because there’s a reduced risk for scams and the listings stay updated.

You can see all available apartments with their amenities on this app. It will also tell you how long the commute will be to school, work or any other location you need to go. Another significant advantage of this app is the ability to pay rent online. This feature makes the process easier for tenants and landlords.

4. Zumper 

Zumper has an app that makes the apartment-buying process easier by essentially making it all digital. The app will show you rent trends in the area, and you have numerous ways to filter apartments, such as pet policies and price range. 

One of the best features of this app is the ability to safely send a credit score to your potential landlord because of Zumper’s partnership with TransUnion. If you secure an apartment on Zumper, you’ll be able to pay rent on the app once you’ve signed the lease. 

5. Trulia

Trulia has been around since 2005 and was initially available in California only. The company went public in 2012 and by 2014, Zillow acquired Trulia in a multibillion dollar deal. 

One of the best things about Trulia is its one-click feature, saving prospective renters precious time. Use it to fill out a questionnaire about your pets, your number of household members and when you want to move in. From there, you can send your Rental Resume, as Trulia calls it, to any landlord who owns a listing you’re interested in.

The Trulia app also saves you time by allowing you to read residents’ reviews about the area. Some cities may have a negative track record when protecting people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. You can also view a region’s walkability, which may be an important factor depending on your preferred transportation methods. 

Modern Day Apartment and House Hunting

Things move quicker in the 21st century than they did just a few decades ago. Apartment and house hunting used to be an uphill climb that could take weeks and months. However, smartphones have made that process easier. You can search for apartments, send an application, speak with an agent and pay rent online from the comfort of your house, couch or bed. Technology has streamlined the process and made things more accessible, so your iPhone really can act as your Realtor.