Real estate apps every investor should have in 2021

In today’s digital world, mobile apps have become an integral part of our daily lives. So it’s not surprising that real estate apps have also transformed the way property investors conduct real estate investing. 

Real estate apps are software applications that are designed to improve the real estate transaction experience. Intended users include buyers, sellers, landlords, realtors, and real estate investors. These apps can be used to choose an investment property, manage your finances or list your property on the market; the possibility is truly endless. 

But with tons of apps for real estate to consider, it can be difficult to determine which ones deserve a spot on your phone. 

Not to worry! We’ve done the hard work for you. Listed below, in no particular order, are some of the most popular apps for real estate investors in Australia. 

If you’re buying or selling: 

Realestate.com.au

Where is it available? App Store and Google Play

Starting off with the most downloaded real estate app in Australia, realestate.com.au labels itself as “the number 1 place for property”. 

After establishing itself as one of Australia’s most popular real estate online websites, realestate.com.au developed and launched its app in December 2010, with millions of downloads in the first two years. Both the app and the website are products of the international real estate advertising firm, REA Group.

The realeastate.com.au app allows you to search for all types of property across the country and lets you search for property to buy, to rent or ones that have sold. It can also help you can find an agent.

One of its most notable features is that you can easily filter your options through price, location, land size, and price range. You can also filter with home features such as the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, or car parks. 

Other features include the ability to save properties into your personal collection and receive real-time alerts updating you about the status of your saved properties. That's helpful if you want to keep track of sales in an area or if you've been to a lot of auctions.

Domain

Where is it available? App Store and Google Play

A close second to realestate.com.au in terms of popularity, Domain’s app describes itself as “Australia’s highest rated real estate app” and has accumulated numerous awards over the years for its design and functionality.

The app can be used to search for homes to buy or rent. It also has the ability to filter your searches by location, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, number of car parks, land size, and other factors.

One advantage of the Domain app is that it gives you a little more suburb information at the end of the listing. While the REA app has this information as well, it’s a little more accessible on Domain.

Another interesting feature of the app is that it allows users to see which school catchment zones a property falls within. Through the app, you can also add upcoming inspections to your phone’s calendar or to the app’s inspection planner tool. It also offers price estimates and sale histories of properties.

If you’re wondering whether you should download Domain or the REA app, the choice mostly comes down to a matter of preference. However, a common practice is to have both apps just to make sure you don’t miss out on any properties. 

Realestateview.com.au

Where is it available? App Store and Google Play

Available both on iOS and Android, this app helps keep you on top of your property search. 

The app allows users to browse for properties to buy and rent, see recently sold properties, look up home values and find an agent across the country.

You can filter your searches by property type, price, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and car parks. You can also create a shortlist of your favorite properties to keep track of open inspections and auctions. By logging in with your realestateview.com.au account, you can sync your saved properties between your computer and mobile devices.

The app also boasts of a heatmap feature, which allows users to explore median sale and rental prices, as well as hotspots in an area. 

Homely

Where is it available? App Store and Google Play

Homely is another app real estate investors can use to search for properties for sale or rent across Australia. The app has three main features. 

First, it allows users to find homes for sale. The app allows you to customize your searches by different filters, such as price, bedrooms, bathrooms, pools, and other property features. 

Second, renters can find properties on the app for lease and easily apply for them online. You can also filter your searches using different criteria. 

Lastly, the app features a “sold hub”, which provides you with information about the most recent properties that have been sold through auction or private sales.

You can also use it to add inspection and auction reminders to your personal calendar. 

Soho

Where is it available? App Store and Google Play 

If you’ve ever used Tinder, then using Soho App might be a more natural fit for you.

The Soho App, which has been described as the "Tinder for Property", allows buyers to find properties with swiping gestures similar to popular dating app Tinder while still offering the features of a traditional real estate portal. 

Not only will it match you with a property, but Soho also promises to match you with a lender with their Soho Home Loan feature. According to the app, their home loan experts will guide you through the finance process and work with you to find a solution to suit your individual needs.

The app also has a social news feed and groups, where real estate agents and brokers share property insights and help buyers learn.

Soho App operates across Australia and Singapore and has had over 30,000 downloads since 2017. 

If you want to get into the auction market: 

GAVL Live Auctions

Where is it available? App Store and Google Play

With auctions going online, GAVL Live has seen a significant increase in users since the pandemic began.

Launched in 2017 by the home-grown tech startup GAVL, the app allows users to watch, research, and participate in live streams auctions, and inspections in absolute real-time. Since its launch, the app is estimated to have broadcasted over 5,000 auctions with millions of views not from just Aussie users, but from around the world. 

Users of the app can also browse listings, shortlist properties, follow auctioneers, communicate with agents in real-time, and create live alerts based on their own search criteria.

If you are a vendor or are planning to sell your property, you can also research the market through the app. When your property goes up for auction, you can decide which auctioneer is best for you by seeing their performance through other auctions that they lead.

This app is also practical for anyone who is trying to choose an agent to sell their property, as they can watch a shortlist of candidates and see how they perform in different auctions. It is particularly handy for anyone living remotely from the property they need to sell, as they can see this aspect of an agent’s performance firsthand through the live streams. 

Auction Now

Where is it available? App Store and Google Play 

Auction Now broadcasts live auctions in real-time, which can be viewed on any device.

Buyers can watch, bid, buy, and exchange on live property auctions as they happen. Users can also search for the property going under the hammer. Before auctions happen, the app will send a notification to a user’s device. If you’re not planning to bid, users can also observe the auctions through the app or check the results of an auction. 

For sellers, the app offers greater exposure to a wider pool of potential buyers in real-time. It also allows them to communicate with the auctioneer or their real estate agent as the auction happens. 

If you’re in the rental market: 

Rent.com.au

Where is it available? App Store and Google Play 

You can think of rent.com.au as a kind of one-stop-shop for renters and landlords.  

Basically, the app allows you to search for rentals. But unlike its bigger counterparts such as Domain and REA, which lean towards buying and selling activities, rent.com.au is more focused on the rental market (particularly renters and landlords).

This app is primarily aimed at matching renters looking for a place to rent with landlords who have available homes to let. Renters are required to create a renter resumé, which is like a tenant profile, that can be used to apply for a rental. The app also lets renters create a shortlist of properties that appeal to them.  

If you’re a landlord looking to improve your property management, the app offers to advertise your property on the platform, making it accessible to a wider pool of tenants.

After listing your property, you get full control to edit and update your advertisement at any time. The advertisement remains online for eight weeks, but you can relist it at any time. While listing your property is free, there are paid packages (Professional or Premium packs) with exclusive features that can help you get tenants faster. 

If you want to learn property values for real estate investments: 

Property Value Search (onthehouse.com.au)

Where is it available? App Store and Google Play 

Want to know the value of your real estate investment or a property you’re interested in purchasing? 

Onthehouse.com.au is a subsidiary of Australia’s largest provider of property data and analytics, CoreLogic. The website is estimated to have an average of more than 1.5 million unique website visits each month. 

On mobile platforms, Onthehouse.com.au’s Property Value Search app displays available information on a property (e.g. land value) and also provides a property profile (number of bedrooms, bathrooms, car parks, and land size).

You can search by address, suburb, or postcode to find estimated property values, sale histories, and displays comparable properties for sale or recently sold.

According to Google Play, Onthehouse.com.au’s Property Value Search app has had over 100,000 downloads. However, it’s worth noting that in recent years, there have been some complaints about the app crashing and other technical issues, causing the app’s rating to be quite low. 

To estimate depreciation on your investment property:

BMT Tax Calc

Where is it available? App Store and Google Play 

Claiming depreciation is one of the upsides of owning an investment property. The BMT Tax Calc app by the BMT Tax Depreciation (a quantity surveying company that provides tax depreciation services) provides an estimate of the potential property depreciation deductions available to property investors. 

To know how much you can claim, simply enter in some details about the property. Granted it’s only working off estimates, the app allows users to put in the most relevant information about the property (when it was built, the condition, and area etc) to give you a schedule of rates based on the minimum and maximum estimated allowances.

If you want to calculate how much you need to purchase a property: 

Property Calculator Australia

Where is it available? App Store and Google Play 

Launched in 2015 by local business Zanidy Pty Ltd, the Property Calculator app is designed to help you work out how much a property will cost you.

The app calculates the deposit you will need to put in, the stamp duty, mortgage payments and more, based on the information you provide, which can include the property’s purchase price and the type of loan you are looking for. 

It will also take into account lenders’ mortgage insurance if the deposit is less than 20 per cent of the property value.

The app also saves your calculations and compares results. It’s also very beginner-friendly, as it provides a glossary of common property terms.  

Mortgage Home Loan Calculator

Where is it available? App Store

The app, which advertises itself as a "mega mortgage calculator", features several handy calculators that can help you with your home buying journey.

It lets you estimate how much you’ll pay for stamp duty, how much deposit you will need to save, and the time it will take you to save a deposit.

You can also use the app to calculate the impact that interest rate movements might have on your home loan repayments and how much you may be able to save by making extra mortgage repayments.

Final word 

While this list is not by any means exhaustive, it can be a good starting point for investors who want to have readily available and up-to-date information about the real estate market. 

And because everyone has different needs and circumstances, do your due diligence to compare the features of each app and find out which out works best for you. 

Smart Property Investment provides Australian property investors with must-have insight, strategies, and real-life experiences to help guide successful buying and selling decisions in the Australian property market. Tune in to our podcasts covering a variety of topics related to the real estate market. You can also follow Smart Property Investment on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

What apps are you currently using? Share in the comments below!