Gone are the days of driving from agency to agency to pick up physical brochures, or co-ordinating a list of ‘Open for Inspections’ for the weekend. This was all surpassed when real estate sites appeared on the internet, easing some of the stress and time commitment required for house hunting. It’s fair to say however, that since the inception of smart phones, searching for your dream home has never been easier.
Buyers today are savvier, arguably because even a novice house hunter can find helpful information at the touch of a button. It’s also a huge time saver as in many cases buyers can safely rule out some properties by examining the online listing. It’s rare now to have a prospective buyer inspect a property without having seen on it online first.
If you’re starting to research buying a home, what are some of the best real estate apps to download, and what does each of them do?
Here’s 4 of our favourites, each one having a different function in the home buying process.
Cost: free
Self-acclaimed as ‘Australia’s #1 Property Site’, it’s run by the REA group of whom News Corp are the majority owners.
The app was launched in 2010 and since then has been downloaded a staggering 7.9 million times, holding a rating of 4.7/5 on Apple’s App Store.
What are the main things I would do on the app?
- Search for a variety of property types to buy/rent in Australia
- Look up sale prices
- Gather price estimates for properties, both on/off market
- Set up alerts for new listings as they’re released
- Create personal collections i.e. ‘Auctions this weekend’
- View inspection times and create an inspection list
Both domain.com.au and view.com.au have similar apps on offer; it simply comes down to user preference and personal choice.
GAVL puts you in places that you can’t physically be. It’s a live-streaming auction app that has broadcast in excess of 5,000 live auctions since its launch in 2017.
What are the main things I would do on the app?
- Watch and bid in real estate auctions in Australia/New Zealand live and free from anywhere in the world.
- Access auction results moments after they happen
- Browse and shortlist properties
- Follow and communicate with auctioneers and sales agents
- Obtain live alerts based on your sales criteria
This app is also suitable for anyone who is trying to choose an agent to sell their property, as they can watch a short list of candidates across a number of auctions and see how they perform in different circumstances. 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 first hand.
#3: Property Calculator Australia
Before you start searching for a property it’s important you understand how much you can borrow; what your repayments will be; and how much stamp duty will cost you and other outgoings such as mortgage insurance, if relevant to your circumstances.
Zaindy Pty Ltd created Property Calculator Australia, offering users the ability to access a number of critical functions in one central location.
What are the main things I would do on the app?
- Calculate your deposit, lenders mortgage insurance, stamp duty and loan repayments
- Save your calculations in one easy to access place
- Compare your results
- Access a comprehensive glossary of property terms
Using an app like this allows you peace of mind that you have a full understanding of what it will truly cost to own your own home.
A subsidiary of CoreLogic who are Australia’s largest provider of property data and analytics, onthehouse.com.au boasts over 1.5 million visits a month. The website offers free listings for real estate agencies and agents, however more importantly, it provides data and interactive tools to help give buyers, sellers and investors a more in-depth understanding of the market.
What are the main things I would do on the app?
- Search sales histories including comprehensive data outlining sales price, date and method of sale
- Access descriptive profile reports on property within Australia including number of bedrooms/bathrooms, land size and land value
- Estimates of current property values
- REX analytics service to see property value movements within the region you’re searching
The information that can be gained via this app is great for those people who like to have a deeper level of knowledge.
As always, our team of expert consultants across our 10 Noel Jones offices are at your service to assist with all property-related matters.
