The real estate industry is changing. With phone apps omnipresent in our daily lives, people are now able to search for homes and find properties in ways that have never been possible before. Gone are the days of thumbing through a stack of paper listings or scrolling through clunky desktop websites.
In this article, we’re exploring the future of customized apps in the real estate industry and how they are changing the way people buy and sell property.
No More Middleman
Apps like Zillow and Redfin are implementing features that allow homebuyers to look at multiple properties at once in their area.
It’s never been easier for someone to find a home that they love without the help of a real estate agent. What’s more, these apps are constantly being updated with new listings, so buyers can be sure that they’re seeing all of the available options in their area.
This is good news for buyers, but it spells trouble for agents who rely on commissions from home sales. As more and more buyers turn to apps to find homes, the perceived need for real estate agents will decrease.
Better Customer Service
It’s not all bad news for agents, though. Realtors are often having to entertain several clients at once. This can lead to some clients feeling like they are not the top priority—but realtors can use technology to change this.
With a customized app, realtors can keep track of their appointments, messages, and even social media posts in one place.
Clients will appreciate the quick responses and easy-to-use interface of a well-designed app compared to waiting several days to get a callback. Real estate agents can start putting frequently asked questions in their apps to reduce the amount of time spent on the phone with clients. By utilizing a chatbot feature, agents can even automate some of their customer services.
Quicker Closing Times
By utilizing some popular apps like Docusign or HelloSign, real estate agents can get signatures from buyers without ever having to meet in person. This helps to speed up the closing process, which is beneficial for both buyers and sellers. E-signatures are just as legally binding as regular signatures, so there’s no need to worry about the validity of these documents.
Closing a house quickly can reduce any instance where buyers need to pull out or competition drives the price higher. Buyers will appreciate having the home process done quickly without having to worry about extenuating circumstances ruining the deal.
VR and House Tours
New software development processes and technology are changing how homebuyers view properties. It’s now possible to take a virtual reality tour of a home without ever having to step foot inside the property. This is especially useful for buyers who are looking at homes in other states or countries. Instead of needing to plan an expensive visit to a potential home, buyers can now visit the home virtually and still get the entire experience. Buyers can put on a VR headset and explore the home as if they were really there.
This technology is still in its infancy, but it’s likely that we will see more and more real estate agents using VR to show properties in the future.
Creating Better Offers
Competition in the real estate industry can be fierce, and buyers need to do everything they can to stand out.
While in the past buyers would need to rely on their real estate agent’s expertise to create a competitive offer, they can now use apps to see what other homes in the area have sold for. This information is valuable because it allows buyers to make informed decisions about how much they should offer for a home. They can also message real estate agents or homeowners in real time and create specialized offers for them.
The more creative a homebuyer can get, the better opportunity they have for the home. Apps make it possible to get exactly what they want.
Improving Awareness
With a competitive market for homes, buyers need to be updated on the latest listings as soon as possible. In the past, buyers would have to wait for their real estate agent to send them new listings or check online themselves.
Now, with apps like Redfin and Zillow, buyers can set up alerts that notify them whenever a new listing matching their criteria is posted using geolocation data. Homebuyers can receive alerts through email or text so they are informed immediately when a new property is available.
This way, buyers can be the first to know about new homes in their preferred neighborhoods, and they can make an offer before anyone else.
Customized Apps in Real Estate
Days of looking through the paper to find a home are long gone as customized apps are the future of real estate. Customized apps bring many benefits to both buyers and sellers, and they are only going to become more popular in the coming years.
Homebuyers will embrace it—they already have. Real estate agents must either keep up with the times or find their profession obsolete.
