How to Develop a Real Estate App Like Zillow? -Cost & Features

If you start visiting the streets manually to find a property of your dreams, it will take forever and you might also lose a lot of productive days in the week. Solving the problem, there are real estate apps like Zillow that solve the property-finding process for you and bring the list of all the relevant properties with complete architecture, design, neighborhood details, and prices just on your screen. In such a scenario, partnering with a real estate app development company to build property software can be a great business idea.

According to statistics, the real estate software market size is all set to increase from $12.44 billion in 2024 to $28.63 billion in 2031. The market is expected to show a CAGR of 12.6% which will bring endless opportunities for newcomers to innovate and grab their fortune. To bring the ideas into reality, we provide the best custom mobile app development services that enable you to be a part of this vast industry through a digital solution and redefine how people look at the real estate landscape.

In this blog, we will talk all about real estate mobile apps, features to include, a timeline of the project, the cost of making an app like Zillow, and everything else that you need to know to get a start.

What is Zillow App?

Zillow is a real estate marketplace that enables users to buy, rent, sell, or even finance homes or properties by describing their requirements. The platforms analyze a range of factors like neighborhood, area, current property prices in a particular area, demand, market distance, amenities, etc. to provide the estimate of a home’s value, also known as Zestimate. At the same time, the BuyAbility feature of the application enables the users to filter the properties that they can afford to buy.

This real estate application is accessible through a website as well as a mobile that works in partnership with real estate agents, builders, brokers, property managers, and landlords. There are over 135 million listed properties on the platform accounting for more than 30% of all real estate website traffic.

Market Analysis of Real Estate Apps like Zillow

Here are some of the market stats and facts that will help you understand the vastness of the industry more efficiently.

• More than 80% of the home buyers begin their search for the properties through a mobile app.
• When looking for a property online, 70% of the users have been reported to be preferring apps over real estate websites.
• The real estate apps with 360-degree virtual tour experiences have witnessed a 25% increase in user engagement.
• 65% of real estate agents agree to the fact that mobile apps have made it easier to connect and collaborate with clients.
• In the current times, over 30% of real estate companies have dedicated apps.

So, there is no doubt that real estate mobile apps have enhanced the stakeholder’s experience and are thus widely accepted in the industry. Zillow-like app development can be a significant business idea that can bring a good return on your investment.

Top 5 Real Estate Apps Like Zillow

There are some apps and software in the real estate industry that have redefined the process of buying and selling properties. Whether it is the buyer, seller, or real estate agent, these apps have enabled each stakeholder of the industry to minimize the efforts that maximize the outputs. Let’s have a glance over some of the industry-leading top real estate apps:

1. Xome Auctions

Xome Auctions is one of the best real estate mobile apps for buying a property through auctions. This is a comprehensive online bid listing platform that shares the property details, map location, and photos. Xome Auctions also tell whether the property is financeable or the amount is to be paid in cash.

• Xome Auctions has the largest database of auction properties
• Users can have access to pre-auction properties
• The app notifies the users about competitive bids
• Contract e-signing for easy accessibility

2. Redfin

Redfin is one of the most preferred real estate mobile apps that combines the touch of technology and real estate agents for a better experience. If you want to develop a real estate app like Zillow, RedFin is the name for your inspiration. You can find hundreds of real estate listings on the portal and if you have any kind of confusion or doubt, there is an entire team of real estate agents ready to help.

• Custom searches
• Easy calculation of mortgage, insurance, and property tax
• Accurate estimation of the home values

3. Trulia

Trulia is also a great real estate mobile app where users can find properties and residential homes by filtering out the results. The app efficiently justifies the value of a property by defining all the factors like neighborhoods, shopping, schools, and other amenities. At the same time, the easy-to-use interface of Trulia makes it accessible to users coming from non-technical backgrounds.

• Local details like neighborhood, market, schools, etc. with property listings
• Inbuilt pre-qualified financing calculators
• Link to the listing agent in every property
• Touch screen capabilities
• Real Estate Professionals in one place

4. Realtor.com

With these real estate platforms, the realtors can update their listings more frequently and easily to keep the information up-to-date. At the same time, the users can also access the updated information and data to find whether the details are correct or not. By updating the new information, the landlords can find qualified prospective tenants more efficiently, without wasting time.

• Check the update time
• Details on the neighborhood
• Hide listing from a search result

5. Apartments.com

The platform is preferred for renting properties as there are over one million properties listed on Apartments.com for renting purposes. There is complete detail about the place, accessible to the potential tenants to decide if the property suits their requirements or not. At the same time, interested tenants can apply for rent directly from the app.

• Range of properties like houses, apartments, condos, and townhouses
• Filters for wheelchair access

Key Steps to Develop a Real Estate App Like Zillow

Wondering about the process to develop an app like Zillow? Well, worry not. There is a standard app development process that goes true for most of the app development projects. Having a keen understanding of the process and project phases will help you ensure that your development partner is adopting the right approach toward your project.

1. Research and Planning

The very first phase of Zillow-like app development begins with research and planning. Here, our team of market researchers works on understanding the client requirements and researches about the industry giants. Thorough market research is conducted to study the real estate company, competitors, their business models, revenues, target audiences, features, market gaps, and much more. Having gained a profound understanding of the industry, we assess the client’s requirements and plan the overall development process.

2. Resource Allocation

This is a collaborative phase between the clients, the development team, and all the relevant stakeholders that talks about resource allocation. It includes talking about the project timeline, the cost to make an app like Zillow, human resources required, technical resources required, frequency of the payment, features to be imparted, and much more.

3. Designing and Prototype

The very next phase is the designing phase where our design team curates the user-friendly UI, themes, and navigation of the app. The exterior layout of the app is built at this step and a prototype is delivered to the client. The prototype helps the stakeholders to check the themes, colors, navigation, and user interface to provide feedback. The changes suggested by clients can be easily implemented at this step.

4. Core Development

This is the development phase where the team begins to develop a real estate app like Zillow. The front end and back end are built to integrate at this phase. All the features are brought functionality in this particular stage. At the same time, API integrations, third-party integrations, payment gateway integrations, and many other crucial tasks are also part of this core development phase.

5. Testing

After the app has been developed and all the functionalities have been imparted, it is time to check if the app is operating according to the expectations or not. So, our development team runs multiple quality tests to create an app like Zillow that matches the stakeholders’ vision. For the same, we carry out performance testing, speed testing, unit testing, manual testing, automated testing, bug removal process, and much more. It brings the software to its best version.

6. Deployment

This is the final phase of the real estate app development process where the development team deploys the software on the respective marketplace to make it available to the target audience. The most popular marketplaces are Google Play Store, Apple App Store, Amazon App Store, etc.

7. Maintenance and Support

This is an ever-growing phase where you need technical support from a mobile app development company USA. The maintenance and support help you to keep the application functioning smoothly. At the same time, they also help you add new features, edit the content, remove bugs, eliminate unnecessary features, and much more.

Top 10 Features to Build an App Like Zillow

Features are the USPs of online mobile apps that bring users to your doorsteps, beating the unimaginable competition in the market. While there is no doubt in the truth that more features will lead to higher development costs, it is not a very great idea to compromise the functionalities of the software. Not having sufficient features might make you lose a big user base and cause even higher losses.

Here are the top 10 features that must be ensured when you create an app like Zillow:

1. User Profile

This is the foremost feature that you will have to impart in your real estate app. This feature enables the user to register on the platform by providing the relevant details. It includes the name, contact number, purpose, age, occupation, and much more. At the same time, the profile setup also includes setting up a seller profile, buyer profile, or agent profile. So, all the information about the user can be found in one place while ensuring that a third party is not operating the account on behalf of some other person.

2. Advanced Search Filters

Search filters are among the most used features in apps like Zillow. With the help of a filter, the user can easily sort the properties on different factors like price range, size of the property, type of property, area, square footage, amenities, and much more. It saves a lot of time for the user and helps them close the deal quicker.

3. Virtual Property Tours

VR Tours can be the USP when you develop an app like Zillow. With the help of virtual property tours, the real estate agents, and the sellers can create a VR tour of their property. So, the buyers don’t have to visit the property in the very first place as they can get the idea of the place just from the tours. Once they are satisfied, they can decide to visit. This feature enhances the user experience significantly.

4. Smart Property Recommendation

This is a rare AI feature that can only be found in some of the top real estate mobile apps. This feature assesses the client’s requirements and preferences to filter out a list of the properties that best suit their requirements. The artificial intelligence algorithms also identify the search history and user behavior to increase the chances of the user finding the right place.

5. Real-Time Neighborhood Insights

Providing the surrounding information about the property can be a great step to enhance your user experience. So, you can impart this feature when you develop a real estate app like Zillow. With this feature, you can provide information on nearby amenities like schools, hospitals, colleges, parks, crime rates, malls, transportation options, and trends in the nearby real estate market.

6. Smart Home Integration

This is a novel feature designed especially for tech-savvy people. With this feature, the buyer can know whether the home is equipped with smart home equipment like thermostats, lighting controls, security systems, and much more. By providing information on this part, one can steer the decision-making of the client and achieve the desired results.

7. Messaging and Collaboration

There ought to be messaging and collaboration tools that enable the property buyer, seller, or real estate agents to talk to each other without sharing their contact numbers. This can increase the communication between the parties and the ability to share the home details, leave comments as well as schedule appointments for property visits.

8. Interactive Property Analysis

This feature is solely designed for the users who are looking for real estate investment. With this feature, the user can perform an interactive financial analysis that can analyze property costs, rental income, and many other economic variables. So, the potential return on investment can be easily identified with this feature.

9. High-Quality Images

For your platform to gain user retention, develop an app like Zillow that allows users to upload and download high-quality images of the property. This will enable buyers to easily get an idea of the home’s internal and outer look, make the decision, visit the property, and thus make the deal. The absence of high-quality images can easily lead to deal losses.

10. Interactive Maps

Having inbuilt interactive maps can do wonders for your real estate app like Zillow. With these features, the sellers and agents can provide the exact location of the property. At the same time, the buyer can access this location to decide whether the area suits their requirements or not. The inbuilt map will also help the relevant stakeholders to navigate the address when they want to visit the property.

The Cost to Develop an App Like Zillow

The cost of making an app like Zillow depends on different factors. As the requirements of the client change, the cost to make a real estate app like Zillow also changes. While some apps can be developed in a few thousand dollars, imparting advanced functionalities and customization can take the cost to a hundred thousand dollars. So, let’s understand the different factors that help you determine the cost of making an app like Zillow:

1.Features of App

The very first factor deciding the real estate app development cost is the features of the app. For example, if you are looking to impart only some basic features into your real estate app like Zillow, it can be cost-efficient for you. On the other hand, if you want to focus more on the features and plan to impart some advanced and rare features into your app, you will have to pay a comparatively higher price.

2. Location of Development Team

When you develop an app like Zillow, it is important to choose the right location for the development team. The per-hour cost of hiring real estate app development companies in Western or European countries like Australia, the UK, the USA, etc., will cost twice as compared to hiring a development team of the same expertise from Asian countries like India. So, without affecting the quality of your project, you can save half of your investment just by outsourcing the project to India.

3. App Development Platform

When building a real estate mobile app like Zillow, there are multiple platforms that you can choose for your software. The very first is iOS, another is Android, and then comes Windows and many others. The platform you choose puts a significant impact on the budget of the project. For example, building an app for Android devices is comparatively cost-efficient compared to building software for iOS.

4. Timeline of the Project

When you are hiring the real estate app development team on an hourly basis, the timeline of the project will also play a core role in determining the overall cost. The longer the project goes, the higher the development cost. Similarly, if the project is completed quickly, you can save on your development cost.

5. Integrations

To bring certain types of functionalities into the software, it becomes important to integrate some APIs and third-party services. It includes the database, payment gateway, social media integrations, and much more. So, depending on the type and number of third-party integrations that you need in your application, the cost of making a real estate app like Zillow will also change.

6. Maintenance and Support

Once the software has been developed and deployed on the respective platform, it requires continuous maintenance and support from a development team to keep the mobile app functioning efficiently. For the same, you need to partner with a real estate software development company that can work on the bugs, add new features, eliminate unnecessary features, and provide new updates to the mobile app. However, you must remember that there is a cost associated with this maintenance and support.

7. App Design

Building a custom design and user interface for the application is a matter of extra cost. While there is a basic design and navigation that comes with the app development, if you want to add custom colors and themes, personalized navigations, and some advanced interactive elements on your dashboard, it will define dollars to your app development cost.

5 Best Tech Stack to Develop a Real Estate App Like Zillow

First of all, let’s understand the basics of the technology stack and what role it plays in the Zillow-like app development process. So, a technology stack or tech stack is a complete suite of different technologies, frameworks, SDKs, and programming languages that help to build the front and back end of the application. The better the technologies, the more scalable will be the real estate app. Here are the 5 best tech stacks to develop an app like Zillow:

• For App Designing: Adobe XD, Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Buildfire, Adobe Illustrator
• For iOS App Development Services: Swift/Objective-C, Mac OS, Xcode
• For Android App Development Services: Java, Android Studio
• For Backend Development: Node.js, Express.js, Django, Ruby on Rails
• For Database: MySQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite

Monetization Techniques to Develop a Real Estate App Like Zillow

Monetization techniques are basic strategies that enable the app owner to earn a return on their investment. There are different types of monetization techniques that one can choose according to the type of app and target audience.

Here are some of the best monetization models that you can consider to develop a real estate app like Zillow:

1. Subscription Plans

These are the time-bounded monetization models that bring a periodic earning to the platform. With subscription-based plans, the users have to subscribe to the app services periodically, which can be weekly, monthly, quarterly, and even annually. Most of the entertainment apps are based on this model. The user can not access the specific set of features once the subscription period is over.

2. Advertising

This is the only monetization model where users don’t have to pay for using the services. Once your real estate app brings a broad audience, you can invite third-party businesses and brands to place their advertisement. For the same, you can charge a good amount. Advertising is one of the best monetization models to earn good revenue.

3. Freemium Models

This model is a mixture of free and premium app models. While some of the basic functionalities, and features of the app can be accessed without any cost, there are premium features as well which can be unlocked only by paying a fee. For example, if realtors want to bring their name to the top of search results, they can pay a fee for the same.

4. Commission-Based Model

This model is more popular for real estate apps like Zillow. As the terminology conveys, the app will charge a fee as soon as there is any contact or deal between the seller, buyer, or agent. This model is also popular as a transactional model that enables the app owner to take a commission on any successful deal that happens through the platform.

5. Collaboration and Partnership

Collaboration and partnership help to bring a good return on investment for the real estate apps. There are several realtors and real estate companies or agents who are eager to pay a popular real estate amount to claim the prime position on the search page. So, the app can even cut its subscription model, attract more customers, and earn good revenue through collaboration and advertising.

Conclusion

Whether or not you are in the real estate business, it is still a great investment idea to develop a real-estate app like Zillow. With the busy schedule of the people, generally, it is not possible for anyone to physically visit each random property put for sale. So, real estate apps like Zillow enable buyers and sellers to access the property photos, locations, amenities, and all the necessary details that they need to make the decision. Once the property looks to be a good deal to the buyer, they can further decide to connect to the seller or agent and take the final call.

The easy access to property information is something that makes real estate app development a great digital investment idea in modern times. If you are also planning to build a similar platform, connect with The NineHertz and get a free consultation on how you can seamlessly turn the idea into reality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How Much Does it Cost to Develop an App Like Zillow?

The cost to make a real estate app like Zillow depends on plenty of factors and thus a random figure can not be conveyed. For example, if there are advanced features in the real estate app, it will surely cost much more than a basic real estate digital platform. Similarly, AI/ML integrations into the app lead to higher development costs. A basic real estate app can be built within the budget of $40,000-$80,000 while a more advanced solution can take up to $500,000.

Q2. How Long Does it Take to Develop a Real Estate App Like Zillow?

The timeline of the project is influenced by several factors like client requirements, number of third-party integrations, team members and their profiles, size of team, hiring models, communication process, and much more. Generally, it takes anywhere between 4-8 months to build a real estate app like Zillow.

Q3. How Can I Monetize a Real Estate App?

You can monetize a real estate app with the help of different monetization strategies. Here are the five main monetization models that you can use for your app:

• Subscription Plans
• Advertising
• Freemium Model
• Delivery Fees
• Collaboration and Partnership

Q4. What Kind of Maintenance Will be Required Post-Launch?

There are many maintenance tasks that need to be ensured periodically after the app’s launch. These include bug removal, application updates, feature additions, feature eliminations, marketing, and much more.

Q5. Why do Businesses Invest in Real Estate App Development?

Real estate apps have been the center of focus for property sellers, buyers, as well as real estate agents. A platform carrying so much reliability from its stakeholders becomes a significant investment idea for anyone belonging to the relevant industry. With such an app, one easily earns a good return on investment.