5 Best Real Estate Apps for Agents in 2023
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Best for Real Estate Agents: Homesnap
Best for Education: BiggerPockets
Best for Contracts: DocuSign
Best for Residential Real Estate: Zillow
Best for Commercial Real Estate: ThinkEmpire
Real estate professionals have plenty of tools at their disposal. However, the best real estate apps for agents change the game for everyone involved in the real estate process. The apps we’re going to go over in this article make your life much easier whether you’re a first-time home buyer, real estate agent, or real estate investor.
What do real estate apps do?
There are plenty of real estate apps on the market, and they all tend to do different things. For example, Zillow is the best real estate app for consumers that are looking to buy a home or invest in residential properties. However, ThinkEmpire is the best commercial real estate app that shows you detailed information about commercial properties in your area.
Other real estate apps like DocuSign make the contract and signature process expedited and totally digital. In just minutes you can send contracts to clients and close deals faster than ever before.
Then there are educational resources like BiggerPockets, where you can learn about the most popular real estate investing strategies from the most successful real estate investors in the world.
Real estate apps for agents tend to focus on client retention and lead management. Homesnap is the perfect app for agents and makes it very easy to book showings with clients and manage your schedule as an agent. You can also find detailed information on residential properties and send listings to your clients.
How much do real estate apps cost?
Real estate apps range in pricing–from free to several hundred dollars per month. The cost of each real estate app depends on the scope of the services provided and additional features for large teams.
For example, Zillow is one of the best free apps that anyone can use to do research on residential properties. You don’t need to be a real estate agent and don’t need to pay any monthly subscription fees. However, Zillow has paid features that give you access to booking calls with real estate agents and even applying for Zillow financing.
On the flip side, DocuSign plans start at $10 per month and go up to $40 per month or more for enterprise customers.
Best for Real Estate Agents: Homesnap
★ 4.0/5
Homesnap is the only real estate app that is exclusively available as a mobile app on iOS and Android devices. Homesnap also has the ability to send you push notifications when new properties are listed in your area and allows you to stay up to date on all the potential properties that could suit you in your home search.
Homesnap is the best real estate app for agents because there are plenty of features made solely for real estate agents. For example, Homesnap Pro is a service that gives real estate agents tools that help grow their businesses. They can schedule showings with listing agents and track transactions inside the app.
With Homesnap Pro, agents can send their clients listings and receive feedback on whether or not they like the property and want to see it in person. Homesnap Pro also allows agents to do a comparative market analysis of similar properties in the area to compare prices and whether or not it’s a good deal.
Another feature of Homesnap is what they call Safety Timer. Agents can set a time limit on how long they think it will take to show their clients the listing, and if the agent fails to manually turn off the timer, it will alert your emergency contacts that there may have been an issue while showing the house.
Homesnap Pros
Homesnap is by far the best real estate app for agents. There simply isn’t a better app on the market that has this many features for real estate agents and consumers. Below are some additional benefits that Homesnap provides.
Instant bookings. Homesnap’s main feature is an instant booking system that allows agents to choose an available time from a list of options and instantly schedule the showing. It sends the listing agent a notification and, if approval is needed, the listing agent will manually approve you for the showing. You can send reminders to your clients and keep the line of communication open when showing them properties.
Custom itineraries. Homesnap’s custom itineraries allow you to plan out your day with your clients. Whether you’re showing one property or ten properties, your itinerary is planned out inside the Homesnap app and makes it easy to manage your day and your week as an agent.
GPS routing. Do you need to see several properties in the same area? Or maybe the properties on your itinerary are an hour or more apart. Whatever the case, Homesnap has automatic GPS routing where they show you the quickest route to your next showing.
Feedback and collaboration. Homesnap Showings lets agents send feedback forms to their clients to gauge their interest in the homes they’ve seen .
Homesnap Cons
Only available on mobile. While Homesnap has a great mobile app for both iOS and Android, the fact that they don’t have any of the features of the mobile app available on desktop makes Homesnap less appealing.
Lack of transparency on pricing. It was very hard to find out the pricing on Homesnap Pro from Homesnap’s website. You may need to create an account and start the signup process before you get to see the pricing plans for Homesnap.
The bottom line
Homesnap topped our list as the best real estate app for agents who want to automate their real estate business, encourage collaboration with clients, and make it easy to schedule multiple showings with clients in your area. However, those that are looking for more robust business management tools should look elsewhere.
Best for Education: BiggerPockets
★ 5.0/5
BiggerPockets has made a name for itself in the real estate space. They have an incredible YouTube channel that gives you so many free resources about how you can get started as a real estate investor.
Their podcast and real estate investing books are some of the best resources you’ll find as a beginner. They have templated contracts and calculators that allow you to analyze real estate deals before you put an offer in.
BiggerPockets is also great for real estate agents. You can register as a real estate agent on the site and then, when people search for agents in your area, you’ll come up as a trusted resource and customers will reach out to you.
Pros of BiggerPockets
Tons of free resources are available. Whether you find BiggerPockets on YouTube, podcasts, or on their website, they have tons of free information that are perfect for beginner or experienced real estate investors. You’ll find tons of information on real estate investing, dealing with tenants, and plenty of other tips on how to build wealth through real estate.
Features for real estate agents. Real estate agents can get new business by listing themselves on the BiggerPockets website. Using BiggerPockets in addition to social media and networking makes it easy for agents to acquire new business in this competitive market.
Investment calculators. Do you want to calculate cash on cash return? Or maybe you want to see the average price of property taxes in your area. Whatever you want to look up, BiggerPockets has tons of free calculators you can use to help you in your real estate career.
Templated contracts. Landlords can use BiggerPockets to draft rental agreements and screening questions for new tenants based on the laws and regulations in your area. Real estate agents will also find plenty of templated contracts that come in handy when working with clients.
Pro Membership option. The pro membership of BiggerPockets allows you to download forms from all 50 states and gives you exclusive access to real estate workshops and events that regular users don’t have access to. You can also download the most up-to-date reports on rent and rehab estimates that you can’t get anywhere else.
Cons of BiggerPockets
The pro option is pricey. Being a member of BiggerPockets Pro can be costly if you’re just getting started as an investor. However, everyone is able to take advantage of their free resources on YouTube and their podcast.
Beginners may still need to have capital to start real estate investing. Although BiggerPockets claims that you can get started investing in real estate with no money, most people will need to have some upfront capital to get started.
The bottom line
BiggerPockets is by far the best real estate app for educational purposes. Their free resources and helpful guides are perfect for anyone just getting started in real estate as well as those that want to take their investing business to the next level.
There simply isn’t any other app that provides as much value as BiggerPockets. Experienced investors may want to consider investing in their Pro plan, while agents can list themselves on the BiggerPockets directory and have customers reach out to them directly.
Best for Contracts: DocuSign
★ 4.5/5
DocuSign is a public company listed on the Nasdaq exchange that allows documents to be sent and signed electronically. Their use of eSignatures is one of the reasons that most closing documents for real estate transactions can be done online with the click of a button.
Believe it or not, DocuSign has been around for almost 2 decades. It started in 2003 and began selling its services in 2005 after several rounds of venture capital financing. DocuSign quickly caught on and gained traction in the marketplace. By June 2010, DocuSign added support for iPhone and Android users to start signing documents on mobile devices.
Today, DocuSign continues to acquire companies to expand its product offerings. They acquired Seal Software for $188 million and SpringCM for $220 million all within the last few years.
Pros of DocuSign
Easily send and sign documents electronically. While other similar services exist, DocuSign is the leader in eSignature and cannot be beaten. There is simply no easier way to send and receive electronic documents than with DocuSign.
Flexible plans. DocuSign offers several plans that are perfect for any budget. Starting at $10 per month, you can easily sign up to start sending electronic documents with integrations with Dropbox, Google Drive, and more. You’ll be able to use Dropbox on mobile and use one of many templates already created for you.
DocuSign’s additional features. Other features of DocuSign include contract lifecycle management and electronic notarization. The tools inside the DocuSign app create organized workflows and allow you to send, sign, and notarize many different types of agreements online.
Cons of DocuSign
The learning curve. DocuSign has so many features that it may be difficult for a beginner to get started. However, DocuSign has plenty of helpful resources you can use to educate yourself on the DocuSign platform and how to use it most effectively.
It can get pricey for large teams. Those with a large team, such as a real estate brokerage, should expect to pay a pretty penny for their entire team to use DocuSign. Its Business Pro plan starts at $40 per month per user, which can quickly add up for large teams.
The bottom line
DocuSign is a leader in the eSignature industry. They were one of the first companies to make signing documents electronically a mainstream service and there are plenty of other companies that sprouted up in their footsteps. DocuSign can be cost-effective for individuals but larger teams may not be able to justify the price of DocuSign.
Best for Residential Real Estate: Zillow
★ 5.0/5
Zillow is a leader in the real estate industry and is the website that most people turn to that are interested in exploring properties for sale in their area. They have incredible search features that allow you to narrow down your selection based on property type, number of bedrooms, square footage, air conditioning system, and much more.
Zillow is simply the most complete search engine available to everyone for properties in your area (unlike the MLS which is only available to real estate agents and their clients).
Real estate agents can also pay Zillow for leads from potential buyers. When a potential buyer views a property in their area and wants more information, Zillow will connect them with a real estate agent who can answer their questions and take them on a tour if they are interested in seeing the property in person.
However, getting leads from Zillow is expensive and not every lead ends up buying a home. Additionally, Zillow has more than enough real estate agents that are fighting for their leads and may not have any room to take on new real estate agents in popular areas. Therefore, the opportunity for real estate agents on Zillow is dwindling and the glory days are likely over.
Pros of Zillow
Robust search features for residential properties. Whether you’re looking for a condo, single-family home, or apartment, Zillow makes it easy to filter through properties in your area to find what you’re looking for. You can filter by price, bathrooms, and HOAs.
Free to use. Zillow’s search is free to use and doesn’t require any paid subscription fees.
Detailed property info. With Zillow, you’ll be able to see the year that the property was built and past selling history. Zillow tells you whether homes are on or off the market and whether or not there are issues with title or other defects.
Zillow Home Loans. A relatively new feature, Zillow Home Loans can issue pre-approval letters to get you ready to purchase a home. They have licensed loan officers on their platform ready to help and answer any questions you have.
Valuable resources. Zillow also provides its customers with information relating to mortgage rates and real estate investing in many different areas of the country.
Cons of Zillow
Some information can be outdated. Zillow depends on homeowners and agents to provide the most up-to-date information for their listings. However, with so many properties listed on the site, it’s nearly impossible to ensure that every listing is accurate.
Little success for realtors on the platform. Zillow isn’t the best place for real estate agents to source leads. Zillow leads are known for being low-quality and overpriced.
The bottom line
Zillow is hands-down the leader in searching for residential properties. Anyone who has ever searched for a home has probably come across Zillow at some point. The company is expanding its product offerings to allow potential home buyers to get pre-approved for a mortgage on its website. However, real estate agents shouldn’t rely on Zillow for leads and should focus their efforts on organic outreach and prospecting.
Best for Commercial Real Estate: ThinkEmpire
★ 4.0/5
ThinkEmpire is a new startup that is changing the commercial real estate game. Started by Josh Rahmani and based in New York City, ThinkEmpire is a search engine that allows commercial real estate professionals to search for properties in their city and find detailed information on each building.
ThinkEmpire is expanding its offerings and plans to launch nationally in the coming months. Commercial real estate agents and investors can use ThinkEmpire’s robust database to locate potential opportunities and network with other commercial real estate professionals.
Pros of ThinkEmpire
Ideal for commercial real estate professionals. ThinkEmpire’s database includes many commercial properties that are constantly being bought and sold. The service is very effective for those living in New York City who want to get into commercial real estate.
Fresh and intuitive design. ThinkEmpire is the newest player on the market and comes with a fresh user interface and intuitive design. The engineering team at ThinkEmpire is the best in the business and they’ve designed a winning product with ThinkEmpire.
Cons of ThinkEmpire
Not available in all cities. ThinkEmpire launched in New York City and doesn’t have the ability to provide its services to other cities at this time.
Not as detailed of information as competitors. There are several big competitors that offer a similar product as ThinkEmpire. Their competitors may have more detailed information and other features that the early-stage startup doesn’t have just yet.
The bottom line
ThinkEmpire is the ideal platform for commercial real estate professionals who want to find out detailed information about commercial properties in their area. While not available in all cities just yet, ThinkEmpire is expanding quickly and plans to launch in all major cities in the United States.
Final thoughts
The best real estate apps for agents aren’t always the ones that are right for you. There are plenty of real estate apps out there for educational purposes to help investors get started, while other apps seek to provide information for commercial real estate professionals.
The real estate app space is constantly evolving as new FinTech companies pop up seemingly every day. You should continue to do research into new apps on the market that provide cutting-edge services that traditional companies can’t catch up to.
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