In 2021, millennials officially represent the largest cohort of homebuyers. While this means you no longer have to hear about how “lazy” millennials are supposedly ruining the real estate industry, it also means you’re currently up to bat against other house hunters who are just as tech-savvy as you are.
The good news is that tech can actually help save the day when it comes to your house hunting experience (especially during COVID-19). Here are four apps you can use to make the hunt for housing a little less stressful during an already stressful time.
1. Trulia
Trulia is one of the top housing apps, and for good reason. Not only does the app tell you which houses are for sale in certain areas but they also poll users who live in the specific neighborhoods you’re looking in. With boundary disputes constituting 17% of real estate issues between neighbors, you want to be sure that the neighborhood you’re moving to doesn’t have any bad eggs before you sign any documents. What’s more, Trulia also lists information about the property on each property profile such as the age of the home, roofing, and appliances. Considering water heaters only last for up to 10 years, you want to be sure the home you’re investing in has as many up-to-date features as possible.
2. Xome
It’s no secret that our generation loves a good fixer-upper, especially when it helps us save money. If you’re looking for homes that are up for auction, Xome is the real estate app you want. Xome notifies you of real estate auctions in your area both exclusively through the app and through the MLS. You’ll be able to check out bank-owned, foreclosed, short-sale, and standard home listings all in one place. What makes Xome especially great is that it notifies you of these auctions before the general market even knows about them.
3. Redfin Real Estate
It can be tricky to navigate the real estate market when you and different real estate agents are using different platforms. The Redfin app mitigates these differences by enabling you to schedule a tour with an agent directly in the app. The Redfin app will tell you whether the real estate agent works with Redfin or if they’re a real estate agent with another agency. You can also like properties in the app so you can come back to them later, and you can indicate your disinterest in other properties to keep them from showing up in your searches.
4. Estately Real Estate
As many millennials know, buying a house isn’t as cheap as it looks. Not only do you need to worry about mortgage payments, but you also need to worry about closing costs and information on property taxes, utilities, and more. The Estately app helps to bring this information into the light so you don’t need to stress anymore. Users can check information on an available property’s taxes, appliances, local schools, utility costs, and more. Even cooler is that the app also gives you information about Internet speed in the area and noise pollution.
It can be tricky to find the right real estate apps worth using, especially when some apps face bans from Apple App stores and Google Play (yikes). Try checking out some of the apps above to help you make your journey toward buying a house a little bit easier this year.