Buying and selling a home involves several steps, each of which can be pretty complex from house hunting to managing surprise expenses that comes with buying a new home. But imagine using your mobile phone to streamline the real estate buying and selling process. With the help of a few real estate apps, buying or selling your home can be easy and stress-free.
Zolo
Zolo is an independent, Canadian real estate marketplace that provides users with local insights on homes for sale and apartments for rent in neighbourhoods all across the country. The platform pulls listings right from MLS and updates them every 15 minutes, so the information provided is always up-to-date. With it, homebuyers can browse home and its neighbourhood.
Zolo Features
- Up-To-Date – Information on Zolo reflects the most recent information on the property. It updates information every 15 minutes using information from the MLS listing.
- Market Trends – Zolo also offers house market trends like average price, days on the market, sale status, and price history.
- Neighbourhood information – Zolo also provides data about the parks, schools, restaurants, and other amenities around the house you’re looking at.
- Variety of Filters – Searches can be filtered according to price, property type, number of bedrooms, and size. You can also search MLS listings by location with the MLS CA map.
- Home Value Calculator – You can estimate how much your current home is worth based on current market trends using Zolo’s home value calculator.
- Accessible – Zolo is available on Android and iPhone. You can also set up notifications on your phone about new listings.
Realtor.ca
Realtor.ca is a popular Canadian real estate platform that displays residential and commercial properties listed for sale from Realtors across Canada. The listings are pulled from various MLS Systems operated by Real Estate Boards and Associations. Available on both web browser or mobile app, Realtor.ca is user-friendly and fully customizable. Homebuyers can use the app to help them hone in on homes according to their needs and wants and connect to a local real estate agent.
Realtor.ca Features
- Up-To-Date Data – Get accurate property listing information on residential, commercial, and rental properties in Canada.
- Numerous Filters – With Realtor.ca, you can narrow down your search to include properties that match your criteria, including price, property type, location, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and so forth.
- Mortgage Calculator – Realtor also offers a payment calculator, mortgage affordability calculator and a land transfer tax calculator.
- Find A Real Estate Agent – You can also use Realtor.ca to look for real estate agents by location, name or office. Moreover, you can choose to filter the real estate agents by language, including, English, French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Punjabi, and Hindi.
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Zoocasa is an app similar to Realtor.ca that provides the latest accurate information on listings across Canada. The app offers precise search filters that are more advanced than most other real estate apps currently available. For instance, you can add filters including year built, square footage, and room size, among others. Homebuyers can use the app to help them find a home with the features they want according to their budget.
Zoocasa Features
- Up-To-Date – Listing information is updated several times a day. They also have a historical property listing, which will tell you how a home has changed over time.
- Imagine Yourself Here – This feature provides details on the area’s walkability, public transit, commute times, and local amenities. You can also get information about local school districts with rankings and scores.
- Housing Market Trends – This features provide you with relevant data such as average price, price growth, mortgage interest rates, city-level data, and so forth.
- Building Information – You can also lookup condo and building data, including maintenance fees, building age, amenities, locker information, and more
- Notifications – You can also set up email and push notifications on changes with your saved properties and new homes available.
- Real Estate Agent – You can also use the app to help you connect with real estate agents.
Zillow
Zillow is a real estate marketplace with the largest real estate inventory in North America. The platform provides in-depth search filters to help you find the perfect home as well as virtual tours to help you get as much detail about a property as possible without actually being there physically. If you see something you like, you can connect with a Zillow real estate agent to take the next step.
Zillow Features
- Up-To-Date – Get up-to-date information on properties for sale and rent, as well as information on upcoming open houses.
- Notifications – You can set up push notifications for things such as new listings, price reductions, pending sales, and others
- Detailed Information On Property – Zillow offers detailed property descriptions, including square footage, recent upgrades, year built, HVAC systems, and commute time. You can also find virtual 3D home tours and neighbourhood maps.
- Find A Real Estate Agent – Like the other apps, you can use it to connect with a local Realtor.
Canadian Mortgage App
If you want to find out if you’d be able to get approved for a mortgage for a specific amount, the Canadian Mortgage App is one to look at. In addition to having an affordability calculator, it goes a step further to include mortgage stress test indicators that can give you your estimated mortgage payment. You can also find out what type of down payment you’d need, how much closing costs could be, and what you’d be paying in land transfer taxes.
Canadian Mortgage App Features
- Understand Your Budget – Calculate the maximum price you can afford, down payment, land transfer fees, and closing costs with the purchase calculator. Moreover, you can get a detailed report of your affordability with your mortgage specialist or real estate agent.
- Break Down Your Mortgage – The Canadian Mortgage app will analyze how much mortgage you have left each year over the term or amortization period of your mortgage. They also show you an amortization graph to give you a visual on how your interest and principal behave over time.
- Simulate Your Payment – You can not only get an estimate on your mortgage payment amount but you can find out how much you can save if you increase your payments.
Other Helpful Apps When Buying A Home
The above real estate apps can give you everything you need to ensure a successful mortgage and real estate transaction, but there are a few others that are worth an honourable mention:
AroundMe
Finding the right house is one thing, but the neighbourhood it’s located in is just as important, if not the most important factor to consider. AroundMe quickly provides you with details about specific areas using the GPS on your mobile phone to identify area amenities, such as schools, grocery stores, gas stations, hospitals, banks, and more.
If you are curious about specific types of businesses or amenities, you can search by category that will locate these entities for you, along with detailed directions. This will provide you with important information before you decide to put in an offer on a home.
Houzz
Houzz is a popular app that features millions of home decor and interior design photos, decorating ideas, and a seemingly endless list of home professionals. You can use filters by design type, measurements, room type, floor plan, and more.
Use Houzz for design inspiration, then find the right professional to help transform your home accordingly. Plus, you can use the app to buy home decor and furniture through the Houzz marketplace.
Sortly
Once you’ve bought a home and are ready to move, you can use an app like Sortly to make organizing your belongings a cinch. Sortly can help you come up with an inventory list of everything in your home. All you need to do is take photos of each item, sort them into the appropriate boxes, and create custom barcode labels.
Having everything sorted in such an organized way will make unpacking so much easier and less time-consuming. Instead of opening every box to find specific items, just scan the label with your mobile device to determine what’s inside.
Real Estate Dictionary
Real Estate Dictionary is a free app that provides access to thousands of real estate definitions pulled from real estate, mortgage, and financial dictionaries. It’s very useful to help you get familiar with the jargon used in the world of real estate so you’re more well-informed when buying or selling real estate. Armed with this information, you’ll be better equipped to find the right real estate agent and identify any potential issues or red flags.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re on the buying or selling end of the real estate spectrum, there’s an app out there just for you. With a few clicks, you can simplify the process for yourself and connect with industry experts to ensure a successful transaction.
