Real Estate tech has recently seen a significant upgrade. Say goodbye to exhaustive house hunting, complicated mortgage applications, and surprise expenses. In the golden age of technology, finding the perfect place to call home is now as simple as ordering pizza.
Here, we present to you the 10 Best Real Estate Apps in Canada that will make buying or selling your home as easy as tomato pie.
1. Real Estate Dictionary
Whether you're a real estate gumshoe or a veteran investor, the Real Estate Dictionary app is crucial for arming yourself with information. This app punches above its weight class with 3000 real estate words and terms. Now, you can understand important concepts, laws, and the fundamentals of real estate. It gives you peace of mind, knowing what to look for, identify red flags, and how to spot an above-board realtor you can trust.
Image: Real Estate Dictionary App
- Google Play: 4.3
- App Store: 3.3
- Average Rating: 3.8
2. Realtor.ca
Are you a first-time homebuyer? Realtor.ca is a great place to start, no matter your location. This app boasts the most comprehensive inventory of homes across Canada. With its user-friendly interface and customizable search filters, you can quickly and easily hone in on homes with must-have features. You can save your favorite listings, take notes, and even connect with a local real estate agent.
It's important to note that some users have experienced out-of-date listings, incomplete property details, and a glitchy map feature. Hopefully, the developers will address these issues in the next update.
- Google Play: 1.4
- App Store: 3.8
- Average Rating: 2.6
3. Zoocasa
Edging out the competition, Zoocasa claims to provide faster and more frequent updates than Realtor.ca. This app offers more precise search filters beyond the basics. Prospective buyers can tailor searches based on square footage, room size, and year built. The "Imagine Yourself Here" feature paints a picture of the neighborhood with details like walkability, local amenities, and even local school districts complete with scores and rankings.
Recent updates have left this handy app a little buggy, with users reporting issues such as a glitchy map, picture display problems, and searches not saving properly.
- Google Play: 1.7
- App Store: 3.8
- Average Rating: 2.8
4. Zillow
Next up, we have the largest real estate inventory in North America. Whether you're a first-time buyer, a serial mover, or a commercial investor, Zillow offers something for everyone. With its robust search filters for school districts, number of views, and interior features, you can find your dream home. Take an immersive virtual tour and connect with a Zillow Realtor. You can even set push notifications for new listings, pending sales, and price drops.
Please note that this app is best suited for those looking for real estate in Canada's 6 major markets: Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna, and Vancouver. Listings in smaller markets are either limited or unavailable.
- Google Play: 4.4
- App Store: 4.7
- Average Rating: 4.6
5. Zolo.ca
Zolo.ca pulls data directly from Realtor MLS listings, ensuring the most accurate information updated every 15 minutes. This Canadian darling includes market trends like average price, days listed, and sale status, along with the property's price history. It also provides neighborhood information such as local restaurants, parks, schools, and other amenities.
Zolo also provides its own brokerage services. Unfortunately, their licensing limitations mean that Quebec and Winnipeg markets remain unavailable on the app. Users have also reported search results outside their desired area and undisclosed parking status for urban properties.
- Google Play: 4.6
- App Store: 4.6
- Average Rating: 4.6
6. Canadian Mortgage App
Most of the above apps include some sort of affordability calculator, but the Canadian Mortgage App is the one to rule them all. This app includes the latest CMHC stress test indicators and can generate your estimated mortgage payment in all possible frequencies. It even has a pre-qualification tool, along with specific calculators for minimum down payments, closing costs, and land transfer fees. This app is your one-stop-shop for all real estate transaction cost calculations.
While some features require you to share your location or register your email, this is simply to provide accurate calculations. Your information is never shared or sold to third parties.
- Google Play: 4.8
- App Store: 4.8
- Average Rating: 4.8
7. AroundMe
The only thing you can't change about a house is its location. With AroundMe, you can quickly explore the neighborhood from the palm of your hand. This app uses GPS on your phone to identify amenities near you, such as gas stations, grocery stores, banks, and hospitals. You can search by category to find the most relevant businesses closest to you, complete with directions. This app gives you great insight about the community before you submit an offer.
- Google Play: 4.4
- App Store: 4.6
- Average Rating: 4.4
8. Google Keep
Busy with property tours? House hunting can easily become overwhelming. Keep track of the properties you've seen, along with all the things you loved and hated, using Google Keep. This app will organize all your house hunting research in one convenient place. Quickly add notes, photos, and voice memos when the open-house circuit keeps you busy. You can even color code the properties to simplify the decision-making process.
- Play Store: 4.3
- App Store: 3.5
- Average Rating: 3.9
9. Sortly
You found your dream home! Now it's time to rock at moving. With Sortly, you can quickly create an inventory of all your household items, from sport socks to your Xbox and everything in-between. Just snap pics of your items, sort them into boxes, and create custom barcode labels. When it's time to unpack, you'll save yourself time by easily scanning the label with your phone to see what's inside.
- Google Play: 3.9
- App Store: 4.7
- Average Rating: 4.3
10. Houzz
The only thing more exhausting than moving is redecorating. Houzz, the number one most beloved interior design app in North America, is here to help. Set filters by floor plan, measurements, design type, and more. Houzz will inspire you with new interior design ideas and connect you with local professionals. You can even buy discount furniture and home décor through their marketplace.
- Google Play: 4.6
- App Store: 4.8
- Average Rating: 4.7
There you have it! We've laid out all the best apps to walk you through the entire home-buying process, from start to finish. Whether you're brand new to real estate or looking to buy your third investment property, this comprehensive list of must-have apps will make you a pro in no time. Now that you're equipped with the right tools, kick back, relax, and celebrate with a slice of 'za. Wasn't that easy?