Build a Real Estate App Like Property Finder: Factors, Features & Cost

3 Reasons to Invest in Real Estate App Development Like Property Finder

Below we’ve listed compelling reasons to invest in real estate app development in the UAE like Property Finder. Take a look:

1. Rising Consumer Preference for Digital Solutions

“A Home Buyer & Seller Profile study from NAR found that 96% of home buyers use online tools in their search, and 60% of those searches are conducted on mobile devices.”

Consumer preferences for real estate transactions are evolving due to the speed, ease, and accessibility of digital platforms. Customers may research, assess, and even take virtual tours of properties from the comfort of their smartphones by using real estate apps like Property Finder. Investing in a real estate app will appeal to informed consumers, meet growing demand, and establish your business as a pioneer in the digital real estate industry.  

2. Expand Your Market Reach & User Engagement

“The Global Commercial Real Estate Software Market achieved a valuation of USD 50 Billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 87.66 Billion by 2031”

Using a real estate app, you can reach a wider audience, including foreign buyers, and expand your market reach beyond conventional limits. Push alerts, interactive maps, and personalized recommendations are just a few features that keep consumers informed and engaged, ultimately increasing conversion rates. Apps like Property Finder use advanced algorithms to pair users with homes that best suit their preferences. This creates a more personalized experience for users, encouraging repeat business.

3. Lucrative Revenue Options

“The global Real Estate Software & Apps market was valued at US$ 3813 million in 2024 and is anticipated to reach US$ 4644.6 million by 2031”

A multitude of revenue streams, including in-app advertisements, premium listings, and subscription models that grant access to premium features, are introduced with the development of a real estate app like Property Finder. The real estate app business is expected to grow significantly in the next years, with billions of dollars in real estate IT investments expected annually worldwide. Providing value-added services, such as mortgage calculators, legal advice, and agent matching, will help you monetize the app and generate a healthy return on investment. 

Top 12 Features to Incorporate into a Real Estate App Like Property Finder

Following, we’ve listed essential features that you must consider incorporating into your real estate app. Let’s check:

1. Property Listings

Property listings are the core feature of any real estate application. This segment provides a comprehensive database of properties across multiple regions, featuring images, prices, locations, and property types. A well-organized property listing helps users easily browse through numerous options. This feature enables users to navigate various property types and select the one that best meets their requirements. 

2. Property Details

Each property listing must provide detailed information, including property size, amenities, number of rooms, and other relevant specifications. Ensure that you list properties with high-quality images, virtual tours, and detailed descriptions. This information provides buyers with thorough details about the property they’re interested in. 

3. Advanced Search Filters

Search filters enable users to refine their results based on specific criteria, such as location, price range, property type, number of bedrooms, and more. Advanced filters enable more precise results, leading to a better user experience.

4. User Reviews & Ratings

Incorporating a review and rating system builds trust by allowing users to view feedback from previous tenants or buyers. This feature also helps property owners and agents build credibility.

5. Mortgage Calculator

Provide users with an estimate of monthly payments using a mortgage or rent calculator. Users can easily obtain accurate data based on property price, loan amount, down payment, interest rate, and payment tenure. This feature helps buyers assess affordability. 

6. Geo-Location Feature

Incorporating a geo-location feature displays properties near the user’s current geographic location or within a specified area. It is also highly convenient to nearby amenities like supermarkets, hospitals, and schools. 

7. Automatic Rent Reminders

This feature sends reminders for rent due dates, helping users avoid late payments. It’s especially useful for renters and property owners managing multiple tenants.

8. Saved Searches & Notifications

Users can save search criteria and receive notifications when new properties matching their preferences become available. This ensures they don’t miss out on good deals.

9. Interactive Maps & Neighbourhood Insights

Integrating interactive maps & neighborhood insights helps showcase the property’s location. This includes nearby amenities, transportation options, schools, and hospitals. This enables buyers to make informed decisions before renting or purchasing any properties. 

10. Schedule Property Visits

A built-in scheduler allows users to book property visits directly through the app. This feature enables users to easily coordinate with agents or property owners.

11. Push Notifications

Push notifications keep users informed about new listings, price drops, upcoming payments, and saved searches. Timely alerts improve user engagement and retention.

12. Language & Currency Support

Integrating language & currency conversion feature support like Property Finder allows users to choose options as per their preferred requirements. With the help of this feature, you can cater to a wider range of users, offering convenience and support. 

Step-by-Step Process of Real Estate App Development

Following, we’ve  listed the real estate app development process step-by-step and how top Apptunix’s Android & iOS real estate developers, designers and other team help you to get started with your app idea into reality:

Step 1: Market Research & Planning

The first step is to analyze the real estate app market and understand users’ needs. Study platforms like Property Finder, Zillow, and Realtor to identify their strengths and weaknesses. Define your target audience—whether it’s property buyers, renters, or real estate agents—and decide what unique features will make your app stand out, such as AI-driven recommendations, rental calculators, or virtual tours. This research will shape your business model and feature list.

Step 2: Define Features & Business Model

Once the groundwork is set, outline the core and advanced features your app will offer. Essential features usually include property listings, search filters, maps, and user profiles. Advanced ones could be AI-based property suggestions, AR/VR tours, or mortgage calculators. At this stage, also finalize your revenue model—whether it’s subscriptions for agents, featured listings, advertisements, or commission on property deals.

Step 3: Design Wireframes & UI/UX

The next step is to design wireframes and create a user-friendly interface. A real estate app should be visually appealing, with easy navigation, clean property layouts, and responsive design across devices. Using tools like Figma or Adobe XD, you can map out user flows and ensure a smooth experience for buyers, sellers, and agents.

Step 4: Select Technology Stack

Choosing the right technologies is critical for performance and scalability. For the frontend, you can opt for cross-platform frameworks like Flutter or React Native, or go with native development for iOS and Android. On the backend, Node.js or Django are popular choices, with databases like PostgreSQL or MongoDB. Integrations with Google Maps, cloud hosting services, and secure payment gateways also come into play here.

Step 5: Backend & Database Development

At this stage, the app’s foundation is in place. Android & iOS real estate app developers create APIs and set up databases to manage property listings, user data, and transactions. Real-time updates ensure that users always see accurate property availability. Data security measures, such as encryption and secure storage, are also implemented here.

Step 6: Frontend Development

Now, the user-facing side of the app comes to life. Developers build the interface that users can use to browse properties, apply filters, save favorites, and contact agents. The focus is on delivering a fast, responsive, and seamless experience across Android, iOS, and possibly the web.

Step 7: Integrate Advanced Features

To make the app competitive, advanced features are integrated. This may include AI for personalized property recommendations, AR/VR for immersive property tours, chat features for real-time communication, and predictive pricing tools. These features enhance user engagement and give your app an edge over basic listing platforms.

Step 8: Testing & Quality Assurance

Before launch, rigorous testing ensures the app works smoothly. Functional testing verifies that features such as search and payments function correctly, while performance testing ensures optimal speed under heavy traffic. Security testing protects user data, while compatibility testing ensures the app functions properly on various devices and operating systems.

Step 9: Deployment & Launch

After successful testing, the commercial real estate app is being deployed on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. A web version, if included, is launched simultaneously. Before a full-scale rollout, beta testing with a limited group of users helps gather feedback and fix any last-minute issues.

Step 10: Post-Launch Support & Scaling

The journey doesn’t end at launch. Continuous updates, bug fixes, and performance improvements are necessary to keep users engaged. As your user base grows, the app should scale with cloud solutions. New features such as multi-language support, AI chatbots, and advanced financing tools can be added over time to keep the app competitive.

Top Factors Influencing the Real Estate App Development Cost

Below we’ve listed some crucial factors influencing the real estate app development cost. Ensure you learn each of them, as it will help you set your project’s budget accordingly.

Let’s learn:

1. Scope & Complexity

The more complex the real estate app’s functionalities, the higher the development cost. A basic app with simple features includes features like user registration and property listing. On the other hand, a complex app with advanced features includes AI-driven recommendations, virtual property tours, and mortgage calculators. The level of complexity directly impacts the development cost of real estate applications, as it requires more time and effort. 

2. Platform

Choosing your real estate app platform also impacts the development cost of real estate apps. Decide whether your app will be developed for iOS, Android, or both platforms. If you want to opt for native apps (built separately for iOS and Android), they offer better performance but are more expensive. On the other hand, cross-platform solutions (using frameworks like React Native or Flutter) reduce development costs; however, they may have limitations when accessing certain device features. 

3. UX UI Design

The UX/UI design is a highly crucial factor in real estate apps, ensuring easy navigation and quick access to information. Incorporating a basic UX UI design will cost you less than a custom design with intricate animations and transitions. 

4. Tech Stack

The choice of technologies for both frontend, backend, and database management significantly influences the app’s performance and cost. A robust tech stack is crucial when integrating third-party APIs, such as map services, payment gateways, and chatbots.

Most Recommended: How Much Does it Cost to Build a Real Estate App Like Bayut?

5. Features & Functionalities

Features & functionalities determine the foundation of any mobile app development, including real estate apps. Core features, including property listing, user profiles, and search filters, will cost you less. On the other hand, advanced functionalities such as virtual tours, augmented reality views, and AI-based recommendations increase costs due to the level of expertise and time required.

6. Team Size

The team size plays an important role in determining the real estate app development cost. Larger teams and tight deadlines can increase expenses, while longer timelines might allow for more flexibility and cost management.

7. Location of Development Team

The location of the development team also influences the development cost. It depends on the cost of living, which varies by location. Onshore teams (within your country) are often more expensive than offshore teams (in regions like Asia or Europe), though they may offer benefits in terms of communication and time zone alignment. 

8. Security & Compliance

Real estate transactions are extremely sensitive. Because of this, it’s imperative to protect sensitive data and abide by legislation (such as GDPR). Long-term success requires implementing robust encryption, secure payment systems, and conducting regular security evaluations, notwithstanding the associated costs. 

9.Testing & Quality Assurance

An important factor that significantly impacts the development cost of a real estate app is testing and quality assurance (QA). Extensive testing ensures that the application operates without errors or bugs, providing a seamless user experience. In addition to a dedicated team of testers, other testing procedures that are often required include unit testing, integration testing, and user acceptance testing.

Although thorough testing may incur higher upfront costs, it ultimately saves money by reducing post-launch issues, enhancing user satisfaction, and improving app reliability—all of which are crucial to the app’s long-term success. 

10. Marketing & Maintenance

Once you’ve launched your real estate app, your app requires continuous maintenance and also needs marketing promotion. Marketing efforts like digital advertising, SEO, and user engagement strategies. It will assist your app to reach its target audience on a larger scale. Regular maintenance, including updates, bug fixes, and new features, also incurs ongoing costs. These factors will also impact the development cost of real estate apps.

How Much Does it Cost to Build a Real Estate App Like Property Finder?

The average cost to build a real estate application similar to Property Finder or Zillow ranges from $20,000 to $300,000 or above. Several factors influence the development cost of real estate applications, including UX UI design, tech stack, features & functionalities, and much more. 

Check the table below to understand how complexity impacts the real estate app development cost:

Get in touch with Apptunix Experts, your  top real estate app development company and know the exact real estate development cost for your project.

Top Monetization Strategies to Include in Your Real Estate App

Once you’ve created your real estate app, the time to learn how to make money from your real estate app like property finder:

1. Subscription Plans

The subscription model is the most popular monetization strategy among businesses. It helps to generate consistent revenue from your real estate application. Here you can provide a free version of your app with basic features. Users need to pay specific fees to access advanced features & functionalities, they need to pay specific fees. You can provide subscription plans for monthly, quarterly, or yearly subscriptions. Users can select a plan according to their needs and requirements. 

2. Premium Listing

This is another monetization strategy that will help you generate consistent revenue. Here, property sellers have the choice to pay for a featured listing. It means sellers can showcase their profiles and listings at the top of the search results. And they can enjoy premium listing benefits until their paid plan expires. 

3. In-App Advertisement

In-app advertisements are the most effective monetization strategy for apps. It helps display relevant ads in third-party brand or business mobile applications. You can charge a specific fee to showcase their products or services ads in your real estate app. However, ensure that you display relevant advertisements without frustrating your users.

4. Commission-based Model

Using a commission-based approach is a conventional method for generating income from real estate transactions. You can profit directly from the app as an aggregator for each completed successful real estate transaction that goes via your platform.

Partner With Apptunix to Build a Robust Real Estate App Like Property Finder

Partnering with Apptunix, a real estate software development company can turn your vision into reality. We will assist you in entering the lucrative real estate market with a cutting-edge app like Property Finder. Our team of professionals specializes in building innovative, feature-rich real estate apps tailored to meet your specific business needs & requirements. 

Apptunix is committed to delivering scalable, secure solutions aligned with the latest industry standards. By choosing Apptunix as your mobile app development partner, you gain access to a team that values your business goals and works diligently to deliver a product that exceeds expectations. Whether you’re launching a startup or expanding an existing real estate business, Apptunix offers a collaborative approach, guiding you through every step of the development process—from ideation and design to deployment and post-launch support. 

Trust Apptunix to turn your app idea into a powerful tool that captures market share and accelerates your success in the competitive real estate landscape.