Buying, selling, or renting a house could be a tedious activity, especially if you’re already a busy person. If you’re a buyer or renter, there’s just too much to consider and making trips to view properties and neighborhoods, as well as nearby schools and hospitals, could take a toll on you.
On the other hand, if you’re a seller, it’s hard to entertain every single phone call and house tour, most of which could end up being a waste of time if your property isn't what they are looking for in a house. These things could frustrate any home buyer or seller.
Fortunately, there are now tons of home buying apps available online that you can use whether you are a buyer or a seller. In this article, I will talk about the Zillow app, which is the best overall home buying app that I have used. If you want to know more, continue reading below.
- Factors to Consider When Buying or Renting a House
- Examine the Safety and Location of the Property
- The Zillow App for Home Buyers, Renters, and Sellers
- Useful Features for Buyers and Renters
- Sell Your Property via the Zillow App
- Zillow App for Android Devices
- Zillow App for iOS Devices
Factors to Consider When Buying or Renting a House
Before shopping on the Zillow app, there are a few things you should consider when choosing the right house for you.
The first thing you must take into account is your budget. No matter how much time you spend on other factors, your budget will ultimately be a deciding factor, especially if you have a limited one.
Another major factor is the property’s location, and how long it will take to drive to and from your work.
House Specs You Should Watch Out for
House size is also something that will depend on your need or personal preference.
Big families will obviously need a lot more space as opposed to a couple who can live comfortably in a smaller, more affordable house.
In relation to this, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms will also depend on how many people will be living there.
Examine the Safety and Location of the Property
Who doesn’t want their family members to be safe? This is why the safety of the neighborhood is another factor that should also be examined.
This can be done by considering the local crime rates in the area so that you and your children would feel safe living there.
Another thing to consider is the house’s location relative to essential facilities like schools and hospitals.
These facilities not only bring better quality of life but also boost the value of your property if you decide to sell it in the future.
Heating and Cooling Systems
The available heating and cooling systems in the house can also play a big factor in the selection process, particularly in areas with extreme weathers.
Having to install your own heating and cooling systems will be an additional expense and time-consuming process too.
The Zillow App for Home Buyers, Renters, and Sellers
Zillow is a real estate app that can be used by both home buyers and renters, as well as those looking to sell their properties.
Using the app will give you access to information on millions of houses and apartments available for sale or rent, which can be narrowed down using its built-in search filters.
It even has a map view so you can see properties in any area that you like. This is where the factors we discussed earlier come in.
Property Listings on the App
Information on listings of houses and apartments for sale or rent vary, with some providing the basic details while others include tax information and 3D walkthroughs.
These listings are either created by the owners themselves or the real estate agent that handles the properties. Their contact details are usually included so you can easily reach them.
If you’re a seller, the app lets you see comparable properties near you so you can check your home’s estimated value and make your own rental or sale listing based on it.
Useful Features for Buyers and Renters
For people looking to buy or rent a house, the most important feature for me is the app’s search filters.
With millions of listings on Zillow, filters based on different criteria help to narrow down your choices.
You can filter your search based on things like square footage, number of rooms, property type, and even specific amenities like swimming pool and garden.
To make things easier, the Zillow app even included a great directory of real estate agents with corresponding reviews from other app users.
Mortgage Calculators and Other Tools
Part of purchasing a house is looking for a mortgage and this is sometimes the most difficult to do. To aid in this activity, Zillow features a variety of mortgage tools that users can take advantage of.
Zillow has different mortgage calculators that you can use to estimate possible payments and determine which properties you can afford. The app even has the latest mortgage rates based on market trends.
Lastly, most people have partners that they do property hunting with. The app enables tagging and sharing listings to other Zillow users and even through third-party apps.
Sell Your Property via the Zillow App
If you’re a property owner looking to sell a house or rent an apartment, using the Zillow app is a great way to turn that lawn sign to ‘Sold’.
What’s great is that you can create a rental or sale listing on the platform at no cost at all. You can even update information on your listing directly through the app.
There is so much you can add to your listing to make it stand out, including high quality photos, video tours, and even an external link if you have media on another website.
Quick Sale via Zillow Offers
For people who are in a rush to sell their properties, the company has a Zillow Offers program which sends out a cash offer within minutes.
This is for owners who don’t want to spend time and resources doing repairs, property showings, and negotiations. However, they can still decline the offer from Zillow if they choose to do so.
While it doesn’t cost anything to get an offer via Zillow Offers, it does have transaction fees if you choose to accept the offer, such as the Zillow service charge, selling costs, and closing costs.
Zillow App for Android Devices
If you’re an Android device user, you will find the app on the Google Play Store in the House & Home category under the name “Zillow: Find Houses for Sale & Apartments for Rent”.
The app is currently rated at 4.4 out of 5 stars based on more than half a million user reviews. It even has an Editor’s Choice seal.
Zillow for Android has a content rating of Everyone and has been installed over 10 million times.
Downloading and Installing the Android App
The Zillow app has a file size of 28 MB and requires devices to run on Android 5.0 and up for it to function properly.
It’s currently on version 12.9.185.11697 and was last updated on September 27, 2021.
To download, tap on the Install button and wait for it to finish. Once all files are downloaded, the app will automatically install on your mobile device.
Zillow App for iOS Devices
The Zillow app is also available to iOS device users and it can be found on the Apple App Store in the Lifestyle category under the name “Zillow Real Estate & Rentals”.
The app has a current rating of 4.8 out 5 stars based on 5.7 million user reviews.
Zillow for iOS is only available in English and has an age rating of 4+. It is ranked fourth in the Lifestyle category.
Downloading and Installing the iOS App
The iOS version of the app has a much bigger file size at 143.6 MB and requires iOS 13.0 or later for both the iPhone and iPod touch and iPadOS 13.0 or later for the iPad.
It can also be installed on Mac computers with macOS 11.0 or later or those with Apple M1 chip. It can be accessed on Apple TVs with tvOS 10.0 or later.
To download, simple tap on the Get button and it will initiate the process. It will automatically install once all files have been downloaded to your device.
Conclusion
My overall assessment of the Zillow app is that it’s something quite useful, whether you're looking to buy or rent a home or you're looking to sell a property. Its features and tools cater to both types of users.
The user interface was easy to use and despite the enormous number of property listings it hosts, the app’s filters could really narrow down your search. I recommend this app to anyone who needs to use a real estate platform.
