Moving is a complicated endeavor. You have to sort through your stuff, pack it, research moving companies and find one to hire, and then actually move. Of course, before you worry about any of that, you have to actually find a new home!

Finding a new home to rent or buy can be a frustrating process. There are so many different websites out there and the real estate market moves so fast! How are you supposed to keep up? Luckily, like with pretty much everything else these days, there’s an app for that.

Here are four of the best real estate apps that you can use when you are on the market for a new home.

Realtor App by the National Association of Realtors

The Realtor App behaves pretty much like the Zillow and Trulia apps but this one is far more accurate. It offers subscribers access to all of the different MLS databases—which, as anybody familiar with real estate knows, is the holy grail of real estate listings.

Redfin

One of the best things about the Redfin app is that it allows you to search for real estate listings via a map. You can pull up where you are on a map and bring up real estate listings that are nearby. This is especially helpful if you know exactly where you want to live.

What makes this better than the average real estate app is that Redfin will tell you what a house’s status is. If the house is currently being negotiated over, the app will tell you. This way you don’t have to worry about wasting your time looking at something that is already almost bought.

HomeSnap

HomeSnap is, admittedly, kind of a creepy app. It allows you to take a picture of a property with your smart phone and then use that picture to locate the house’s property listing and information. It’s great if you’re standing in front of a house that has a “for sale” sign and there aren’t any fliers in the box that sits on pretty much every “for sale” sign these days.

On the other hand, it opens the door for private property information to find its way into the wrong hands. Still—if you can’t find the number for a real estate agent or the information you need about a property, this app is a great tool.

Craigslist

Do not discount the power of Craigslist, especially if you aren’t looking to buy a home but want to find a home to rent. Craigslist is one of the best tools for renters out there. The app allows you to put in your rental criteria and find properties that match it.

There is even a new map feature that allows you to search for the rentals that match your criteria in the neighborhoods you want to occupy. Craigslist also has houses that are for sale and if you want to buy from an independent seller, this is a great way to find that type of property.

There are dozens of different real estate apps out there to choose from. These, however, are the best ones to start with.

Good luck!

 

Photo credit: ashkyd