Listed below, in no particular order, are some of the most popular property and real estate apps in Australia available for both Android and Apple (iOS) devices.
For buyers, sellers & renters
1. Realestate.com.au
Boasting the most downloaded real estate app in Australia, realestate.com.au describes itself as "Australia's #1 address in property". The website and app is a product of international real estate advertising company REA Group, which is in turn majority-owned by News Corp Australia.
The realestate.com.au brand attracted nearly 12 million Australians on average each month during the first quarter of 2023 – that's 59% of the country's adult population!
After establishing itself as Australia's most popular real estate website, realestate.com.au launched its app in 2010. It's currently the top free real estate app under the Google Play store's 'house & home' category and boasts the silver spot among free apps in the Apple App Store's 'lifestyle' category.
Source: Realestate.com.au
Key details:
- User ratings (out of 5): 4.6 on Google Play (52,000+ reviews) and 4.8 on the App Store (211,000+ reviews)
- Search for houses, apartments, rooms, or land to buy or rent in Australia
- View estimated values for Australian properties on and off the market
- Look at the sales history of properties
- Create custom 'collections' of saved properties (e.g. 'dream homes collection', 'holiday houses collection')
- Smart notifications provide updates on the status of your saved properties
- View upcoming inspection times and auctions for all properties that match your search and plan your attendance
- See closest schools to any property based on Government data (ACARA)
- Set up a profile for your own property to keep track of the estimated value
- Home loan calculator (including upfront costs) that saves your info
2. Domain
Domain's app is a close second to realestate.com.au in the popularity stakes. That's perhaps somewhat owing to the rivalry between its majority-owner Nine Entertainment Co (which merged with Domain's parent company Fairfax in 2018) and News Corp Australia.
Domain has battled realestate.com.au for the mantle of being Australia's top real estate platform for many years. The skirmish even escalated into court proceedings in 2017, when REA Group objected to Domain's claim it was the "#1 property app in Australia."
At the time of writing, Domain advertises itself as "Australia's home of property". The Domain app is currently number two on the Google Play store's free 'house & home' category and comes in at 9th position on the Apple App Store's 'lifestyle' chart.
Key details:
- User ratings (out of 5): 4.6 on Google Play (31,000+ reviews) and 4.7 on the App Store (82,000+ reviews)
- Look for Australian houses, apartments, townhouses or land to buy or rent
- Search specifically for new houses, land, apartments or designs (helpful for first home buyers hoping to secure a government grant)
- See the price estimates and sale histories of millions of properties
- Filter property searches by price, bedrooms, bathrooms, parking, land size and other features (e.g pool, study)
- Receive alerts when properties that match your saved searches become available
- Draw on maps with your fingers to search for properties in your favourite locations
- See school catchment zones for any property
- Add upcoming inspections to your phone's calendar or the app's in-house inspection planner
- Track your property's value with the Home Price Guide estimate
3. Homely Property & Real Estate
Like realestate.com.au and Domain, Homely aims to connect buyers and renters with homes for sale or lease.
Unlike the two big dogs, however, Homely also offers buyers the change to peruse reviews from locals on suburbs they might be interested in buying or renting in, or add their own to help potential future neighbours. There is also the option to ask other users questions on particular neighbourhoods or suburbs.
Key details:
- User ratings (out of 5): 4.6 on Google Play (1,000+ reviews) and 4.7 on the App Store (4,800+ reviews)
- Search through hundreds of thousands of Australian properties to buy or rent
- Customise your search by price, features, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and more
- New property alerts – save your favourite searches and receive notifications when new properties hit the market
- Save properties and receive notifications whenever your favourites are updated
- Access thousands of suburb reviews written by locals
- Create shared collections with friends or family where you can rate and comment on properties
- Different ways to search, including by your GPS location, drawing on a map, or searching by suburb
- See details of local schools and their relative location on a map
4. Soho
Soho App has been described as the "Tinder for Property". Started by Airtasker co-founder Jonathan Lui in 2017, Soho App aims to disrupt the home-seeker's journey by offering a selection of properties curated by AI they can flick through with swiping gestures similar to dating app Tinder.
On top of its search functions, it has a social news feed and groups where real estate agents and brokers share property insights and help buyers learn.
Soho App operates across Australia and Singapore.
Image: Soho App (provided)
Key details:
- User ratings (out of 5): 4.2 on Google Play (300+ reviews) and 4.6 on the App Store (100+ reviews)
- Search for houses, apartments, rooms or land to buy or rent in Australia
- Tinder-style swipe to look through and judge properties
- Property Match alerts for new properties listed in your target areas and budget
- Request for home loan approvals with-in the app
- Social network and groups to connect buyers to property insights from agents
- Access suburb and area data to see market values by region
5. Urban: Real estate & property
Urban.com.au claims to offer Australia's largest range of new and off-the-plan apartments and townhouses, with thousands of new developments found in its marketplace. As its presence on this list suggests, Urban.com.au also offers an app.
The Urban app allows users to search for new developments in their city using a variety of filters. It aims to improve the quality of urban communities being developed across Australia.
Key details:
- User ratings (out of 5): 3.9 on Google Play (<100 reviews) and 4.6 on the App Store (100+ reviews)
- Search for new projects
- Allows users to browse apartment configurations and pricing
- They can schedule consultations at display suites
- House hunters can download project brochures via the app
For renters
6. TenantApp
TenantApp is a property search app for renters created by Brisbane-based property management software company InspectRealEstate.
This app has had over 500,000 downloads from Google Play and is ranked at #3 on Google Play's top apps for 'house & home'.
Source: inspectrealestate
Key details:
- User ratings (out of 5): 3.1 on Google Play (2,000+ reviews) and 4.6 on the App Store (31,000+ reviews)
- Search for rental properties throughout Australia and filter by price range, property type, number of bedrooms, locations and features (e.g. pet-friendly, pool, bath)
- Shortlist desired properties and book inspections directly
- Keep track of your tenancy applications and inspection times
- Affiliated real estate agents include Ray White, McGrath, RE/MAX, Professionals and First National
7. Rent.com.au
Describing itself as "Australia's number 1 site dedicated to rental properties", rent.com.au was founded in 2007 and listed on the ASX in 2015. It has around 1 million visitors to its website a month.
Beyond offering a place to search for a new rental, rent.com.au also provides payment options for renters. The company relaunched RentPay in May 2021. Since then, $100 million of rent has been paid through the platform.
RentPay allows users to deposit their rent in the way that best suits them. It can also help users build an emergency fund and improve their credit score, all while providing access to an emergency line of credit and up to $5 a week cashback on Origin gas and electric bills. RentPay is offered through a separate app.
Key details:
- User ratings (out of 5): 4.8 on Google Play (8,000+ reviews) and 4.9 on the App Store (31,000+ reviews)
- Search for rental properties with lifestyle filters (e.g. good for families vs singles, peaceful vs vibrant)
- Create a personal renter resume
- Book inspections and make applications
- Pay finance bonds, check tenancy record, purchase contents insurance
- See a suburb's 'walk score' 'transit score' NBN status and rental pricing
8. Flatmates
A subsidiary of realestate.com.au, Flatmates claims to be Australia's biggest share accommodation service. If you were to find yourself in the market for a housemate or a share house, it's likely one of the first apps you'd turn to. It's said to offer more than 30,000 listings for rooms and roomies each month.
Key details:
- User ratings (out of five): 4.5 on Google Play (1,000+ reviews) and 4.8 on the App Store (1,300+ reviews)
- List your spare room and be matched with potential flatmates
- Browse profiles of people looking for a room to rent, or make your own
- Search for a new share house using a detailed search feature
- Utilise the apps listing alerts feature to find new listings
For renovators & home designers
9. Houzz
Popular Californian home renovation and design website Houzz first launched in Australia in 2014, tapping into the nation's multi-billion dollar obsession with property improvement. It claims to be the "No. 1 app for improving and designing your home", offering more than 25 million high-resolution inspiration images and the option to connect with professionals including architects, builders, and repair professionals.
Houzz's app has had over 10 million downloads around the world on Google Play and won the "Best App" award at Google's inaugural Play Awards in 2016.
Key details:
- User ratings (out of 5): 4.6 on Google Play (355,000+ reviews) and 4.8 on the App Store (1,200+ reviews)
- Browse millions of home interior and exterior photos (sorted by style, location or room) to gain design ideas
- Find active renovation and design professionals to hire or collaborate with (e.g. architects, interior decorators, repair professionals)
- Shop for products and materials - discover and purchase products/materials directly from home design images
- Preview what products would look like in your home with the My Room 3D feature which utilises your device's camera
- Read articles, industry news and guides from design experts
- Watch Houzz TV for home inspiration videos and how-tos
- Exchange design ideas among the Houzz community and get advice from experts
For property professionals
10. RP Data Pro (CoreLogic)
Property data and analytics giant CoreLogic describes its RP Data Pro product as "Australia's best property professional tool". The company first launched its app for iOS in July 2015 before releasing a version for Android in June 2017.
Despite being restricted to RP Data Professional subscribers, CoreLogic reports that the RP Data Pro app has over 50,000 weekly active users.
Source: CoreLogic
Key details:
- User ratings (out of 5): 4.5 on Google Play (300+ reviews) and 4.9 on the App Store (5,800+ reviews)
- Only available to those with an RP Data Professional subscription (packages from $169/month)
- View the latest data on Australian property (value and rental estimates, sale details, ownership details, rental history etc.)
- Read market insights and research trends
- Generate property/suburb/valuation reports for clients with one click via email or MMS
- School catchment information
For auction lovers
11. GAVL Live Auctions
Australian tech startup GAVL launched its live-streaming auction app in 2017 and has since broadcast over thousands of auctions with millions of views from around the world. It also provides the tools needed to livestream open home inspections.
Source: GAVL
Key details:
- User ratings (out of 5): 2.4 on Google Play (less than 100 reviews) and 3.8 on the App Store (less than 100 reviews)
- Watch and bid in real estate auctions in Australia and around the world, live and free in HD
- See the results of auctions seconds after they finish
- Browse listings & shortlist properties
- Follow auctioneers and communicate with agents
- Live alerts based on your search criteria
- Display prices in different currencies
- Control of the auction process for agents
- View livestreamed, interactive open home inspections
For the budget conscious
12. Property Calculator Australia
Created in 2015 by Australian business Zaindy Pty Ltd, the simple Property Calculator Australia app has had tens of thousands of downloads. If the ins and outs of purchasing property has you in a spin, this simple app could be your saviour.
Of course, if you're not keen to ad another app to your collection, you can turn to Savings.com.au's home loan borrowing calculator, lenders mortgage insurance (LMI) calculator, or stamp duty calculator, just to name a few of the handy tools we've made available to readers.
Key details:
- User ratings (out of 5): 4.4 on Google Play (less than 100 reviews) and 3.2 on the App Store (less than 100 reviews)
- Calculate your deposit, LMI, stamp duty, and home loan repayments
- Save your calculations and compare results
- Glossary of common property terms
First published on December 2021
Image by Daria Nepriakhina via Unsplash
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