When it comes to developing a platform for the real estate market, it is important to understand that this area is characterised by the unique needs of the target audience, the special goals and objectives of all its participants. In addition to understanding the nuances of real estate app development, mastery of design, and mastery of cutting-edge technology, your development team will also need a solid understanding of the real estate market.
Below we will describe which aspects will require special attention in such a project. How to align your product with user expectations and your business goals? We’ll tell you how to develop a real estate platform from scratch.
Source: Softermii
Why does your real estate business need a custom platform?
In times of zero-code and no-code, it would be strange not to consider the possibility of a simple and quick way to develop a platform for business in the real estate market — using template solutions.
However, if your idea is to choose a website or app builder for your business needs, After all, such solutions work well only in the simplest tasks (for example, for creating landing pages or simple online stores). For more serious problems, the capabilities of template solutions are too limited. Of course, you can always resort to developing a custom plugin or API for such a resource to solve certain unique problems. But constantly increasing the functionality of the platform in this way generates many vulnerabilities and makes it hardly suitable for support.
When it comes to solutions that require rich and unique functionality (which is typical for the real estate niche), it would be appropriate to consider custom development from scratch. This way you can not only adequately implement all the features you need (much better than in any designer), but also achieve the highest level of personalization and usability, which is almost impossible when using boxed solutions and engines.
Finally, custom development of a platform for a business in the real estate niche will provide it with a strong foundation for further scaling. After all, developers will initially develop an architecture that can be easily improved, optimised and expanded. This way, you will protect yourself from a scenario in which your template resource loses its relevance at a certain stage of business development. After all, it will not be possible to implement new services and designs while maintaining performance, stability and cybersecurity.
In the long term, custom development of an IT solution for real estate allows you to provide users with the best experience and service, saving business money. After all, over time, you won’t have to abandon the old resource and create a new one from scratch.
Types of Real Estate Platforms
In general, there are four main types of digital platforms in the real estate industry. Technically, such services can be implemented in the form of web solutions or mobile applications. Usually they are adapted for any device (desktop, mobile, etc.). Let’s name them below.
Real Estate Listing Platforms
This is a solution that brings together tenants and landlords in a single online space. They provide users with information about the characteristics, prices and location of real estate, containing1 reviews, photos and videos.
Some sites offer more complex functionality such as VR and 3D tours, contain tools for communication and presentation of objects, etc. It’s worth noting that to launch such a platform from scratch, you will likely need the help of a real estate agency or industry professionals. Of course, your business itself can be a player in this market — this greatly simplifies the launch.
Real estate aggregators
Such platforms collect offers for sale or rental from external real estate platforms such as agencies, listings, brokers, owners, etc. Thus, users receive a wide catalogue of available offers with the ability to filter and sort them according to many parameters: area, price, location, features and condition of the building, etc.
At the same time, real estate aggregators are not involved in conducting transactions, but only provide contact information about sellers or landlords. They are often monetized through commercial promotion of objects in the top search results and advertising of related services.
Real estate management platforms
It is a solution for the management of real estate assets used by owners, managers, tenants and other interested parties. They allow you to solve a number of problems: occupancy control, automation of rent, maintenance, accounting, bill payment, etc.
Such platforms not only increase the efficiency of management and service, but also ensure transaction security, confidentiality and compliance in working with documents.
More advanced systems can also integrate with smart home IoT devices and allow you to control their operation remotely and monitor the condition of the object in real time.
Real estate marketplaces
These platforms allow sellers, buyers, renters and investors to find, compare and close real estate deals. Unlike listings and aggregators, they often contain transaction functionality and allow you to close transactions online. In addition, they often provide a number of additional services: online assessment of the value of real estate, selection of loan programs and insurance packages, conclusion of contracts, online consultations with specialists, analysis of the market and investment opportunities.
The purpose of such platforms is to facilitate and speed up the processes of buying and selling, renting or investing in real estate, and to ensure transparency and security of all transactions.
These are only the basic types of solutions for real estate, which in their pure form are becoming increasingly rare today. After all, every powerful player in the real estate market strives to develop a real estate platform to suit its unique needs. Such solutions often combine very different functionality for different categories of users.
Essential features of a real estate web platform
Today, any development of a web platform for the real estate niche must meet basic quality standards and have a number of usability characteristics:
- clear navigation based on a well-thought-out layout;
- adaptability to any devices;
- integration with social networks;
- security of using user data.
When it comes to the specific features of real estate platforms, the following six features can help you succeed:
Access to multi-listing
Multiple Listing Service (MLS) systems simplify the transaction process between real estate brokers by helping listing brokers collaborate with agents who deal directly with buyers. In practical terms, the MLS is a private database. So if you don’t provide any services for renting/selling real estate yourself, but need access to it, you will need to make an additional effort.
In particular, you can find a private realtor resource and contact him directly, find someone online who can provide you with access (usually a paid service). Or you can contact a real estate agent.
Search with filters
The real estate market is replenished every day with tens, hundreds or even thousands of new properties (depending on the size of the region in which you operate). Finding the best option for users can be challenging if you don’t have the right supporting tools.
In particular, you can narrow your search using the filters built into the search bar. This path will give your users the opportunity to focus on one or two dozen options instead of browsing through hundreds of offers.
You can also optimise your platform’s search by integrating an interactive map with real estate tags.
A set of images for each real estate asset
Obviously, even the most skillful copywriting work will not be able to make any proposal truly attractive to the client if it does not contain high-quality, detailed images. This is why any real estate app development company involves creating components that will define the requirements for loading media and ensure that it is displayed in the interface as expected.
Videos and virtual tours
Virtual tours can free your clients from having to visit the property in person. Plus, you get the opportunity to close deals faster and improve your success rates. Typically this function is implemented using 3D technologies or high-resolution panoramic photography. A promising direction is the use of VR for the presentation of objects. Rendering will allow you to show clients even those projects that do not yet exist in stone.
Messenger
When creating a resource for real estate, it would be advisable to implement messaging capabilities directly on the platform, without third-party messengers. This will enable simple, instant and secure communication between owners/landlords and buyers/tenants.
We recently talked about our experience creating a chat microservice for mobile applications. Such a solution can be an ideal addition to any product on the real estate market.
Blog
Finally, for effective SEO promotion of your platform, it makes sense to create a block with articles on relevant topics. This way you can increase your conversion through organic search. SEO prospects must be carefully considered already at the design stage, otherwise the web platform will likely contain pages that are either impossible or very difficult to promote in search engines.
However, a blog is created not only for search engines. When handled properly, content can become a source of valuable, expert information for your clients. This way your brand will receive additional weight and reputation, which will work to close deals.
5 steps to develop a real estate platform
How to bring all these functions to life? How to develop a platform for a real estate agency from scratch? Having a well-thought-out plan will help you avoid unnecessary costs and create a competitive, scalable solution. Let’s look at the five main steps of this plan.
Design prototyping and development
First of all, prototyping is necessary to start platform development. Of course, at this stage you should already have a ready-made list of business requirements and tools to bring them to life.
A prototype is essentially a rendered structure of each screen or page included in your platform. The detailed prototype gradually turns into a wireframe. This is a basic model that serves as the basis for building a full-fledged design.
When it comes to style, it should be completely unique and not only differentiate your product from hundreds of others, but also reflect the culture and values of your brand.
External integrations
Above, we mentioned the importance of integrating into your platform solutions from third parties, APIs of external services that are impractical or impossible to create yourself. As an example, synchronising a real estate resource with social networks and MLS will be especially useful. This will ensure that your users only have access to relevant data and will be able to log into the platform securely and instantly, without having to manually create an account with a password.
CMS setup
As the volume of data in your platform will gradually increase, you need to pay attention to setting up your content management system (CMS) in advance. This way you can ensure the attractiveness of the resource in the eyes of its target audience, simplify the loading and management of information (blogs, offers, advertising, etc.).
Creation of a CRM system
If you provide services in the real estate market, you will need to integrate a CRM system into your platform to ensure the proper level of user experience. In particular, this system will be responsible for automating and simplifying your routine tasks, which will ultimately improve the level of service for your customers. With CRM, you can also optimise your user experience by providing new digital online communication tools (from hotlines to generative AI chats).
Testing
Finally, you will need to check your product for bugs and vulnerabilities using manual and automated testing. You will also have to make sure that the resource ensures safe work with data, meets all usability requirements, and has decent performance and page loading speed.
Develop a real estate platform with Sparkout
If you are looking for a partner to develop a real estate platform, you are on the right page. After all, over the years of its existence, the Sparkout Tech team has implemented more than a dozen solutions in the real estate industry and continues to develop its skills and knowledge. In particular, thanks to the work to support and develop already created projects.
We always carefully analyse the business goals of our clients and study the market as such. We strive to create not just competitive solutions, but products that cover the maximum share of the client’s daily work processes. As a result, our partners have the opportunity to take their business to a new level within a few months after the release of a new solution, without the need to increase staff.
By choosing us, you can be sure that your project will be implemented using the most current technologies. It will fully meet current market requirements, no matter how tough the competition may be.
In addition to this, we always pay special attention to the safety of the products we create. This requires compliance with generally accepted cybersecurity standards and policies, in addition to meeting your unique business requirements.
conclusions
Now you have a general understanding of how to develop an IT solution for real estate, and you can even think through a plan for such a project. But when you get to practise, you will understand that this process is much more complicated than it initially seemed. For example, a project may require a deep understanding of the real estate market and excellent mastery of specific technologies such as VR.
You will undoubtedly need a team of specialists who will evaluate your business requirements with their professional experience and be able to implement them digitally. Contact us for advice. We always offer our clients the optimal balance of technology and smart business solutions. With us you get a guarantee of quality, safety and efficiency.
We are the leading real estate app development company, specialising in creating cutting-edge solutions tailored to your specific needs. Contact us immediately to create your own real estate mobile app for your business!
FAQ
What are the benefits of custom platform development for real estate business?
Individual product development from scratch allows you to take into account the unique features of an individual business, build any functionality (even unavailable in ready-made solutions) and create a truly unique design that will help you stand out among competitors. A custom solution will also be easy to scale and support in the future.
Does a real estate agency need a platform?
In a world that is rapidly moving towards digital, it is impossible to conduct business without digital tools. Real estate agencies have to use ready-made platforms for listing and working with clients, and come to terms with their costs and limitations. If a real estate agency wants to overcome these limitations, offer the best service and stand out from competitors, it is impossible to cope without its own platform.
