If you want to add diversity to your portfolio, investing in real estate can be a great place to start. In the past, if you wanted to invest in real estate, you needed to jump through several hoops in a difficult process. But that’s all changed in the digital age.
Now, you can start investing in real estate simply by downloading a few iOS or Android apps. In fact, there’s no shortage of real estate investment apps today, with new ones coming out all the time. So, we compiled a list of the best apps for real estate investing right now.
9 Best Real Estate Investing Apps
Here are some of the top real estate apps to help you make money in 2024:
- Zillow: Best App for Buying a Home
- Fundrise: Best Real Estate Crowdfunding App
- Yieldstreet: Best for Alternative Investments
- Landlord Studio: Best Property Management App
- Loopnet: Best App for Finding Commercial Properties
- HomeAdvisor: Best App for Remodeling
- Roofstock: Best App for Rental Properties
- Schwab: Best App for REITs
- Personal Capital: Best App for Tracking Investments
1. Zillow
🏆 Best App for Buying a Home
If you’re searching to buy a house, Zillow is the gold-standard real estate app.
It provides a wealth of listings for every real estate market, along with customizable searches. The Zillow app lets you search based on property value, location, home types, and other features.
If you’re a property fixer looking for your next project to flip, Zillow can be a great place to find your next hidden gem. You can also use it to find short sales.
What we like about Zillow
Zillow has an agent finder feature that enables homebuyers to connect directly with agents over the platform. So, if you’re moving to a new area and need a trusted agent, you can use Zillow’s agent finder to find one right in the platform, saving you time.
2. Fundrise
🏆 Best Real Estate Crowdfunding App
If you want to succeed with real estate crowdfunding, you have to use the right app. With so many crowdfunding apps to choose from, selecting one is not easy.
If you’re interested in crowdfunding real estate, Fundrise is a great option. The platform offers low fees and high-quality properties.
Why we like Fundrise
The value of Fundrise lies in the types of properties that it offers. The company specializes in value investing, which means it buys properties for less than their market value. Use Fundrise if you’re looking for powerful crowdfunding opportunities.
3. Yieldstreet
🏆 Best for Alternative Investing
Yieldstreet is an investing platform that allows you to invest in private real estate in addition to other alternative investments like art and crypto as part of a diversified investment strategy.
Why we like Yieldstreet
With Yieldstreet, you can begin investing in real estate with as little as $5,000.
4. Landlord Studio
🏆 Best property management app
As any landlord will tell you, managing multiple rental properties can be a nightmare.
But it doesn’t have to be, thanks to apps like Landlord Studio (formerly known as Property Buddy). This app is a one-stop shop for managing investment property, with all of the tools that landlords need to stay on top of their finances.
Why we like Landlord Studio
Landlord Studio offers a robust set of features, including rental accounting, calculators, reporting tools, rent collection, bank feeds, and tenant screening services.
In addition, the app offers a variety of educational services for landlords.
5. Loopnet
🏆 Best app for finding commercial properties
Investors interested in commercial property should look into Loopnet.
This is a no-nonsense site that only contains commercial listings. You can buy or list properties on Loopnet and search for property type and location.
Like Zillow, Loopnet also has a broker search tool. It also has a search function for discovering businesses and auctions.
Why we like Loopnet
Busy commercial investors who don’t have time to wade through residential listings will have much better luck using Loopnet, which makes it fast and easy to discover investment options.
6. HomeAdvisor
🏆 Best app for remodeling
Flipping a house can present a tough challenge for investors; it often requires finding contractors and remodeling. This is something that rental property owners also struggle with.
One app that can help is HomeAdvisor, which helps you connect with contractors for remodeling, additions, and other real estate projects.
Why we like HomeAdvisor
HomeAdvisor connects property owners with a variety of service contractors who specialize in plumbing, kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling, windows and doors, roofing and gutters, and electrical systems.
In addition, HomeAdvisor offers cleaning and maid service, help with lawn care and sprinklers, tree service, additions and remodels, decks and porches, and fences.
7. Roofstock
🏆 Best App for Rental Properties
If you want to quickly become a landlord and generate rental income, Roofstock is a great place to find rental properties. The online marketplace’s listings are often turnkey rental properties, many with existing tenants.
What we like about Roofstock
Roofstock offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for investors that have second thoughts about a property. Roofstock will buy the property if you are unable to find a buyer.
8. Schwab
🏆 Best app for REITs
Investing in real estate doesn’t mean you have to personally own property. A much easier way to put your money to work is through a real estate investment trust or REIT.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are publicly traded companies that buy commercial real estate properties, such as office buildings and strip malls.
The properties generate income (rent) from their tenants, and that’s how REITs make money.
Investing in a REIT is an easy way for you to profit from all that rental income without having to own property or change a single lightbulb yourself.
By law, REITs are required to pay out the bulk of their profits as dividends, which can mean a nice chunk of change for investors.
Here comes the easiest part: Because REITs are publicly traded companies, you can buy and sell most REITs just like you’d buy and sell shares of stock.
If you’re looking to invest in a REIT, the trick is to get a powerful trading app with low fees and a great user interface. You really can’t go wrong with the investing app from Charles Schwab, which is one of the top brokerage firms on the market.
What we like about Schwab
Schwab offers access to a variety of REITs, including commercial REITs, residential REITs, healthcare REITs, and mortgage REITs.
Schwab also has great customer service and some of the most advanced data visualization and research tools on the market.
9. Personal Capital
🏆 Best app for tracking finances
Remember that real estate should be just one part of a larger investment portfolio — and it all comes together in the Personal Capital app.
Personal Capital is a free app that allows investors to manage all of their finances from one central location.
Why we like Personal Capital
Personal Capital has a wealth of financial tools. For example, it has a retirement planner and net worth tracker.
It also integrates directly with Zillow, providing updated housing prices.
Why Use Real Estate Investing Apps?
Different kinds of investors will have different uses for real estate investing apps. Here are some of the most common.
Track finances
Real estate isn’t the type of investing that you can set and forget. It requires actively tracking what’s happening with your money so you can make informed choices and maximize profits.
Real estate investment apps make it possible to stay on top of all expenses, right from a smartphone, tablet, or desktop.
Collect payments
In addition to tracking finances, some real estate investing apps make it possible to collect payments — providing a convenient and secure payment system for tenants and landlords.
Discover opportunities
In the past, investors had to scour newspapers and consult with real estate agents to find properties. Now, real estate discovery is increasingly taking place through mobile devices — making it faster and easier to profit.
Tips For Using Real Estate Investing Apps
Real estate investing apps can be a huge help, but keep these caveats in mind when using them.
Use reputable apps
With so many apps on the market, investors need to be careful. Not all apps are trustworthy.
Do your due diligence when selecting a real estate investing platform, and make sure that the provider is safe and reputable — especially when trusting them with sensitive financial information.
Read reviews and thoroughly research each vendor to make sure they are honest and reliable.
Be careful with crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is a relatively new development in real estate, having only been around for a few years. Crowdfunding apps advertise great user experiences, high returns, and safe investing — but success is not guaranteed.
There are still risks with crowdsourcing, and it’s important to be aware of them before getting involved. For example, crowdfunding investments can fail. And they don’t always produce solid returns.
Again, research the crowdfunding provider to make sure it’s safe and reputable before proceeding.
Learn More:
Hire a great real estate agent
Apps can only get you so far when buying commercial real estate. If you really want to get ahead, it pays to hire a great real estate agent.
This is critical for vetting properties and maximizing value. Partner with the right agent, and you get the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’re doing a good deal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it a good idea to invest in real estate with a mobile app?
It largely depends on the app you’re using and your goal with real estate investing. Some apps are better than others, and each investor has unique preferences that one app might deliver on better than another.
In general, mobile apps provide real estate investors with a lot of opportunities. And some make the process fun and enjoyable.
Take your time when looking for real estate apps and test different ones to get the best results.
Can real estate produce a steady cash flow?
If you’re looking for passive income, you need to invest in real estate investment properties or REITs. Both can produce residual monthly income from tenants who pay rent.
There is no guarantee for a steady cash flow with real estate. But some investments can produce great and consistent returns.
What are foreclosures?
Real estate foreclosures occur when property owners default on their mortgages or fail to make payments. When this happens, the bank seizes the property and attempts to find a new owner.
Buying a house at foreclosure can be risky and involves a thorough inspection, though it can also lead to getting a great deal.
How can I find real estate investment opportunities?
You can find real estate investment opportunities on your own using apps or by partnering with real estate agents who can find them for you.
Part of the fun about real estate is discovering the best properties. And as you get more involved, discovery becomes critical for success.
When it boils down to it, information is critical in the real estate industry. You need to discover opportunities before other investors can get their hands on them.
This is not an industry for the meek or timid. The big dog feasts in real estate and the little dogs get scraps.
There’s an App for Every Type of Real Estate Investor
Regardless of your strategy, there’s an app that can help you become a seasoned real estate investor.
Use apps to discover great single-family homes, invest in a REIT, and even access the data you need to figure out how to get a smart return on your investment.
Just remember that while real estate apps make investing easier, they can only go so far. Real estate investing is tough, and success is not guaranteed. When it comes to investing, this is one of the trickier asset classes — there are plenty of pros and cons.
If you’re up for the challenge, go download a real estate investing app and start poking around. You just might end up with some fantastic real estate assets.
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