Top 10 Mistakes in Real Estate App Development

Top 10 Mistakes in Real Estate App Development

The market statistic related to real estate app development demonstrates that if we manage it right, the business gets many advantages. Apps help to thrive and make money. A literate design approach brings lots of benefits. For example, it can strengthen the brand position, increase customer loyalty and get closer to the clients. At the same time, mistakes in real estate app development play terrible tricks, becoming an obstacle to the company’s prosperity. Let’s deal with the set of main mistakes and figure out how to avoid them.

Mistake №1: useless incomprehensible design

The application interface should be clear and convenient for the user. The design also must resonate with buyers’ needs and its purpose. Sometimes developers, designers, and even customers forget about it trying to create cutting-edge applications. Despite the bright design, it turns out to be incomprehensible for the user. Buyers and sellers aren’t ready to get the hang of this. As a result, the application would be used rarely.

It must be noted that there are at least 5 important moments for creating the successful design that are popular nowadays:

1. Intuitive and simple navigation

The cumbersome menu is taboo. Don’t make trouble for users. Laconic design with a hamburger or hidden on the left side of the application menu is the best option. It allows quick navigation between different sections.

2. Flat or blurred background

App designers prefer a minimalistic background that does not distract from the main navigation and functions. Such a decision also helps to speed up the real estate app. Nowadays, it’s quite popular among designers. The trend is expected to continue in 2021.

3. Color palette

One of the main mistakes in real estate app development is to use only a brightly colored design. The color palette should be chosen in accordance with the purpose of the application. Bright colors must not distract the user, but place emphasis on important moments. Specialists in the area recommend implementing the big whiten space and remember about the mood board. This mood board helps to create a color palette of the application that gives rise to the right feelings and emotions of the user. For example, green is associated with nature, life, and trust. Blue is conceived as something pure, shining, and light.

4. Swiping from the edges of the screen

Another trend is the set of gestures that help to manage the application. For example, tap, double-tap, pinch, and dragging work absolutely differently. They help to make applications convenient, multifunctional and intuitive for the user.

5. Integration with social networks

According to Oberlo, there are 3.5 billion users of social media in the world. In fact, a lot of them are potential clients and users of the web application. It’s obvious that if there is authorization in the app it can be implemented with Facebook or Instagram. Also, buttons on social media can be used for sharing some information about the app.

The literate design is an obligatory component in the process of real estate app development. Without this component, the first impression on users will be bad. They won’t download the application after the initial look. Try to avoid this mistake! Otherwise, the money will be wasted.

Mistake №2: no preliminary research

The constant hurry belongs to the group of serious mistakes in real estate app development. The first step should be related to market research, taking into account the number and peculiarities of competitors. Also, other issues should be analyzed. First of all, it is a target segment that must be directly linked to the user profile. The team of the marketers, designers and developers together with representatives of business should find out answers to the main questions:

1. Who are the application users?

2. How do they behave themselves?

3. What do users feel after using the application?

The main task is to understand and meet user needs. In such a case the desired result is obtained.

Let’s take Old MacDonald as an example. As we all know from the children’s song, he had a farm. So once upon a time, he decided to extend the production. Therefore, to achieve this, he would need to find new production areas or land. His grandson John is ready to help grandfather. He uses a mobile application to find nice propositions that meet grandpa’s requirements. They are looking for offers directly from vendors, without any intermediaries. What app fits their needs?

The best option for them is an application, which finds out the user’s geolocation and prepares interesting offers in the region with the possibility of additional filtering according to the necessary criteria. They have a minimum amount of time, so the application must be intuitive and simple. Eventually, we have understood the user’s expectations and are ready to satisfy them.

Besides market research, testing is needed. Specialists examine the application to find out bugs and eliminate them before launch. This is crucial for the successful application because after it has been downloaded in AppStore or PlayMarket developer has no second chance. Users who have found bugs in the application will hardly download it again.

Mistake №3: lack of personalization

Lack of personalization is a bad influence on the application’s popularity. Maybe it sounds trite, but users appreciate personalized service. Don’t allow usual mistakes in real estate app development among which there is a lack of personalization. Designers and developers need to provide a service, which can remember previous user search, and suggest propositions that are similar to individual preferences. Such personalization encourages people to come back and to share the application with friends, acquaintances or colleagues.

There is also another good idea that helps the application to prosper. It implies the preparation of the personal propositions of property for rent, lease or sale. They can be sent as notifications.

Mistake №4: insufficient attention is given to photo and video content

The literate manager of the real estate company exactly knows about the importance of the images and video, which must be high-quality. This is a necessity for any website or application. Therefore, it’s a good idea to work with a professional photographer, who can make beautiful photos that can highlight the benefits of the property. When it is pleasing to the eye, the popularity of the application grows and the correct user experience is formed. And thanks to that, owners of the app get higher conversion. There are also a few other secrets that are related to the content of the application and help it to be more successful:

• 360-degree views of flats and houses. They help potential customers to better understand the layout, floor plans, and sizes of the rooms. Anyway, to prepare such virtual tours with the help of different services panoramic photos are mandatory.
• Fully functional video tours.
• Quadcopter survey.

Mistake №5: no advanced search

Real estate app could not work without a simple and convenient search. The well-structured offers which are in keeping with the desires of the user create a positive impression. One of the important mistakes in real estate app is to neglect advanced search. The user should be provided with the right set of tools that can help to receive filtered results. The minimum search filter set should include the following items:

• The type of deal (buying, selling or renting).
• The location. It includes the name of the district, zip code, etc.
• The number of rooms, in particular bedrooms that can be a basic search parameter for the majority of users.
• The price. For entering the price sliders are used in the modern application. It can be compared with гusual keyboard input of the price.

The above-mentioned items are the main, but they can be supplemented by additional filters that are connected to other criteria:

• Square.
• Parking lot.
• Laundry in the building.
• The year of construction.
• Amenities.
• Security features.
• Any other peculiarities that help to make the preferred choice.

But it’s still not enough! The developers should think about saving search filters. It can have an amazing impact on the user’s experience. Make sure that users found all that they had been looking for. Also, they must receive unobtrusive offers that match their preferences.

Mistake №6: wrong priorities and no registration

If developers focus only on buyers or sellers, they forget about the needs of the owner, agent and landlord. And as a result, sellers lose interest in using the application. Therefore, the interface of the app can be variable according to user needs. The application would benefit from such a design and development. Experience has shown that quick checkout is the best option for users and developers. This registration can have additional benefits for the seller, but the buyer, whose occupation isn’t connected to real estate, is likely to refuse to pass the procedure. Therefore, it’s a good idea to provide them the possibility of registering on request. Users must receive the possibility to register the accounts in different ways, via email, social media.

Another advice for designers, developers and customers of the web-application is to match buyers and agents. The users can decide whom they’re interested to interact with. The interesting way of communication between them is in-built chat. It can be implemented by developers or be based on the open-source solution.

Mistake №7: ignoring the back-end importance

Sometimes an application includes only various pages that the user can interact with. Of course, it’s wrong. The well-formed application can contain integrated services and the back-end part. Settings and possibilities of their adjustments depend on the CMS that is used for an app. To avoid mistakes in real estate app development you should consider CMS as one of the most important items because it affects the flexibility of the settings.

The app must interact with a server for the implementation of some functions. These are functions such as authorization, messages, booking, etc. The user must receive the response very quickly. Otherwise, he or she will exit the application. Therefore, a literate backend infrastructure is so important. It should be also taken into account in cost planning, as well as different integrations.

Mistake №8: associating the application with an extended website version

An application is often perceived as the mobile version of the website. This approach is incorrect because it limits the functionality. The best option is to build an application from the ground up taking into account business needs. It should be highly focused and filled with content that is loading quickly.

Mistake №9: ignoring the three-click rule

Any part of the application must be available in 3 clicks. If the user can’t reach the desired part of an app in a few clicks, the likelihood of an exit increases. Sometimes developers and designers forget about this rule, when they try to make an app bright, sophisticated and interesting, add lots of features that can be interesting for the user.

Mistake №10: lack of specific goals

Businesses can prosper with a well-designed application that meets their needs. But the customer should define the goals. When they are announced, it’s simpler to create an efficient app for developers and designers. Take into account that the correct approach to application development is useful for business for a variety of reasons:

1. Possibility for direct communications with the user.
2. Customer loyalty growth.
3. An opportunity to earn additional income.
4. The possibility to stand out from competitors.
5. The improvement of brand recognition.

When the company is going to create a new application, it’s important to remember about mistakes in real estate app development and try to avoid them. The only possible way to develop something profitable is taking into consideration the needs and wishes of the user, whoever he is.