People travelling to new countries, in pursuit of a better lifestyle usually found themselves at the mercy of real estate agents when it came to securing accommodation there. It was all a matter of luck. Some used to find the good agents, others the fraudulent ones. It is in the nature of a businessman to close the most profitable deal first and thus many expats never knew that there were better, more economical options in vicinity.
The hassles
Apart from that, there was always the hassle of visiting various properties and wasting time in finding the desired one. While selling properties people faced similar issues. Their selling prospects were always limited to the client pool of their real estate agent and thus they waited months to sell their property. This all changed when online property portals were developed. Properties were then a mere click away for all and all one needed was a computer and a good internet connection.
What if you are new to a city? You have just arrived at the airport and are in need of a good accommodation. Are you going to buy a new computer or get a new subscription to the local internet connection or would it be easier to simply find the nearest apartments for rents from an app in your smart phone? Property searching apps have worked wonders for expatriates over the last few years.
Where apps come in handy
Mobile real estate apps have helped expats looking for a home while waiting in line at the mall, for the bus at bus stops or even while filling gas. Smart phone apps comes with different features and since there are different laws related to real estate, it’s always better that one chooses a popular local app while searching for accommodations.
Real estate apps can help expats narrow choices down. Not only these apps help them find nearby openings, they also calculate whether or not the user can afford the various options. Sometimes you have a very good option at hand but your heart is set on another, in such circumstances some property apps even offer you to save your favourite listings and view them later.
The push notifications
One very good example of such apps is the Bayut app. The smart application is available in both iOS and Android platforms and has worked wonders for expats in the UAE. The app features a user-friendly design to allow users to explore the listings available in Bayut.com’s extensive database, save searches, receive push notifications and explore other key features with ease.
The push notification feature is particularly handy as allows you to set alerts so you know the minute something new hits the market. This saves you from the disappointment of calling the agent and finding out that the property has already been sold or rented out. Bayut app is available in the UAE only.
Steering clear of trouble
The Trulia App is another option offering expats in USA with separate sections for buying and renting. The app allows users to narrow down searches by size, year built, and location. The app also helps you find a real estate agent. One of the best features offered by Trulia app is the heatmap feature, which highlights crime-ridden neighbourhoods or areas prone to floods. This application has helped thousands in finding their desired properties while steering clear of trouble.
Being on the ball
Sitegeist is one of those apps that can offer expats with a multitude of uses depending on what they need to know. It provides data about the surrounding areas: average age of residents in a locality, average temperature, political contributions, commuting trends, and popular places nearby. The application is available on iOS and Android.
Finding homes in foreign countries used to be daunting task for expats. One had to be particularly careful when one is relocating with family. Smart property apps have revolutionised the means of property hunting and have placed valuable information related to different locations in the palm of our hands. Expats across the world benefit from them daily. If you are relocating to another city or country, make sure you have a local property app installed on your smart phone. Thankfully you can get Wi-Fi anywhere these days.
