Shopping for a new home can be a daunting task. Where do you start? You can contact your local Realtor. You can check out the real estate listings in the newspaper or those real estate booklets you find at the grocery store. You can do an online search with your home computer. Or if you own a smartphone, you can use one of the many applications available to conduct your search.

To help you determine which app to use, here is an overview of three of the most popular apps on the market.

1. Zillow Real Estate App

A free app available on Android and Apple, the Zillow Real Estate app provides future homeowners with information on various homes for sale, including price, availability, the home’s size and the number of rooms. You can view the selling prices of homes located in a particular neighborhood you’re interested in living in as well as prices of homes that recently sold. You can see photos of available homes. And, the app comes with GPS technology so you can accurately find a home as you’re driving to it.

The app comes with notification features that can let you know when a home that you really love comes on the market or if a home’s sales price drops to a specific level. The Zillow Real Estate app also comes with a mortgage calculator to help you figure out your monthly mortgage payments.

2. Trulia Real Estate App

The Trulia Real Estate app is a free app available on Android and Apple. It allows you to instantly view nearby homes for sale on a large, detailed map via GPS technology as well as see colorful photos of each home. It provides you with information about each home, including listing details, open house schedules and neighborhood facts. The app also comes with search filters, so you find property listings that match your specific home and location criteria like the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the specific area, or your desired price.

Additionally, the Trulia Real Estate app can provide you with instant notifications when new homes come up for sale in your targeted areas. You can view information on nearby restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations and more as well. The app also enables you to quickly contact the home’s real estate agent for more information about the listing or to schedule a viewing.

3. REALTOR.com App

Available on Android and Apple, the free REALTOR.com app provides home buyers with information on over 80% of all available real estate listings. Plus, it is updated every 15 minutes, so you have the latest listings at your fingertips. You can search the databse for properties by browsing cities, drawing a location on a map or using your current GPS location. And you can customize your search based on a variety of factors such as price, home size, home age or the number of bedrooms or bathrooms.

You can view each listing’s basic details; assess the home’s interior and exterior features; check out property photos; and give the home your own individual rating with notes. The app also enables you to contact the Realtor to arrange a property viewing.

While these real estate apps can’t guarantee that you’ll find your dream home, they can definitely make sure your search easier and less overwhelming.

If you’re ready to start your home buying search, contact Grandview Lending. We can help you with your loan process from start to finish – assessing your mortgage needs; helping you become a pre-approved buyer; finding the right loan solution; and getting all your documentation in order to finally close on your home and walk away with the keys.