Do you know what our clients asked the most in their very first call? ‘How much does it cost to make an app? That’s a pretty obvious concern. We love giving consultation on web and mobile app development costs and offer ways of app development budget optimization.

Real estate mobile app development is just like constructing a house. You need every useful feature but in a cost-effective way.

Let’s discuss in detail the real estate mobile app development cost in general, per phase and per feature along with the development timeline.

Template approach (pre-built)

Real estate showcase (can be built using a CMS)

Time – 1 month Cost $500-1000 $20-100 for hosting and support

Templates are utilized in varying scenarios and on top is time scarcity. Clients want a real-quick solution where they get all the features they want in the shortest possible time.

All apps are unique as we believe and so does their cost and time.

We have a pre-built real estate mobile app development showcase that can be utilized using a CMS.

A website should have proposals of rent and sale populated inside the CMS right after the launch. Otherwise, the user won’t run the app a second time. The database is the key here.

In templates, we simply apply branding, logos, font colors, styles, product data, etc. in the existing template or if there are 1 or 2 custom changes.

Fast turn-around time is why clients opt for this approach. Typically a couple of weeks or a month.

Another advantage of templated websites is ‘affordability’. They are much more affordable in comparison to the other two types of app development.

A disadvantage of a template website is restrictive layout and functionality and many other companies could have the same website as you.

Hybrid approach (pre-built + custom)

Real estate buying and selling

Time – 3 months, Cost $2000-6000, $20-100 for hosting and support

It’s different from template websites in a way that you are not buying a pre-existing template or a pre-built website. You can buy a theme or get help from us in theme selection.

There are online marketplaces for theme purchase.

Themes offer more flexibility – you can move design elements/sections easily anywhere you want but with the assistance of a web developer most probably.

Real estate buying and selling encircle potential home buyers going through a property selection funnel. A complete user journey is facilitated.

A hybrid approach is cost-effective still from the custom web and mobile app development.

Disadvantage –

Hybrid websites get slow because of excessive coding, features/plugins which a real estate company simply does not need.

You will get a functional website within 3 months if the custom changes aren’t much. The cost of hybrid websites varies from $2000-6000.

Custom approach (custom development)

Real estate portal for agents + advertisers + custom features

Time – 6-7 months, Cost $8000-16000

The next level up is a full custom solution. The process of custom development is long but runs in a fluid fashion means the way the client wants.

User experience person and digital marketing advisor sit with you and share ‘original and bespoke’ ideas for your website. Every business is different and this approach negates the one-size-fits-all approach (template).

Custom websites are original and bespoke.

Wireframes – design/UI-UX – web development – QA – live

Buyers can see a list of homes from different categories. For example, ‘Homes with Pools’, ‘Homes Under $560,000’ etc. such filters help in getting the most relevant results and lead to successful purchases.

Another useful feature we work a lot in this category is ‘a full-featured map for users to gain an understanding of separate districts or areas.

Map zooming displays a variety of homes for sale or rents with their prices. Also, the map interacts closely with the search features. Filters are quite flexible and a user can choose from a wide range of options from price to the number of beds.

Another common feature that we work on (like in Trulia and Zillow) is map-related local info. This feature facilitates the buyer by providing handsome information about a certain area via the map.

For example, a buyer can learn about the number of schools in the district, level of crime rate, and availability of different amenities and even about natural disasters.

Case Study: MUA (My Undercover Agent)

Custom websites solve a lot of your marketing challenges which otherwise may not be possible with template and hybrid websites by staying in the budget.

Believe us, this approach will give you the most mileage than the other two.

However, to be honest, custom website development is expensive.

Starts from $8000 and can go many thousand dollars. It depends on how many listings you are importing and the custom features you want.

App development budget per phase

There are several stages of the app development process. Each phase takes a small piece of your budget. So, we think knowing the best practices may help you in budget allocation.

App development budget feature-based

Business analysis budget share in mobile app development cost: $1,000 to $11,000.

Design budget in app development cost: $2,000 to $10,000.

App architecture & functionality development cost: $2,500 to $65,000.

Project management budget in app development cost: $1,500 to $15,000.

The cost of integrating a social login feature is usually around $500 per social network.

Custom-built registration, authorization, and a full-featured login should fit within $1,800.

While using a third-party chat SDK may cost about $2,400, the development of a custom chat module can go as high as $12,000.

Basic push notifications cost $1,500 and $2,500.

The cost of custom-built push notifications may soar to $4,000 – $5,000.

The cost of implementing a user profile in an app should be around $2,500.

Final Verdict

App development cost may vary from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop a mobile/web app, depending on what the app does. The short answer is, a decent mobile app can cost you $8000-300,000. However, business sizes and the type of feature integrations are some core factors too.

Phaedra Solutions is a web and mobile app development company. We build digital solutions daily and have a 98% client satisfaction score. We had done some awesome work in real estate mobile and web app development, get a FREE consultation from our business analysts.

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