About Us
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley
Locations
Services
We are a top contender in America's tech story
Industries
Compliance-ready healthcare software development for hospitals, private practices, healthtech startups, and SaaS providers.
Scalable EdTech software platforms for schools, universities, corporate training, and e-learning entrepreneurs.
Smart Logistics software development for supply chain leaders, freight forwarders, 3PLs, and last-mile operators.
Future-ready Real Estate software solutions for real estate firms, property managers, REITs, and PropTech startups.
20 minutes read
Zillow is one of the most recognized real estate apps, known for its accurate listings, advanced search options, and smooth user experience. If you’re planning to build an app like Zillow, understanding the right features, costs, and development steps is crucial.
This guide breaks down everything you need to know, from core functionalities and must-have tools to the budget and process involved. It’s a clear roadmap to help you create a real estate app that attracts users, delivers value, and stands out in a competitive market.
We build apps that win users and outpace competitors.
If you’ve ever wondered what is Zillow app and how it works, it’s more than just a property search engine. It’s a real estate technology platform that aggregates listings, displays estimated home values, and connects users with agents, lenders, and property managers across the United States.
At its core, Zillow lets users browse homes for sale or rent, filter properties based on location, price, and features, and access real-time market insights. Behind that simplicity lies a network of connected tools designed to serve different parts of the housing journey.
Zillow’s ecosystem includes:
For homebuyers, Zillow provides clarity. For sellers, visibility. For agents, a steady stream of leads. Real estate apps like Zillow bring the scattered elements of property transactions into one structured and accessible experience, bridging data and decision-making for millions.
Zillow didn’t create the need for real estate apps. It recognized it early, acted on it precisely, and turned usability into market dominance. Other apps like Zillow have validated the demand, but most still leave gaps in localization, agent workflows, and valuation transparency.
As property searches shifted from agents to screens, the idea of owning that screen became valuable.
Today, the opportunity lies not in copying Zillow, but in building something that captures attention the same way — with clarity, speed, and intent. Zillow similar companies have tried this, but few succeed without a user-first mindset and localized focus.
For real estate tech startups and established firms, mobile apps offer more than digital convenience. They unlock visibility, automate workflows, and convert attention into action. The benefits of mobile apps in real estate are no longer abstract. They are measurable, visible, and increasingly expected by the people who matter most: buyers, sellers, and agents.
An app isn’t just a feature of your business. It can be the core of it.
Home apps like Zillow don’t need dozens of features to succeed. They need the right ones—real estate app features that feel intuitive and get used often. If you’re wondering how to make an app like Zillow, the answer lies in getting those choices right. Many of the most effective Zillow app features do exactly that—combining clean design with functionality that feels obvious.
Here’s a breakdown of the core features that power that experience:
Let users narrow down properties by location, price range, number of bedrooms, square footage, and more.
Listings are plotted on a dynamic map with location-based search and street-level context.
High-quality photos, videos, and 3D tours along with pricing history, estimated value, neighborhood insights, and school ratings.
Allow users to bookmark listings, save custom search filters, and receive updates when new matches appear.
Estimate monthly payments based on price, down payment, interest rate, and loan terms—all within the app.
Feature agent bios, reviews, active listings, and contact options to increase transparency and trust.
A dashboard for agents to upload new properties, edit details, manage photos, and track listing performance.
Centralize buyer and renter inquiries, organize follow-ups, and monitor engagement metrics.
Control access, permissions, and handle flagged or spam listings.
Approve, reject, or edit user-submitted listings and media.
Track app performance, user behavior, and market trends to inform updates or product decisions.
Together, these features form the backbone of a modern real estate app—one that offers value at every step, to every stakeholder.
Most real estate apps focus on adding features. Zillow focuses on removing friction. That’s what sets it apart — and why it consistently ranks among the best real estate apps. The experience is fast, focused, and quiet — helping users move from browsing to decision without getting lost in the process.
This section looks at what Zillow gets right that most platforms don’t — and how we help you apply those same principles to your own product.
Zillow’s map doesn’t just display listings — it responds to the user. As they drag, zoom, or adjust filters, results update instantly without reloads or popups. And if users need to correct their pin or address, Zillow provides instructions on how to edit map location on Zillow directly from the listing page.
Slow reloads, broken UI, or list-first layouts that feel disconnected from the map.
We build map-first interfaces with geofencing, clustering, and smooth transitions — so users can explore areas naturally without waiting.
Zillow’s “Zestimates” lets users see value ranges even for homes that aren’t listed. That one feature turns every home into a data point — and keeps users engaged, even when they’re not actively buying.
No valuation system or dependence on static agent input.
We help clients integrate historical sale data, market trends, and third-party valuation APIs to offer property insights from day one — even in early-stage MVPs.
Zillow introduces agents inside listings, with profiles, reviews, and contact options — without ever breaking the experience. It sells visibility to agents, but doesn’t make it feel intrusive to users.
Generic agent directories or low-quality leads from buried contact forms.
We create in-app agent experiences that match users based on location, property type, or behavior — and give agents a clear dashboard to track interest.
Zillow’s mortgage calculator doesn’t redirect users to another site or app. It works directly within the listing screen, helping users understand affordability without leaving the context of the home they’re viewing.
External tools or static mortgage pages that break user flow.
We design lightweight, embedded calculators with real-time updates, adjustable inputs, and optional lender integration — so users stay in your app longer.
Zillow integrates 3D tours, videos, and high-quality photos without overwhelming the page. The design stays clean. The user stays in control.
Media-heavy pages that load slowly, break layouts, or require third-party viewers.
We implement native 3D support using WebGL or embed flexible 360° viewers — so you can offer immersive experiences without compromising performance.
Zillow’s biggest strength isn’t any one feature. It’s the way each one fits. At AppVerticals, we help clients reach that same level of clarity — not by copying Zillow, but by learning what makes it work and building around what makes you different.
Turning a real estate app idea into a live product involves more than writing code. If you’re exploring how to build a real estate app with Zillow-like functionality, it helps to think in stages.
A well-defined real estate app process turns those stages into a logical sequence—from strategy to design, development to iteration—shaping not just how the app works, but whether it works at all.
Every app begins with a clear understanding of what it is — and what it isn’t. This stage is about answering fundamental questions:
You’ll also define your unique value proposition. Is it hyperlocal listings? A cleaner UI than Zillow? A better experience for landlords? A smart scope here leads to faster development and a more focused product launch.
Studying existing apps helps you avoid building blindly. This research goes beyond Zillow — it includes apps similar to Zillow, newer players, niche competitors, and any tools real estate professionals already use.
During this phase, you’ll identify:
These insights shape what your MVP includes — and what it leaves out.
Before development begins, the app is visualized through wireframes and high-fidelity designs. This includes:
The output of this stage is more than just visuals — it’s a blueprint developers follow, and a reference for everyone involved.
Design decisions directly affect development hours. For example, building a custom filter UI from scratch takes significantly longer than using a framework-native solution.
Your MVP is the first working version of your app — stripped of anything nonessential. It should allow users to:
This version is tested internally and optionally released to a test market. It’s not perfect, and that’s the point — it helps validate your assumptions before investing more.
Decisions made here affect everything that comes next. If the MVP shows traction, you’ll know where to scale next.
While users interact with listings on the front end, the real control happens behind the scenes. This stage involves building the backend systems and admin panels that let your team manage the app efficiently.
Key components often include:
If you’re pulling in data from MLS services or syncing with other platforms, this is also where those APIs are integrated.
How scalable and flexible this backend is will impact how easily your app can expand across regions or adapt to new use cases.
A Zillow-like app rarely operates in isolation. To keep development efficient and the user experience smooth, you’ll need to connect with third-party tools and APIs.
Common integrations include:
Each integration has its own constraints and pricing models. For example, Zillow API pricing is no longer publicly available, so alternatives like RapidAPI or MLS partnerships are often more feasible. Choosing the right ones based on geography and user needs is key to both performance and cost control.
Before launch, the app moves into full-scale QA. This goes beyond finding bugs — it’s about stress-testing the experience across real devices, networks, and user behaviors.
Testing typically includes:
The stronger your QA process, the fewer issues you’ll deal with post-launch — especially when scaling to larger audiences.
Going live isn’t the end of the process — it’s the beginning of real feedback.
Start with a soft launch in a specific market or user segment. Use in-app analytics, heatmaps, and session recordings to track how people interact with the app.
Focus on early signals:
These learnings inform your next steps — whether it’s refining the search experience, expanding to new cities, or developing premium features.
Apps that succeed in the real estate space rarely get everything right from day one. But they launch early, learn fast, and evolve with real data — which is exactly what this process is designed to support.
Create a product that agents and buyers can’t live without.
A commercial version of Zillow doesn’t just solve user problems; it monetizes how users solve them by turning each interaction into a revenue opportunity. Zillow earns by embedding revenue streams into core actions like browsing, comparing, and connecting with agents, all while keeping the experience free for the end user. While competitors to Zillow follow similar models, few match its depth of integration across the home search, mortgage, and agent experience.
Its revenue model is built on multiple pillars:
Agents pay Zillow to appear on listings and connect with active buyers or sellers. This pay-for-placement system generates predictable income while offering value to professionals competing for local attention.
Property owners can list rentals and access tools for tenant screening, online rent collection, and lease management. These added services create a recurring revenue stream.
Zillow works with lenders to help users compare mortgage rates, estimate loan terms, and get pre-qualified. The platform earns referral fees from lenders for each lead.
For a time, Zillow bought and sold homes directly through its iBuying program. Though the initiative ended in 2021, it’s still relevant for understanding how real estate platforms can test deeper involvement in transactions.
Zillow’s vast property database, search behavior, and pricing trends have value beyond the app itself. This data is a quiet asset — useful for institutions, analysts, and integration partners.
| Revenue Stream | Approximate Contribution |
|---|---|
| Premier Agent Ads | 30% |
| Rentals & Listings | 10% |
| Mortgage Marketplace | 5% |
| Zillow Offers (iBuying) | 55% (before discontinuation) |
Behind every smooth real estate search, instant map view, or mortgage calculator is the Zillow tech stack—a carefully integrated set of technologies built for speed, scalability, and flexibility. Zillow’s performance isn’t accidental; it’s the result of deliberate technical choices that support a seamless user experience.
While Zillow has the scale to invest in custom infrastructure, startups and growing businesses can achieve similar functionality with more accessible technologies. The Zillow mobile app for Android is built using native technologies like Kotlin, but cross-platform options like Flutter can offer similar results with faster development.
| Layer | What Zillow Uses | What You Can Use Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Frontend | React Native, Swift, Kotlin | Flutter (cross-platform), React Native, SwiftUI |
| Backend | Python, Node.js | Node.js, Django, Laravel |
| Database | PostgreSQL | PostgreSQL, Firebase, MongoDB |
| APIs | Zillow APIs (limited access) | RapidAPI, custom MLS feeds, RESTful APIs |
| Maps | Google Maps API, Mapbox | Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Mapbox |
| Cloud | AWS | AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure |
Flutter or React Native allow faster development across iOS and Android. Native (Swift, Kotlin) gives tighter control but increases time and cost.
Real estate users expect up-to-date listings and prices. Your backend should support real-time syncing, caching, and scalable databases.
If you’re targeting the U.S. market, connecting to Multiple Listing Services (MLS) is essential. With the Zillow API discontinued for many public use cases, you’ll likely need to build integrations through local MLS providers or licensed third parties.
Zillow 3D Home relies on computer vision and AR frameworks. If this is part of your plan, libraries like Google ARCore or Unity SDKs can be integrated.
While no single stack fits every product, choosing tools that match your goals, team expertise, and launch timeline can make the difference between a working app and a scalable platform.
We turn complex real estate processes into seamless experiences.
Building a real estate app at the scale of Zillow isn’t a small investment — but it doesn’t need to start at that scale either. Your real estate app development cost will depend on how feature-rich the first version is, how custom the design gets, and what platforms you’re targeting.
Instead of thinking in total price, it’s more useful to break the project down into stages.
| Development Stage | Estimated Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Product Strategy & Design | $5,000 – $15,000 |
| Frontend & Backend Dev | $25,000 – $60,000 |
| Third-Party Integrations | $3,000 – $10,000 |
| Testing & QA | $5,000 – $12,000 |
| Admin Panel | $4,000 – $8,000 |
| Maintenance & Updates | Ongoing (monthly/annual) |
These ranges give a baseline, but your Zillow app development cost will ultimately reflect the specific scope, user flow, and integrations you prioritize.
A basic MVP starts around $40,000. A fully featured version can reach $100,000 or more, depending on scale and complexity.
Custom interfaces take more time to develop than standard templates or UI libraries.
Property listings, filters, maps, and calculators form the core. Adding 3D tours, AR viewing, or in-app chat will raise development hours.
Building for both iOS and Android separately increases cost unless a cross-platform framework is used.
Real-time data syncing, analytics, and admin tools add backend weight that reflects in the budget.
For a quick estimate, use:
Total Cost = Development Hours × Hourly Rate
Example:
$48,000 = 800 hours × $60/hour
While numbers vary depending on geography, tech choices, and team structure, a well-planned MVP keeps costs focused — and helps validate the product before moving into full-scale development.
Zillow is a benchmark, not a blueprint. While it’s tempting to replicate its success feature-for-feature, what often drives real growth is finding the gaps it doesn’t fill — or addressing problems it was never designed to solve.
For some, that means starting with a basic Zillow clone app — then adapting it into a commercial real estate app like Zillow, or focusing only on rentals. Others might build around underserved regions, or tailor the experience for a specific demographic, such as first-time buyers or student renters.
You could also innovate around experience:
There’s room in this market for apps that are smarter, faster, more focused, or simply more pleasant to use. Many of the most successful new platforms are positioned as housing apps like Zillow or better — not because they’re bigger, but because they do one thing exceptionally well.
So while Zillow sets the standard, it doesn’t set the limits. If you’re ready to make your own real estate app, focus on solving one problem better than anyone else.
Some apps aim to replicate what already exists. Others aim to improve it. AppVerticals is a real estate app development company that partners with startups, real estate firms, and entrepreneurs who want to build products that go beyond just mirroring Zillow.
If you’re planning to launch your own platform, our team helps transform that vision into a scalable product built to stand out in a crowded market.
As a leading real estate website development company, we create intuitive, user-friendly property websites that connect seamlessly with mobile apps to deliver a complete digital experience.
For businesses needing powerful, end-to-end solutions, we also operate as a real estate software development company, guiding every stage of development from design and architecture to launch and post-release support. The result is technology that functions smoothly, looks refined, and grows with your business over time.
Our approach puts the end user first while keeping long-term scalability in focus, helping you create a real estate platform that drives engagement and revenue.
Zillow built its success on usability and timing. But in real estate, opportunity often lies in what hasn’t been built yet.
The best apps don’t try to be everything. They serve a specific need with precision and leave room to grow. Whether you’re focused on one market or many, what matters most is that the product makes sense — for the user, for the business, and for the future it aims to support.
If you’re looking to create your own real estate app, focus on clarity, purpose, and a feature set that actually solves user pain points. To move forward, you need to start asking the right questions. The answers will shape everything that comes next.
Get a custom-built real estate app that’s ready to scale.
Hammal Farooq writes for people building things—apps, businesses, momentum. He turns tech-speak into stories that get ideas funded, downloaded, or taken seriously. He’s written pitch decks, product pages, and enough app descriptions to launch a small country.
AppVerticals is where innovative startups and Fortune 500s come for transformation.
View About UsDiscover how our team can help you transform your ideas into powerful Tech experiences.
AppVerticals © 2025 | All Rights Reserved
About Us
Locations
Case Studies
Careers
Contact Us
Blogs
Podcasts
Cost Calculators
