The release of Apple’s iPhone 8 has brought back into focus just how mobile centric we have become as a society. Where would we be without having social media in the palm of our hands, reminders, Google maps or the zillion other apps out there that make our lives easier and more fun?

In this post, we examine property letting and how companies and customers have adopted mobile apps as their go to method for marketing and for scouring the marketplace.

The Laborious Past

Finding a new place to rent used to be a somewhat laborious task, it involved trawling through newspapers and driving around the local area, looking for “To Let” signs. Information was not updated quickly and so it wasn’t unusual, after finding somewhere you like the look of, to find that it had already “gone”.

Not anymore, we now have apps for that and it won’t be long before there are a generation who have never known what it is like to have to look for somewhere to rent the old fashioned way.

The Modern Real Estate App

The modern real estate app, such as the one offered by agents Andrews Online, are sophisticated, they save you a huge amount of time and are also intrinsically fascinating for us as human beings – we find them strangely addictive and catch ourselves consulting them whether we are in the market for a new pad or not.

So, what is it that we love about them?

On a practical level, they are an extremely power tool that allow us to enter search criteria and instantly find what we are looking for. That luxury loft apartment in Camden with the high ceilings, bare brick walls and a bespoke bathroom is just a click or two away and a house in the country with four bedrooms, open fires and views to die for is at your fingertips, complete with detailed descriptions of the property, collections of photographs and even videos.

It’s so convenient, you can find property on demand and from the comfort of our own, current, front room, whilst commuting or share our finds with friends over a drink at the local coffee house.

Of course, real estate apps are also great for people wishing to let a property, they are able to receive alerts, sync viewings to their calendars and accept or reject offers, all using the app.

Added Value

Real estate apps also offer added value. They act as a vehicle for our aspirations, what starts off as a sensible and focused search for your next abode, ends with you exploring homes you may never even be able to afford and that are totally unrealistic in terms of location – “This Malibu ocean front property on the market for $17,000,000 offers…”

These apps are a way of looking into the lives of others, for satisfying our curiosity regarding how and where other people live and then comparing our lives to theirs.