Best FREE Apps for Home Buyers

If you are trying to navigate the home buying process, technology can help make your search a little easier. There are mobile apps that allow you to search listings, neighbourhoods, calculate mortgage costs and determine local demographics. Below are some of the best real estate apps for homebuyers:

1. REALTOR.ca is a free app offered by the Canadian Real Estate Association. It allows users to get up-to-date property information, photos and driving directions for properties near your location. You can also find recent listings in the area you’re visiting, and if it’s a weekend, find open houses near your present location.
 
2. Wikihood is a free app that helps home buyers that are looking to relocate to a neighbourhood that they may not have too much knowledge about. The app will automatically pull up all the Wikipedia articles related to the current geographic location of the phone. You will get a detailed look at schools, in-depth knowledge about the city or town, historical info, all the transit options available and more.
 
3. Canadian Mortgage Calculator is a free app that is as precise as it gets. This app allows you to calculate mortgage payments more realistically by comparing the ultimate price of your home. This app gives the option of including property taxes, utilities and other miscellaneous items that can add up. This app also calculates the land transfer fee which can be a huge shock for many first time home buyers.
 
4. Prizm is a free app that classifies Canadians into over 60 lifestyle types – based on their demographics, psychographic values, marketing preferences and everyday lifestyle. From a buyer prospective, the app can be used to determine your average neighbour in a specific neighbourhood. My area is classified as Urban Digerati – younger, well educated city dweller.