Real estate software provides agents everything from lead generation tools to video editing, expense tracking, and open house management software. Choose the right tools to simplify each sale and create top producing agents. To help you identify the best options, we identified the 37 best real estate software, tools, and apps on the market today.
Here are our picks for the best real estate agent software of 2018:
1. Freshsales (Customer Relationship Management)
Source: Freshsales
Choosing a CRM is up there with a root canal for most realtors. There are dozens and dozens of options on the market, all promising to help you close more leads. Select a CRM that creates effective engagement with clients, helps you visualize their journey through the sales process, and notifies you to consistently follow-up on each step of the way.
Freshsales is a CRM that does all of that with a “forever free” version that lets you test the waters and see how a CRM can benefit your real estate business. Plus, if you’d like to add more features, the paid version starts as low as $12/month. Click here to learn more.
2. Placester (IDX Website Builder)
Screenshot of Placester IDX Website
Some realtors enjoy spending long nights tweaking CSS or being buried in code trying to integrate a CRM with their WordPress theme. For the rest of us, going with a turnkey solution like Placester means more time to generate and nurture leads. After all, every minute you spend tinkering with your IDX website is a minute you’re ignoring your clients.
Don’t waste your money getting all of these elements from separate sources. Placester provides a sleek website solution with IDX integration, along with a built-in CRM and drip email campaigns. Don’t waste your money getting all of these elements from separate sources–get a free demo of Placester today.
Still feeling brave and want to get your hands dirty? Check out our step-by-step guide on building an IDX-enabled WordPress website.
3. BoxBrownie.com (Virtual Staging and Image Enhancement)
Before and After of BoxBrownie.com Virtual Staging
Staged photos help potential buyers imagine themselves living in your listed properties. When you’re creating and posting listings, make sure you use high-quality photos to engage homebuyers. BoxBrownie.com is a professional and inexpensive tool that offers virtual real estate staging, image enhancement, and day-to-dusk editing services with quick turnaround times.
BoxBrownie.com has 40 designers on staff who create and edit images to help buyers visualize themselves in your homes so you can sell faster. Click here for a free trial and receive three image enhancements plus one day-to-dusk edit when you sign up.
4. Matterport (3D Virtual Tours)
Example of Matterport Virtual Tour
These days, it seems like many clients, especially relocation clients, not only want, but expect 3D tours for high-end properties. Sometimes, vendors like your photographers are the ones using the best real estate tools. You may never use Matterport real estate software yourself, but it’s the engine that makes all those cool 3D walk-throughs possible.
Alternatively, you can buy your own Matterport camera for around $4,500. If you’re good, you might find yourself with a lucrative side business on your hands. If you’re interested in learning more about 3D technology, read Matterport’s free e-book, “Top 10 Ways to Use VR to Win Listings in Real Estate.” Plus, find out if Matterport is a good option for your firm based on reviews from realtors who use the software.
5. Zillow Premier Agent (Lead Generation)
Screenshot of Zillow Premier Agent Feature
Zillow Premier Agent is incredibly powerful real estate agent software that harnesses the power of Zillow’s more than 70 million monthly visitors. As part of Zillow’s unpaid services, you can submit new listings on the platform and “claim” listings that were uploaded to Zillow from your MLS. This places your contact information in the upper right corner of the listings page along with as many as three other buyer’s agents who will also appear on the list.
However, as a Zillow Premier Agent, your name will appear exclusively on your listings. So, when a buyer encounters your listing from Zillow or Trulia, you have a much greater chance of receiving their inquiry and earning the full commission. For an additional cost, Zillow Premier Agents can also advertise on the listings of other agents, choose which zip codes you want to advertise in, and set your own budget.
If you’re interested in using Zillow’s real estate tools but don’t know where to start, check out our ultimate guide to Zillow Premier Agent.
6. Cloud CMA (CMA Generation)
Screenshot of Cloud CMA Market Analysis
Cloud CMA produces slick, professional looking Comparative Market Analyses (CMAs) that you’ll be proud to send to your clients. Best of all, you can brand your CMAs with your head shot and logo for a personalized touch. Our Cloud CMA user reviews page provides details about what the software does well and how it can help your agency.
7. CityBlast (Social Media Lead Nurturing)
Social media is a powerful tool for connecting with clients and finding new prospects. Finding great content on a daily basis, such as changes in the local housing market, trends in interior design and landscaping, and new open houses, can be extremely time-consuming. CityBlast automatically finds and posts local, targeted real estate content to your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts seven times per week using a schedule you set. Click here for a free 14-day trial.
8. DocuSign (Electronic Signature/Transaction Management)
DocuSign App
DocuSign, the world’s most popular and trusted electronic signature software, is used by an astonishing 250,000 companies worldwide. Not only do they offer best-in-class electronic signatures and management, they also offer realtors the best platform for signing documents and closing deals.
DocuSign is the only electronic signature platform to offer an edition especially for realtors that offers realtor branding and ZipForm Plus integration. Teams and brokerages that already use ZipForm Plus will find a true plug-and-play partner with DocuSign. That means seamless integration with all your NAR documents straight out of the box—something no other electronic signature platform offers.
Best of all, DocuSign offers a powerful transaction management platform. Agents can keep track of all documents in a transaction from agency disclosure to contracts. Brokers can set up advanced approval processes and workflows to be as hands off, or hands on, as they need to be. If you’re interested in DocuSign’s real estate software, visit our reviews page for more information.
9. FreshChat (Chat Software for Your Website)
Bot configuration example on Freshchat
Passively gain leads from your website by utilizing modern artificial intelligence technology. Freshchat is a live chat platform that combines the best of human interaction and AI for superior customer support. Freshchat can collect a visitor’s basic information before a you take over, and offers skills-based routing to help you prioritize leads based on who is the most likely to be ready to buy. Best of all, the basic version is free to use. Click here to try it yourself.
10. BombBomb (Video Email Management)
Screenshot of BombBomb Dashboard
BombBomb helps agents easily create personalized videos, insert them directly into emails, and track who watches them. Including videos in your emails helps them stand out in a crowded inbox and has resulted in over 80 percent more replies and responses for BombBomb’s clients. Plus, because it’s not an attachment, your video message actually gets delivered and seen.
11. RealScout (Lead Nurturing Real Estate Tools)
Screenshot of RealScout Dashboard
RealScout scours your MLS for new listings that match any of up to 400 criteria your leads select, such as waterfront location, high ceilings, number of bedrooms, etc., and automatically sends them the listings in an email. Best of all, the emails it generates look like they came directly from you—all while you’re out showing properties or relaxing at the beach. If you have a busy schedule and a lot of leads to nurture, it can mean the difference between a good year and an outstanding year.
“My favorite new piece of tech is RealScout. It fills that gap between the clunky interface of the early 2000s-looking MLS and what today’s consumer expects. RealScout allows you to have a conversation about properties with clients and answer questions, and it even alerts you when clients click a button to put an offer in. It’s also got really robust search capabilities—you don’t have to just rely on zip codes and the specifics of the property—and it can sync your leads from online search portals like Zillow and create a profile for them.”
– Mike McElroy, Managing Broker, Center Coast Realty
“My favorite new piece of tech is RealScout. It fills that gap between the clunky interface of the early 2000s-looking MLS and what today’s consumer expects. RealScout allows you to have a conversation about properties with clients and answer questions, and it even alerts you when clients click a button to put an offer in. It’s also got really robust search capabilities12. Showing Suite (Showing Software)
Screenshot of Showing Suite App & Dashboard
Open houses require agents to manage a ton of moving parts. Unfortunately, many realtors struggle to keep email addresses, phone numbers, lockbox codes, and showing notes efficiently organized. Showing Suite integrates and automates showing schedules, buyer agent feedback, and any notes, pictures, and videos that you want to store along with your listing. It even syncs with your Supra EKey or Sentrilock lockbox software.
Plus, if you write regular showing reports for your seller, having all of the listing information in one place can save you time, energy, and frustration. Check out our Showing Suite reviews page for information on pricing and to find out what users think about the software.
13. Citymaps (Custom Mapping App)
Citymaps has made it infinitely easier to answer the perennial client question, “Where are the best _____________ in this neighborhood?” With Citymaps, your agents can send clients custom maps of a neighborhood that are tailored to their interests. Not only does the real estate software make anyone in your brokerage an instant neighborhood expert, it’s a great resource to help plan locations for retail stores if you’re a commercial agent.
14. Showcase IDX (IDX Search for WordPress)
Screenshot of Showcase IDX Dashboard
Showcase IDX is one of the few IDX providers that manages to not only make IDX listings and search easy to integrate into your website, but it looks good doing it. Instead of learning CSS or handing over the keys to your site to a freelance Upwork programmer, you can basically just drop Showcase IDX listings right into your site and have them look great.
They also offer all the latest IDX toys like Google maps view, polygon search, adjustable lead capture options, and saving listings. Want to learn more about IDX plug-ins? Check out our in-depth buyer’s guide comparing Showcase IDX, dsIDXpress, IDX Broker, and Ihomefinder.
15. REDX and Storm Dialer
REDX Auto Dialing Performance
Like everything else in the real estate industry, following up on FSBOs and expired listings is a numbers game. Even the smoothest broker isn’t going to land every single call. Instead, you need to build up momentum to get appointments. Unfortunately, squinting at a list of names and numbers, and then punching them into your phone, slows you down and kills that momentum.
To streamline the process, the REDX Storm Dialer integrates with your FSBO lists and dials numbers automatically while pulling up pertinent information on your screen. It can even leave a pre-recorded voicemail when no one answers. REDX isn’t free, but the ROI is immediate and if you spend a lot of time cold calling, you’ll wonder how you lived without it.
16. RPR Mobile (Property Reports)
RPR Mobile Report
RPR Mobile offers mobile access to the Realtors Property Resource property database through the National Association of Realtors. The platform provides agents school attendance zones, flood maps, demographics and other data, making it the fastest and easiest way to look up property information and send branded property reports to buyers or sellers on the go. Best of all, RPR lets you send “mini reports” with just the right amount of information to send to new leads.
17. Zumper (Rental Listings)
Screenshot of Zumper Dashboard
Zumper is a robust tool for rental agents that combines all the great features of Padmapper, Naked Apartments, Trulia, and half a dozen other rental apps into one. Not only does Zumper present your listing on an attractive, easy-to-search site, it also runs Experian credit reports and rental applications for your prospective tenants. In fact, it makes the rental process so easy, you might feel guilty collecting a broker fee.
18. Area Pulse (Real Estate Market Data)
Screenshot of Area Pulse Dashboard
Area Pulse automates the often laborious task of pulling together market data to send to leads or current clients. Not only that, the platform generates and sends highly-detailed and professional-looking reports to clients. Instead of sending grainy screenshots from your dated back-end, Excel spreadsheet, or MLS website, use Area Pulse to send visually appealing and informative market reports with minimal effort.
19. Waze (Crowdsourced Traffic App)
Screenshot of Waze App
Waze isn’t technically real estate agent software, but if you’re stuck in traffic, you’re not selling houses. Waze lets you focus on your business by providing up-to-the-minute traffic condition reports from other Waze users. Plus, it’s a great tool if you’re giving clients a tour of your listings and want to hit as many properties as possible. It saves you time, frustration, and best of all, gas money. Waze is a must-have on any realtor’s smartphone.
20. Everlance (Mileage Tracking Software)
If you spend a lot of time touring listings with clients or exploring new markets, you need mileage tracking software that helps you monitor your expenses, maximize your tax deductions, and keep your agents and brokerage IRS-compliant. The software also lets you classify trips as business or personal, export PDF or Excel reports, and track trips using GPS so you always know where your miles and expenses are going.
– Kelli Howison, Realtor, Windermere Real Estate Yarrow Bay
“I’m a realtor in the Seattle area and one of the most helpful pieces of software I use is Everlance for mileage tracking. There’s a free option as well as a paid premium option. With the automatic trip detection, you never forget to track your business miles. The report is straightforward and easy to generate.”21. Key.me (Key Copying Software)
Key.me App
Key.me elegantly solves one of the more frustrating logistical hurdles for listing agent and rental agents—keys! With Key.me, instead of borrowing a homeowner’s keys while you rush off to Home Depot, you simply snap a picture of the key and head to your local Key.me kiosk to make a copy. The best part is that if you happen to lose a key, all you need to make a new copy is the photo you have saved in the app. No more lockouts. Ever.
22. Spacio (Open House Management Software)
Screenshot of Spacio Dashboard
Spacio can help take the “pen” out of your next open house with its feature-packed, paperless open house app. Agents can use the app for digital sign-in sheets that integrate with top real estate CRMs, including BoomTown, Top Producer, and more. The real estate tool can also be integrated with marketing software and listing platforms so you can easily send targeted, informative content to clients and leads.
Spacio means no more smudged sign-in sheets or tedious data entry, and is a must for property managers, seller’s agents, or anyone who runs a lot of open houses. Plus, it can help you make marketing and ad spend decisions based on real homebuyer data. Download Spacio on the Apple App Store or Google Play and try if for free for 30 days.
– Brenda Di Bari, Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker, Halstead Real Estate
“Spacio feeds automatically into my CRM, and the potential buyer is automatically vetted (by verifying their email) and sent a follow-up asking for their feedback on the home they visited and whether or not they are already working with a buyer’s agent. It integrates with BombBomb and allows me to communicate with clients via email, including an inserted video resulting in higher engagement.”23. Zurple (Lead Generation/Nurturing Software)
Screenshot of Zurple IDX Website
Zurple is a lead generation service that will build you an IDX website to capture leads as users browse for properties. Zurple then monitors their browsing activity and gets to know their user profiles. Specifically, Zurple can help answer questions like, “What’s their budget? What types of properties are they looking for? What amenities do they need?” and enter it in your CRM. Zurple then sends automated emails to leads based on their interests and any updates on the market.
For example, if a visitor named Suzi comes to your website and spends a while looking at properties, the system may send her an email that reads, “Hi Suzi, I know you are looking for a home greater than 1,500 square feet and prefer 924 5th Street. Would you like to see it in person?” She may also receive updates of new listings that match her criteria or be asked to set up a meeting when her browsing activity spikes.
If you’re interested in trying Zurple, check out our review page for more information about what users like about the real estate software.
24. Smarter Agent Mobile (Customized Listings App)
Screenshot of Smarter Agent Mobile App
Smarter Agent Mobile offers rock solid, pre-designed real estate apps customized with your branding, agents, and listings for a low monthly fee. Your clients and potential clients can download your app from the app store and search active and recently sold listings from the MLS. Then, all of the leads that come through the IDX-enabled Smarter Agent App go straight to your agents.
25. Videolicious (Video Editing Real Estate Agent Software)
Videolicious User
Videolicious makes professional video editing a snap. Agents can add watermarks, logos, and automatically edit together smaller videos into one presentation. If you’ve ever tried to shoot an entire large home in one take, you know how useful this will be. Your clients will love the professional-looking video walk-throughs. Best of all, it’s EASY. That’s why David Marine, Vice President of Brand Engagement at Coldwell Banker, calls it “the easiest video app out there.”
26. Prempoint (Lockbox Replacement)
Prempoint Lockbox Options
If you’re tired of finicky lockboxes and using wonky software to grant access to your listings, try Prempoint. Prempoint’s real estate software eliminates the need for lockboxes and manual keys and gives agents a digital, all-in-one access management system. Users can download shared documents, leave feedback, and most importantly, open a growing list of networked smart locks with Bluetooth-enabled smartphones.
27. Hutch (Virtual Staging Software & Room Planner)
Example of Hutch Virtual Staging
Hutch real estate software merges easy-to-use home staging software with actual home furnishings you can buy. Instead of goofy renderings of Barcelona Chairs that would look more at home in an dated Xbox game, Hutch offers you the ability to upload a photo and fill it with furniture, rugs, mirrors, and even tchotchkes your client might buy.
Even better, Hutch offers a feature where you can actually buy all the cool stuff in your virtually-staged room and have it delivered. This can work in a pinch for virtual staging, but really shines when it comes to helping that feet-shuffling buyer really see how their stuff could look in a listing.
28. RealtyMX (Rental Listings Management)
Screenshot of RealtyMX Dashboard
RealtyMX is an enterprise-class listings management system that offers brokerages a turnkey listing database solution. Designed for New York City-based brokerages, RealtyMX offers MANAR, RLS, IDX, and VOW support. The system also syndicates listings and has integrated CRM and document management systems. Best of all, the real estate agent software provides gorgeous custom websites for agents.
29. CSS (Centralized Showing Service) (Showing Coordination)
CSS Promotion
Most buyers never realize the complicated dance that some agents have to do to schedule a day of showings. They call listing agents, listing agents call homeowners—rinse and repeat. CSS takes all the stress and chaos out of scheduling appointments.
Agents can call one phone number or use one app to schedule multiple showings with multiple listing agents. Homeowners can approve or decline each showing right from their phone. Not only does CSS simplify the open house process for homeowner clients, it will save you and your agents time and frustration while making an excellent impression on potential buyers.
30. Home Value Leads (Home Valuation Websites)
Screenshot of Home Value Leads IDX Website
Home Value Leads offers a turnkey seller lead generation system by offering agents a customizable home value estimator you can use on your IDX website or—even better—on your Facebook ads. The system also provides lead follow-up via built-in drip campaigns and instant lead notification plus access to the Real Estate Masterminds Facebook group.
31. Realsuite (All-in-One CRM/Transaction Real Estate Software)
Screenshot of Realsuite Dashboard
Although it’s still in beta testing, the whole real estate tech industry is buzzing about Move Inc’s latest and greatest new real estate software, Realsuite. Realsuite promises to deliver an integrated, all-in-one platform that allows realtors to generate and nurture leads, access their MLS, and manage transactions without having to cobble together solutions from multiple companies.
Even better, from our sneak peeks at the beta version, the software also addresses what most agents complain about other Move Inc software like Top Producer—it doesn’t look like Microsoft Excel circa 1995. Powerful tools, affordable pricing (we hope) AND a slick interface that doesn’t make your eyes bleed? Yes, please. Stay tuned for our full review of Realsuite once the product finally launches.
32. Leadpages (Landing Page Builder)
Screenshot of Leadpages template Options
Leadpages is a drag-and-drop landing page builder that helps agents create professional-looking pages without any HTML or coding knowledge. The platform excels because it allows agents to generate leads through customized landing pages and easy-to-use Facebook ads. If you want to take advantage of the real estate software’s landing pages but don’t know where to start, check out our Leadpages review site.
33. Planoly (Instagram Management & Scheduling)
Screenshot of Planoly Hashtag Ideas
Planoly is an Instagram scheduling tool that helps you optimize your social media presence through visual planning and scheduling. The platform was not designed specifically for agents, but it allows you to design and schedule posts for listing photos, explore and analyze relevant hashtags, manage user comments, and more. Plus, Planoly has a library of stock photos to use if you want to engage with your followers but don’t have time to share a listing or curate a post.
34. Qualia (Real Estate Tools for Settlements)
Screenshot of Qualia Closing Dashboard
Qualia is a settlement software for real estate that coordinates closings between brokers, title agents, and clients. In addition to being integrated with underwriters like Fidelity National Financial and First American, Qualia allows agents and homebuyers to track investments and the status of a closing using web and mobile apps. Check out Qualia if you want to streamline the closing process for your team and make the process more accessible to your clients.
35. Rently (Self-Showing Software & Hardware)
Screenshot of Rently Dashboard & App
Rently is a real estate agent software that facilitates self-showings of rental properties. Agents and property managers can let potential renters tour houses and apartments on their own schedule—saving everyone’s time and frustration. Choose from a standard lockbox or Rently Blue, using Bluetooth technology, to put Rently’s self-showing software to work for your team.
36. HouseCanary (Real Estate Valuation Software)
Screenshot of HouseCanary Dashboard
HouseCanary is a well-rounded real estate valuation software that provides agents with value reports and forecasts, risk evaluations, and a market insights suite. The platform allows agents to analyze housing cycles, demographic patterns and changes, and target submarkets that can build their business. Try HouseCanary’s a la carte products and services for access to data for 381 metros, 18,000 ZIP Codes, and 4 million blocks covering more than 90 percent of the U.S. market.
37. REIPro (Investment Real Estate Tools)
Screenshot of REIPro Dashboard
In contrast to other real estate agent software on our list, REIPro excels at assisting real estate investors. Not only does the platform include CRM and lead generation real estate tools to track interesting properties, it provides relevant comps and workflow management so you can track every moving part of every deal. You can read more on our REIPro Review Page.
Bottom Line: Best Real Estate Software for 2018
Real estate software is a great way to streamline team processes like lead management, open houses, and more. Because of that, it’s important to select the best tools in the industry and use them to optimize day-to-day operations. To help, we identified the 37 of the best real estate software, tools, and apps on the market today.
Steve Penner
good list! … nice cross section of tools. Hard to keep up, but this makes it a bit easier.
Stephanie
What is the best lead management program for contacting purchased leads within the first 5 min. if I am unavailable? And is the contact by text, email, or a real person?
Emile L'Eplattenier
Hey Stephanie,
I would look for a CRM that has SMS auto responders as text messages have much higher rates than emails. Off the top of my head, I think that Liondesk, Follow Up Boss, and Contactually offer SMS auto responders. You can also try an ISA service like Riley, though this will be more expensive. The benefit is that you will get a live ISA contacting and screening your leads. Good luck!
Rachel Baldino
Thank you for this!
Emile L'Eplattenier
Hey Rachel,
Glad you found the article useful.
John P.
Heard Zillow was a good program to use, too.
Aaron
Great tools, indeed.