WATCH: First there was tinder for dating, then tinder for dogs, and now Global’s online reporter Erika Tucker takes a look at the tinder for home buyers.
CALGARY – First there was Tinder, then Tinder for dogs, and now there’s a new app created by Calgarians to help navigate the city’s real estate market, called Pocket Homes.
“We think that a big aspect missed out in the home-buying process is the social aspect,” said CEO Matt Diteljan, 26.
“No one buys a house in a vacuum. If I’m buying, my parents would help look, my girlfriend would help look…right now it’s just email or text and everything gets lost in translation.”
Once you’ve signed up, the Pocket Homes app allows you to focus your search criteria on which neighbourhoods you’re interested in, the minimum / maximum price points and square footage, and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. The app then tells you how many homes match your search. You can click through the homes, choosing a check mark to save the home as one of your “favourites” or an “x” to have it removed from your search list.
You can scroll through photos of the exterior and interior of the homes, view their location on an interactive map, and read through the details in a summary section.
Diteljan says the “comments” option is one of the best functions. You can create a group of people, via email invitations, to whoever you want to see the homes you’ve “liked.” A home that’s liked is shared with other members of the group, who can then like or reject the home and offer feedback instantly.
“So a couple can comment back and forth on properties and that conversation is always tracked against each listing,” said Diteljan. “Pocket Homes makes the process a lot less daunting and allows people to quickly get opinions from the people they want to hear from.”
The app is free and can be downloaded from the Apple Store and Google Play. It’s been available since March, and has about 150 downloads so far, according to Diteljan.
Due to MLS policy, users are paired with a realtor who’s partnered with Pocket Homes, but Diteljan says you’re under no obligation to stay with him once he’s set you up with a showing.
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