What the Indian real estate listing apps are missing?
“Sorry, no bachelors.”
This was the fifth house owner (or broker, really) I had contacted after scouring listings on India’s major rental apps. By now, I could predict the conversation even before the owner said “Hello.” I’ve been mentally training myself—like some deep learning algorithm—to foresee how these calls would go. If the house was new, in an amazing location, and my heart was set on it, my algorithm would predict a response like, “Have a family or don’t bother me.”
I’ve been living in rental houses for the last 10 years, across different cities in India. Over the past decade, the Indian stock market has soared by over 10,000 points. Flipkart has seen millions and billions of dollars flow through it. Governments have changed, both central and state. Facebook has solidified its major market here. Big film stars have aged, and their children have started acting careers. There are more high-rise apartments than ever before in Indian cities. We’ve seen an influx of American, European, Spanish, French—name any first-world architecture—and it’s flourishing. Gated communities have become the norm.
Everything is in a state of motion except for one thing: brokers still dominate the rental housing market, and bachelors are still treated as “untouchable” by many house owners.
I won’t delve into the psychological and social reasons behind this behavior. As a product developer, technologist, and believer in change, I always turn to technology to find innovative solutions. But this time, I was completely let down by the existing “so-called tech” players in the Indian rental market.
Let me explain why.
Like any guy with a smartphone, I installed three apps—Housing.com, Magicbricks.com, and 99Acres.com, in that order. My friend also recommended Nobroker.com, promising it would help me bypass brokers, only for me to end up dealing with brokers again!
1. Housing.com:
The first time I came across Housing.com, I didn’t need a house, but as a UX/UI enthusiast, I tried their app and fell in love with it. So naturally, I downloaded it first when I started my search. I began favoriting all the amazing houses they showed, admiring how they used my current location to display nearby listings. I loved how many of the listings were from actual house owners rather than brokers.
But then I started calling people, only to discover the house was no longer available. Five calls later, I was still getting the same response. That was the last time I actively used the app. I kept it on my phone, hoping for notifications or updates based on my criteria—but nothing. No emails, no mobile alerts, no assistance from a representative, no chat assistant to guide me. No help, no notifications, and invalid listings. There’s no way anyone can convince me to use this app again.
2. Magicbricks:
Magicbricks felt more like a broker listing platform than a property listing one. Most listings were from brokers or property dealers, with the same broker often having 5-6 different listings, sometimes even using the same house photos. However, I did find some decent brokers on the platform, so now I just call them directly rather than using the app.
One thing I liked about Magicbricks is that they send new property information via email when it matches my search criteria. But why not send a notification on my mobile? I’d be more likely to engage with the app that way. It’s mind-boggling.
On the plus side, I didn’t hear “the house is no longer available” from brokers—they just show you another house. But I rarely saw any of my favorite houses in person. When it comes to user experience, Magicbricks is ahead of the others in getting users straight to the filter page upon launch. They have user-friendly touch designs for filter criteria and listings, and they even offer a chat feature with brokers (though it doesn’t seem to work well). Their map view, however, needs a serious makeover—it doesn’t make sense to any literate user.
3. 99Acres:
99Acres is similar to Magicbricks, with brokers dominating the listings. The app has similar features, design, and loopholes. I liked how they allow messaging people directly, but very few actually responded, so I’m not sure how effective it is. The filter criteria require more clicks than any other app (see teardown below), which isn’t intuitive. I often heard brokers referencing Magicbricks more than 99Acres, which sometimes made me unsure of which app I found a house on. Thank God for different logos, or I’d never know for sure.
The Indian real estate rental listing apps are missing out on several key aspects that could significantly improve the user experience and address the specific needs of renters. Here’s what they’re lacking:
1. Assistance:
These apps provide little to no assistance to individual users. A simple chat assistant or a more human-centered interface could bridge this gap. Brokers dominate because they are always available, understand the renter’s needs, and provide tailored assistance. While a chatbot or call center might not match this level of service, the complete absence of human interaction in a service that heavily relies on human touch is a glaring oversight. Moreover, none of these apps offer mobile notifications based on the user’s search criteria, further reducing their usefulness.
2. Customization for Bachelors and Pet Owners:
One of the biggest issues is the widespread discrimination against bachelors and pet owners. Despite the prevalence of these restrictions, the apps do not provide an option to filter listings based on such criteria. The apps should offer more personalized search options, allowing users to filter based on their lifestyle and needs, such as “bachelor with a dog” or “double-income couple with no kids.” This would save users from the frustration of repeatedly encountering listings that don’t suit their situation.
3. Refined Filter Criteria:
The filter options are too basic and don’t address crucial factors that could help renters avoid wasted time and effort. For example, filters should indicate whether a property allows bachelors or pets. This would prevent users from facing rejection during the inquiry process and make the search experience more efficient and user-friendly.
4. Differentiation and Added Value:
The rental listing market is highly commoditized, with little differentiation in terms of offerings, mobile app design, or user experience. There’s no support for vernacular languages, no detailed neighborhood guides, and no options to connect with locals for advice. The current players function more as referral platforms for brokers than as genuine problem-solvers for renters. This lack of innovation means the market is still ripe for disruption, especially for entrepreneurs who can create solutions that truly meet the needs of users.
5. Avoiding Brokers:
Currently, the only way to avoid brokers is to physically scout areas for “to-let” signs, a time-consuming and sometimes frustrating process. Brokers typically charge a month’s rent as a fee, making the process costly for renters and homeowners alike. Given the size of the market and the dissatisfaction with current solutions, there’s a significant opportunity for a new player to disrupt the market by offering a broker-free, user-focused rental service.
Conclusion:
The market is ready for a change. There’s a clear demand for a rental listing service that offers more personalized assistance, better filtering options, and genuine solutions to renters’ needs, rather than just serving as a broker’s affiliate.
UI/UX Teardown
- Housing.com: Sleek design but plagued by outdated and invalid listings. Needs proactive user engagement and better notification systems.
- Magicbricks: Dominated by brokers, but better at keeping users informed through emails. The app could benefit from improved mobile notifications and a revamped map view.
- 99Acres: Similar broker-dominated environment with some usability issues, particularly with its filter criteria. Messaging could be more effective with better response rates from listers.
For entrepreneurs and technologists, this represents a significant opportunity to carve out a niche and provide a much-needed service to underserved segments like bachelors and pet owners
