Abhishek Kiran Gupta, Srinath Kandala and Dhiren P Doshi 

His is among the plethora of home-buying apps that are encouraging transparency in the real-estate business. The knowledge of either being lowballed or conned with overvalued flats, has led to a first-of-its-kind empowerment in the home-buying space. “We have received emails from customers who have told us how grateful they are. After they used our app, they were able to get the agents to reduce the price of a home they were buying or even renting,” 
says Gupta. 

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He credits the success of apps like IndexTap to government initiatives like that of the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA), which has made it binding for developers to register every sale, along with the details of the carpet area and price the flat was sold for.

Another app, PropVR, creates simulations using the same tech used in games like Map Quest and Call of Duty, allowing a buyer to virtually tour a home. PropVR is based out of Bengaluru and was acquired by Square Yards in early 2021. Srinath Kandala, its co-founder says, “Right now, if you are interested in buying a home in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, individual developers in the UAE can share links that stream the flat to you in metaverse.” PropVR uses the same concept. “We have worked with a few developers in India, who do the same for projects in India. But now the plan is to make it a search-and-find option on our app... like a listing. So billions of people can experience a project of a developer who has opted for the metaverse, on their phone.”

Another app that has caught the attention of home-buyers is HomeXchange, launched in 2021. Run out of Andheri, it is a one-stop-shop, where you can sell your old home and get help to find a new one. “

HomeXchange is focused on solving a problem in the residential resale market and democratise the sell and buy process. The process of selling an existing home and purchasing a new one can be daunting and lengthy taking anywhere between four to eight months. HomeXchange solves that by providing a instant guaranteed price on the old home of the customer,” says co-founder Jesal Sanghvi. The process can be time-consuming. HomeXchange helps by giving the buyer an instant estimate of the price of their home. “Once they are made aware of the value of their current flat, they will be confident enough to invest in a new flat.” The app also connects them with 
prospective buyers. 

But whether home-buying apps will replace the real estate agent is yet to be seen. Asset advisor Dhiren P Doshi feels that the agent will continue to play an important role. “[As asset advisors] We know the drawbacks of a project. We look into the history of the developer and what the buyer will have to compromise on,” he says, “None of this is found on an app. Even if app makers claim to resolve certain issues, home owners must get their hands dirty and do some homework on their own.”