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Zillow Clone App or Custom App: Which is Better for Your Real Estate Business?
By admin on Jan 27 2026
The real estate industry has become increasingly digital in recent years. All types of users including buyers, sellers, agents, builders and landlords now turn to online platforms for listing and browsing properties for purchase, rent, and sale. This scenario has made it a profitable business for startups and entrepreneurs to start a real estate business. If you are looking to start a business in the real estate industry, you can manage a profitable business by building a real estate marketplace like Zillow.
However, one real question arises here: “Should you build your real estate marketplace app through custom development, or should you build it using a Zillow clone app?” In this post, we will discuss which option would be more beneficial for you. Read on for further insights.
What is a Zillow clone app?
A Zillow clone app is a pre-built real estate marketplace platform that replicates the features and functionalities of the popular property listing marketplace Zillow. By using such a ready-made solution, entrepreneurs can build their own property listing marketplace without starting everything from zero. A Zillow clone app includes all essential features of a functional online property listing marketplace. These include:
- User profiles
- Property listings (with complete information, images, and videos)
- Search filters
- EMI calculator
- Multi-lingual support
- CMS for blogs/new/FAQs
- Live notifications
- Built-in revenue streams
- And more
These software solutions are fully customizable, and you can build a unique app by modifying the existing features.
What is a Custom App?
A custom app is a bespoke solution, and you have to build it from scratch. This app development process gives you complete control over the appearance, features, and functionalities of the platform. In contrast to a Zillow clone, a custom app costs more money and consumes an extensive amount of time. You will need to hire a team of professionals for such a project.
Advantages of Using a Zillow Clone App
Using a Zillow clone app for building your business platform offers you multiple benefits.
You Can Enter the Market Faster
Using a Zillow clone app allows you to enter the market faster. As such software comes with all essential features built-in, you do not have to start the development process from the ground up. Such a solution is ideal for you if you are looking to enter the market faster.
Using Such Software Keeps Your Costs Low
Building a real estate app like Zillow is an expensive affair. You will need to hire a team of developers for building and testing your platform. A pre-built software solution comes with all essential features built in, thus reducing your development expenses.
Small businesses that have a small budget can confidently use such a software solution and keep their development costs low.
It Contains Proven Features
The features of a Zillow clone are based on the features of a platform that is already operating successfully. You do not have to experiment with the features or worry about them going wrong. All the features in the software included are designed to provide users with a seamless experience in the property listing/buying/and renting process. The app also includes powerful admin tools, which enable you to smoothly manage the marketplace.
Keeps Your Platform Ready for Future Growth
Despite being a ready-made app solution, a Zillow clone app is designed to support your growing platform needs. As your platform starts to get more users, such a pre-built app will efficiently accommodate increasing traffic without interrupting your platform operations. It also gives you the flexibility to add new features as per platform requirements.
Disadvantages of a Zillow Clone App
While using a Zillow clone script offers many advantages, it may also have a number of cons.
It May Have Limitations in Customization
Although ready-made Zillow clone apps allow you to customize the features and functionalities, there may be limitations to the extent to which you can modify these apps. You may not be able to rearrange the platform in your desired manner.
It May Offer Generic User Experience
Since the clone app is based on platforms that are already operating in the market, it may not be able to provide users with a unique experience. Besides, if other businesses start building their apps using such a pre-built solution, there will be too many similar apps, and your app will be part of a huge competition.
Benefits of Building a Custom App
You Have Complete Control Over the Platform Elements
When you build a real estate marketplace through custom development, you have complete control over the design, features, and functionalities to meet your unique business requirements. With such development, you do not have to settle on any compromises in terms of platform features.
You Can Expand the Platform in the Future
When you build your app through custom development, you can easily expand it in the future. As your platform starts to grow, you can expand the app to support more traffic and also can add new features.
You Can Include Unique Features that a Clone App Does Not Have
When you build your real estate business app, you do not have to provide users with ordinary experiences provided by all other apps in the market. You can make your platform unique and provide users with a better experience by including functionalities that other apps like Zillow do not have. Integration of a map, EMI calculator, dedicated pages for property details, appointment booking, etc. are some such features you can include in your marketplace.
You Can Create Individualized User Experience
When you build your property app from scratch, you can create individualized experiences depending on the unique needs of users. You can enhance user experience by including modern technology such as AR and VR in the app.
You Can Create a Powerful Brand Identity
Compared to using a clone app, building your property marketplace app from scratch enables you to build a strong brand identity. You can design the whole app, features, and functionalities in your own way, through which you can stand out in the market.
Disadvantages of Building a Custom App
Before choosing to build your app through custom development, you should also know it comes with some disadvantages.
Building Your App through Custom Development is Highly Expensive
Building a functional mobile app for your real estate marketplace can cost you thousands of dollars. You will need to hire a team of experts for building and bringing the app to life. Choose this option only if you are ready with the money.
You Will Need to Wait for Several Months to Enter the Market
To get your property listing marketplace app ready for launching through custom development, you will have to wait for at least 6-8 months. Extended time adds to the expenses, and this can be too long a period for a startup business to wait to enter the market.
More Blog: How to Build a Real Estate Website Like Zillow with No-Coding
Final Words: Which One Is Better for Your Real Estate Business?
Both Zillow clone apps and custom app development have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Which option you should choose depends upon your business objectives, the budget you have at hand, and the time you can invest.
- Choose a Zillow clone app if you have a small budget and want to enter the market faster. As it comes with all important features of a property marketplace, you can make it immediately active by making some changes to the design and features if you feel the need for it.
- Build a custom app if you have adequate time and resources and want more control over the features and functionalities. This option is ideal for you if you want to stand out in the market with totally unique features.
At Best Classified Script, we offer feature-rich and fully customizable Zillow clone scripts at affordable prices. With our software, you can easily build your own unique app and brand by removing our name and logo and making changes to the features and functionalities. Connect with us today for a free demo of our software.
