We took a tour of the new DuProprio app

Orphan of a mobile application since 2019, the real estate sales platform without intermediary DuProprio has just launched a new version to facilitate property searches on the market from a telephone. Does she fulfill the contract? We have tested and visited it from top to bottom.

Too bad this app comes a little after the battle, since it would have been very useful to the many buyers who swarmed during the real estate frenzy of 2020-2021. That said, the market never sleeps, and a new tool in the kit of aspiring owners will not be too much.

Without further ado, let’s download the new version for which several new features are announced. From the outset, the interface is very clear, and the handling, intuitive. We flit about the market, classically, by a geographical map or list system. If geolocation is activated, the neighborhood properties appear in order of proximity (if the display is by list) or are shown on the map.

Of course, an investigation by sector is possible thanks to the search bar, and it is easy to play with a range of filters (budgets, types of property, number of rooms, living area and land area, time elapsed since publication …). So far, nothing to revolutionize the genre, but we note the fluidity of the navigation, the clarity of the options and the ease of operating the control buttons.

The essential information can be found in the window and without difficulty. In less than 10 seconds, we are already fantasizing about a west-facing Rosemont solarium.

A tab allowing access to the backups leads us to the properties that we want to keep an eye on, as well as to memorize searches carried out previously. If the user already has an account with DuProprio, his favorites will be automatically synchronized on the first connection. Simple and practical.

stay alert

In addition to the ease of use and the clarity of the search tool, we were seduced by the 3D visit module, which purrs perfectly. The comparison with the Centris application (dedicated to real estate sales with a broker) is inevitable, and both are close, for the better. We appreciate the ability to take notes on the files consulted, as well as the command to easily convert square feet to square meters, and vice versa.

Furthermore, the XXI^e century is the era of notification, which the developers have understood: it is now possible to receive an instant alert when a property that meets our criteria is put on the market, or of a variation in the price or another major modification concerning a file placed in the favorites. Sent by notification or email, these raised flags are very useful in a market where it is sometimes necessary to react quickly. Plus, they turn on and off easily.

A few flats

Even if, overall, the application is a success, some slight flats slip into the picture. For example, it is mainly aimed at buyers, and sellers will have to continue to use the web platform to manage their files – that said, the company has indicated that this component will be integrated in a future update.

Then, a slight detail, but which can sometimes be slightly irritating: the photo captions do not appear, even if they exist in the web version of the file.

This makes it difficult, on occasion, to identify certain rooms (master bedroom? Secondary?).

Finally, Desjardins, which acquired DuProprio in 2020, did not miss the opportunity to offer itself great visibility, the mortgage calculator made available in the app being sponsored by the cooperative, supplemented by a link to contact a Caisse financial advisor. We tick a little, but nothing excessive; in terms of convergence, we have already seen a thousand times worse.

In short, a very well-designed free tool for buyers ready to consider the option without a broker.