Mobile App

Homes.com

iOS

Android

Tablet

Overview

Homes.com is redefining the home search experience, offering not just listings, but context and confidence to their users. As the platform grew rapidly, we needed a adapt an equally great native experience. This case study focuses on designing that experience and helping buyers or agents on the go.

My Role

I led the end-to-end design for the Homes.com mobile app, partnering with cross-functional teams in product and engineering.

The Problem

Homes.com had a growing presence on desktop and mobile web—but lacked a native app experience. When I joined, XX% of users were coming from desktop or mobile web. Meanwhile, our competitors were deeply entrenched in user’s app habits and as we scaled we knew we had to give our users a fast, easy to use and enjoyable native app experience if we wanted to grow.

Goals

Start with getting iOS and Android in parity with responsive web
Look for opportunities to design a native app experience that feels fast, intuitive
Leverage native features (e.g., location, push, gestures) to enhance engagement
Build the foundation for future releases: compare, share, and collaborate

Process

1. Mobile UX Audit & Competitive Analysis

We began with a deep dive into:

Existing Homes.com web patterns
App store reviews to find our users’ pain points and opportunities
iOS and Android native patterns (Material You, iOS HIG)

Key Insights:

Users wanted fewer taps to get to search results
Saving and sharing homes was a key behavior—but buried on web
Maps mattered: people wanted to explore neighborhoods visually
Performance and load time had huge impact on perception of trust

2. Information Architecture & Wireframes

We defined a clear IA optimized for mobile behavior:

Bottom nav with Search, Favorites, and Account
Search as the primary entry point, supported by map-first or list-first toggles
Modular cards for results and home detail pages, built for speed and scanability

We also designed early flows for onboarding, home save states, and push notification preferences.

3. Visual Design & Native Patterns

We created a clean, brand-aligned design system that translated the Homes.com visual language into app-specific patterns:

Dynamic map gestures
iOS-style cards and transitions
Android bottom sheets and material components

We worked closely with engineering to ensure all components were performant and accessible, even in low-connectivity conditions.

4. Iteration & User Testing

We tested early builds with both new and repeat users. We focused on:

Speed to search results
Ease of saving and unsaving homes
Understanding filters and search boundaries

Insights helped us refine navigation, add haptics to key actions, and streamline filter UX. We also prioritized dark mode and offline-friendly behavior.

Outcome

At Homes.com, we shipped many new features for both agents and clients that enhanced the overall user experience. We’ve launched many features at the same time as responsive web and even begun launching native specific features like property lines, snap search and nearby connect. As of May 2025, Homes.com has: