How the willhaben search agent works
A Suchagent saves a search on willhaben and tells you about new matching listings by e-mail, by app notification or both. You create it from the results list with „Suchagent aktivieren“ or the bell icon. That also works when nothing matches yet.
For property you can also choose how often it reports. According to willhaben, the option „Bei jeder neuen Anzeige“ (on every new listing) is still in a test phase and only exists in the willhaben app as an app notification. willhaben calls this the Immo-Sofort-Suchagent. You manage your agents under „Mein willhaben“ while logged in.
How to set it up for flats
- Create the agent in the willhaben app and allow the app to send notifications in your phone settings. App notifications can only be switched on in the app.
- Pick „Bei jeder neuen Anzeige“ as the frequency if the option is offered to you. An e-mail often waits until you next open your inbox.
- Set the filters to what you really want: districts, price, rooms and size. Filters that are too tight hide good flats, filters that are too wide flood your phone.
- For very different searches, such as a flat and a WG room, separate agents work best.
- You cannot change the search criteria of an existing agent, only its title and notifications. For new filters, open the results list, adjust it, save a new agent and delete the old one.
Why the push sometimes comes late
If an alert comes late or not at all, check these four things:
- The frequency: if „Bei jeder neuen Anzeige“ is not selected, or only e-mail is on, new listings are not reported one by one straight away.
- Your phone: battery saver, do-not-disturb or focus modes and disabled notifications can delay or silence pushes. Check that the willhaben app is allowed to send notifications.
- The test phase: according to willhaben, „Bei jeder neuen Anzeige“ is still a test. willhaben does not say how soon after a listing appears the alert arrives.
- The flat was never on willhaben: not every landlord or agent lists everywhere. Some flats are only on ImmoScout24, immowelt, derStandard or WG-Gesucht. The willhaben search agent will never report those.
What a bot like FlatDrop does differently
FlatDrop is a free Telegram bot for rental flats and WG rooms in Vienna. It checks willhaben, ImmoScout24, immowelt, derStandard and WG-Gesucht about every 10 minutes, a little less often at night. It merges duplicate listings and only sends what fits your filters: districts, gross rent, rooms and size.
Every alert comes with a photo, an AI score from 0 to 10 with a short reason, and red flags such as a fixed term, key money or an agent's commission. When there is enough data you also see how the price compares with the district median. With a minimum score you only get flats that reach it. You need no account, just Telegram.
What the bot does not do: it does not apply for you. On request it writes a draft application that you send yourself. And it only sees what is listed on those five portals.
willhaben search agent and FlatDrop compared
| Feature | willhaben Suchagent | FlatDrop |
|---|---|---|
| Portals | willhaben only | willhaben, ImmoScout24, immowelt, derStandard, WG-Gesucht |
| Channel | e-mail, app notification | Telegram |
| Speed | „Bei jeder neuen Anzeige“ (test phase, app only) | checks about every 10 minutes, less often at night |
| Changing filters | create a new agent | any time in the bot |
| Account | willhaben login | none, just Telegram |
| Extras | every willhaben category, buying too | AI score, red flags, district comparison, draft application |
| Area | all of Austria | Vienna only, rent and WG only |
When to use which
- The willhaben search agent alone is enough if you search outside Vienna, want to buy, or only use willhaben anyway. It comes straight from the portal and covers all of Austria.
- A bot like FlatDrop fits if you are looking for a rental flat or a WG room in Vienna and don't want to set up five portals one by one. Everything lands in one chat, already scored.
- Both together is the best choice for most renters in Vienna: the willhaben search agent as a direct source, FlatDrop for the other four portals and the scoring. If a flat shows up twice, you have not missed it.
- Neither helps with a council flat, which the city allocates through the Wohn-Ticket. Cooperatives also allocate many of their flats themselves, each by its own rules. Which flat alerts exist there is covered in the overview of all options.