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Set Up Firebase Collections for the Real Estate App

The Real Estate app uses Firestore for listings, categories, filters, saved listings, reviews, users, and optional map/location data. Configure these collections before testing production-like listing flows.

Quick Answer​

Enable Firebase Auth, Firestore, and Storage, replace native Firebase config files, import or create real estate data, verify the collection names in app config, set the home category, deploy rules/indexes, then confirm listing feed, details, search, filters, images, and saved listings work.

Core Collections​

Common collection names:

serverConfig: {
  collections: {
    listings: 'real_estate_listings',
    savedListings: 'real_estate_saved_listings',
    categories: 'real_estate_categories',
    filters: 'real_estate_filters',
    reviews: 'real_estate_reviews',
  },
}

Search the app config before changing names:

rg "real_estate_|serverConfig|savedListings|listings" src

If you rename a collection, update every source, rule, index, Function, and seed file that references the old name.

Required Data​

At minimum, create or import:

DataPurpose
CategoriesUsed by home sections, category filters, and listing grouping.
ListingsMain property data shown in feed and detail screens.
FiltersSearch and filter UI options.
ReviewsListing or agent review data if enabled.
Saved listingsUser-specific favorites if accounts are enabled.

Listings should include required fields used by the UI, such as title, price, location, photos, category id, description, and agent/contact data depending on the app version.

Import Seed Data​

If the package includes seed JSON files, use:

After import, replace demo listing content with real properties, images, addresses, prices, coordinates, agent data, and legal copy before production.

Configure Home Content​

Some versions use a configured category for the home screen hero or main listing section.

Example:

homeConfig: {
  mainCategoryID: 'category-document-id',
  mainCategoryName: 'Houses',
}

Use a real document id from the real_estate_categories collection. If the id is wrong, the home screen may be empty even when listings exist.

Images and Storage​

Property photos can come from Firebase Storage or external HTTPS URLs.

Before release:

  • upload production images to a storage/CDN location you control;
  • confirm image URLs load in a browser;
  • deploy Storage rules if using Firebase Storage;
  • avoid stale demo image URLs;
  • verify gallery and thumbnail performance.

Verification Checklist​

  • Firestore is enabled.
  • Firebase config files point to your project.
  • Categories exist.
  • Listings exist and reference valid categories.
  • Home category id exists.
  • Images load from valid URLs or Storage paths.
  • Search/filter queries work and required indexes exist.
  • Saved listings work for signed-in users if enabled.
  • Firestore rules protect user-specific saved listings and private data.

Troubleshooting​

ProblemFix
Listing feed is emptyCheck collection names, seed import, rules, and required indexes.
Home section is emptyCheck homeConfig.mainCategoryID and category/listing references.
Images are brokenReplace demo URLs, check Storage rules, and verify HTTPS access.
Favorites failCheck Auth state, saved listing collection name, and user-specific rules.
Search/filter failsCheck filter collection data, field names, and Firestore indexes.

Next Steps​