The Best Real Estate Websites are NOT What You Think

What The Best Real Estate Websites Have

Many believe that the best real estate websites include Zillow, Realtor.com and Trulia. In fact, they are not.  The nationwide real estate portals simply do not have all of the listings.

websites with IDX

Local Real Estate Websites

When looking for the best real estate website, truth is it takes a little more looking than one would think.  Since the nationwide real estate portals don’t have all of the listings, you need to go local.

Local real estate sites have a direct connection to the MLS via a IDX feed.   This lets the local real estate sites display ALL of the real estate listings regardless of who listed the property.  This lets the local, broker based sites showcase a range of listings, not just their own.

While some specialize in only commercial real estate, others specialize in residential sales, some focus on condos and some on single family homes. There are even sites that offer both services by agents, for buyers and sellers across the nation. One of the best ways to find the right sites is by narrowing your search down to your immediate location or vicinity.

 

Search Local

When you use Google to try and find a local real estate website, make sure that you put your city in the Google Search.  That means if you are looking for luxury homes in New Orleans,  your search should be New Orleans luxury homes for sale.  Although this sounds intuitive, if you simply search “real estate” or “homes for sale” without the city name — you will usually end up with the major search portals which wont have all of the listings.

 

What to Look for In Real Estate Sites?

local real estate websites are better

The best real estate sites should have content that is easy to process. These should also have user-friendly menus and search features. This allows visitors to access a wide array of valuable resources, including available listings, property values, and much more.

Most real-estate sites also have blog sections, which feature informative articles and posts. The best real estate websites will be posting new, quality blog posts on a regular basis  This too is a great way to access information on all real estate happenings and events in your area.

Buyers or sellers should also be able to find current pricing trends for properties in their areas. These too can be compared to state or national averages, which let them know how much their property, should sell for.

 

What Else to Look For?

Real-estate websites really should give a full picture of what homes are for sale in a particular area. This means they need to have the aforementioned IDX – the listing feed from the MLS.

They should also offer comparative listings – which allow sellers to see average buying or selling rates in their areas. Some may even have the local condo association condo docs. As always, there should be plenty of pertinent links along with contact information for all interested buyers and sellers.

For more information, simply check Google for the top rated real estate websites – making sure to put the city in your search criteria.  Don’t forget to pass up ALL of the major real estate portals!