You can buy just about anything online these days, including your next home.
Whether you’re in the market to buy a new home or rent an apartment, chances are you’ve spent some time browsing real estate websites to see what’s available in your desired area. In fact, according to a recent report from the National Association of Realtors, 95% of homebuyers use online home search tools.
However, the question remains which the real estate website to rely on?
While the process of buying or renting a property usually still requires a face-to-face meeting with a realtor or landlord, many of the best real estate websites can help you find your dream home from the comfort of your couch.
Here’s a look at the pros and cons of the best real estate websites in the business.
Review: Best Real Estate Websites
Zillow: Best Overall
As America’s largest real estate website, Zillow is what all leading real estate websites want to be when they grow up. Zillow’s web traffic is king among its competitors, averaging nearly 70 million monthly visitors. In fact, by Zillow’s own estimate, 67% of US homebuyers use Zillow (website, app, or both) to find their next home.
However, more is not always better. While Zillow is certainly one of the best in real estate, it’s not without its flaws.
pros
- The largest database Compared to its competitors, Zillow boasts the largest database of home sales and rentals, with over 135 million properties listed.
- Free service – Because Zillow makes money from advertisers, you won’t be charged for using their site. Whether you’re looking to sell your home or are looking to rent, Zillow is completely free!
- Search specifics – The best thing about Zillow is how specific you can be in your search. If you’re looking for an oceanfront home with a garage, a pool, a good school district, and three bedrooms, you can enter all of these search terms on the “More” tab and chances are Zillow will find you your home.
Minuses
- Inaccurate estimates – Using proprietary algorithms, Zillow can tell you the current price of your home (if you’re thinking of selling) or the price in a specific area if you’re looking to move. Unfortunately, these “assessments” are often contested and often inaccurate.
Trulia: Best Mobile App
In the real estate world, the two companies that compete for the most sales time are Trulia and Zillow. Although Zillow has a few more features than Trulia, they are quite similar (probably due to Zillow buying Trulia back in 2015).
As a subsidiary of Zillow, Trulia has access to Zillow’s massive real estate database, but Trulia advertises these listings in a unique way. Trulia shows homes and rentals through the eyes of surrounding neighbors, sharing everything from popular eateries to whether the area is safe for kids to play outdoors.
Here’s what else sets Trulia apart from its parent company and its competitors:
pros
- Convenient app – One of Trulia’s biggest pros is its app. It is easy to navigate and allows users to be very selective in their search. You can filter properties by price range, home style, number of bedrooms, and more, or search by keywords.
- Access to the Zillow database – Since Trulia is owned by Zillow, the site also features Zillow’s extensive and huge database.
- Interactive map – Another unique feature that Trulia offers to its visitors is an interactive map with detailed information about nearby restaurants, malls, and even local school districts. You can even view reviews of the area from those who already live there.
Minuses
- Wrong information – Since Trulia uses the Zillow database, it also shares Zillow’s incorrect estimates.
Realtor.com: Best in Accuracy
While it may not be as “trendy” as Zillow, realtor.com creates an air of professionalism that many of its competitors lack.
Realtor.com’s listings, as the official website of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), are very detailed and updated frequently. In fact, 99% of the properties listed for sale by MLS are listed on the site, the vast majority of which are updated every 15 minutes! With that said, realtor.com is particularly reliable when compared to the competition.
pros
- List Accuracy – Due to realtor.com’s links to NAR, the data listed on their site is pulled directly from regional MLS systems and updated regularly, making realtor.com’s listings arguably more reliable than other realtor websites.
- Communication with realtors Thanks to realtor.com’s relationship with NAR, the site makes it easy to contact a realtor.
- Area information – Realtor.com provides a variety of useful statistics about each home, including detailed neighborhood information. The interactive site map features everything from nearby schools and businesses to noise levels, traffic regulations and environmental risks such as floods and fires.
Minuses
- Sellers cannot list directly – Realtor.com’s operating agreement does not allow homeowners to list their property directly on the site, so there is no FSBO (for sale by owner) property listed.
Redfin: Best for contacting agents
Redfin is completely dedicated to real estate agents.
While it has many of the same services as Trulia, Zillow and realtor.com, Redfin is renowned for finding the best real estate agent for you at the best price. This is because Redfin is actually a broker so they promote their own real estate agents. It also allows Redfin to offer users a competitive listing fee of just 1.5% (compared to the standard rate of 3%).
Unfortunately, for some customers, the advantage of affordability may come with price: quality.
pros
- Available rates for agents – Because Redfin works directly with agents, they are able to provide home sellers and home buyers with a discounted service offering an attractive listing fee of 1.5% compared to the standard 3%.
- Regular list updates While they don’t offer as many homes as other competitors like Zillow and realtor.com, Redfin claims to update its listings every 10 minutes.
- Advanced and convenient technology – Redfin offers 3D tours of their homes, which helps users get an accurate view of the home before planning a tour.
Minuses
- Inconsistent customer service – The Redfin group of agents work with particularly large client bases and may not be able to provide focused attention and quality customer service to their home sellers and buyers.
Homefinder: The best solution for first-time homebuyers
HomeFinder may not be as famous as Zillow and Trulia, but they’ve been around since 1999.
With over twenty years of experience, HomeFinder has honed the details and data most important to today’s homebuyers.
“While other real estate portals have become more complex and busy,” they say, “we have focused on the consumer experience, providing a potential home buyer with a friendly and simple user interface, as well as access to the critical information needed to make an informed decision about buying a house. “.
This task and many more make HomeFinder the perfect real estate website for first-time homebuyers.
pros
- Clear and simple presentation HomeFinder puts quality over quantity. Their search feature is simple and efficient, showcasing the most up-to-date information in the most efficient way, including local data such as the percentage of homes with children, and credit information such as real estate-related taxes and HOA fees.
- Mortgage Calculator – HomeFinder’s mortgage calculator isn’t unique to just their site, but like many of HomeFinder’s search features, the formatting and personalization options are detailed and easy to use. You can enter information such as down payment and loan term to predict future monthly payments, taxes, and more.
Minuses
- Less Ads – Compared to competitors like Zillow and realtor.com, HomeFinder has fewer resources.
Apartments.com: The best for renters
Before you assume that Apartments.com only lists apartments, let’s be clear. This popular website features homes, townhouses, condominiums and of course apartments. However, their niche is real estate that can be rented out rather than sold.
Apartments.com is the leading resource for rental listings in the US, with over a million units available. For each listing, Apartments.com has extensive data about the unique amenities and opportunities of the rental units, as well as the surrounding areas.
Here’s why you should look at Apartments.com when looking for accommodation to rent:
pros
- Details about the area – Apartments.com provides comprehensive information about the area surrounding each rental, including reviews from residents, attractions like shopping malls and parks, and ratings for details like walking and cycling, noise pollution, and more.
- The research team checks the properties − Apartment.com has the largest professional research team in the industry that visits and photographs properties across the country to verify listings.
- Rental Availability Calculator – Like many mortgage calculators available on popular real estate websites, Apartments.com has an excellent rental affordability calculator that helps potential tenants determine their rental budget and find available properties that match those criteria.
Minuses
- Application fees – If you use the site to view ads, you won’t pay a dime for Aparments.com. However, if you choose to use the site to submit rental applications, you will pay $29 (plus tax) for up to 10 rental applications within 30 days.
bottom line
Buying a home is an exciting process, but it’s also intimidating.
In addition to looking for simpler details such as aesthetics and amenities, you should consider important data such as the area’s reputation, history and house value projections, surrounding school districts, environmental risks, and more. Not to mention, you will need to think through the mortgage, tax and insurance costs associated with each property and how that will affect your finances in the long run.
But regardless of your preferences and interests, the real estate websites listed above will help you succeed in finding your dream home.