As per the National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers 2020, 51% of buyers found their dream homes online. Only 28% went down the traditional route and 4% found it from a yard sign.
Real estate websites are increasingly grabbing attention, especially portals that hook into regional or national databases, as they add to the bottom line of both buyers and sellers.
We have curated a list of the best real estate websites in the US. Let’s get started.
1. Zillow
Founded in 2006, Zillow provides the most robust suite of tools for sellers, buyers, renters, agents, and landlords. It is one of the most downloaded apps on both Apple and Android platforms.
The Zillow app allows buyers to look for homes, enables sellers to list theirs for sale or rent, tour the home via videos and pictures, save the searches, connect with lenders and brokers and get push notifications of updates to your search criteria.
The company gets its listings from both MLS and non-MLS sources. The latter includes auctions, non-MLS foreclosures, and for sale by owner.
The platform is free for both buyers and people selling a house. Here are a few pros and cons of this one of the best real estate websites in the country:
Pros
- Biggest database
- A range of apps to help with easy research
- Extensive sorting criteria
- How-to guides on selling a house and buying one
Cons
- Their algorithm Zestimate is only as good as the data on the database
- Lenders and realtors pay for leads on the website, so if you don’t want to get in touch with realtors, be mindful of filling out on-site forms.
2. Houzeo
Houzeo is among the best real estate websites in the country. It is a technology company at its core, enhancing the real estate experience to make it a breeze for sellers and buyers.
It offers a great mix of the latest technology, incredible customer support, and maximum savings. It is a flat fee MLS service provider and those selling a house can list for a flat fee of $349.
Below are the pros and cons of Houzeo:
Pros
- Unmatched technology
- The company has completely digitized the comprehensive paperwork. Sellers can finish the documentation within an hour.
- All listings on Houzeo are syndicated with the local MLSs and several other platforms like Zillow, Trulia, etc.
- Past customers have rated the company 4.9/5.
Cons
- Costlier compared to competing flat fee MLS companies
- The high cancellation fee and strict refund policy
If you want to know more about Houzeo do check out Houzeo reviews for more information.
3. Realtor.com
The company has an affiliation with the National Association of Realtors and sources listings from around 600 regional MLS.
Realtor.com is touted to be the gold standard for quality listings. The firm was launched in 1996 and today its app has more than 300,000 reviews on Google Play and nearly 500,000 reviews on Apple Store.
People selling a house can compute their property’s worth, learn how to begin the home-selling process, and discover how to choose the right broker.
Realtor.com’s pros and cons include:
Pros
- The database has 99% of all the properties listed on the MLS
- Simple to find all listed homes in a school district
- Strong “find an agent” feature
- Links to get pre-qualified financing
Cons
- There is no option to find “for sale by owner” listings
- People selling a house cannot list their property FSBO
4. FSBO.com
This is one of the best real estate websites for “for sale by owner” sellers who want to sell without a realtor. The company has been around since 1997.
FSBO.com has a packaged offering, which covers an option to list on the MLS, with syndication to hundreds of real estate websites.
Following are the pros and cons of the website:
Pros
- Cost-effective packages with decent exposure and add-on features
- Easy to find professional services for both sellers and buyers
Cons
- No mobile app and the technology is more or less outdated
- Less property information compared to traditional listing sites
- Fewer search & sort options
5. Trulia
Launched in 2005, Trulia became famous for its transparent and advanced mobile app and site. The app is strong and simple to use.
Trulia offers users a good view of their potential neighborhood. There are advanced sort options for buyers like narrowing their search based on home-style, price range, number of rooms, etc.
The app has an interactive map and also gives information about nearby stores, schools, restaurants, and community centers.
It is a subsidiary of Zillow and strives to be a one-stop-shop for sellers and buyers.
Here are the company’s pros and cons:
Pros
- Substantial local information available on both the app and website
- Personalized alerts for your needs
- Real estate guides and information
- Fine-tune the search by drawing a loop on the map with your fingers
Cons
- Users have to register or log in to save their search criteria
- Home sellers do not have the option to list their property for sale
Bottom line
Real estate websites offer exposure to sellers and convenience to buyers. Accuracy has been a big challenge for these websites. While some companies have significantly improved this aspect by appointing research teams to validate the information collected, some others are still grappling with it. Make your choice wisely.
