Are you getting ready to buy a home? House hunting, closing the deal, and moving can be some of the most stressful experiences for many adults. However, knowing the best site(s) to start house hunting for homes for sale or rent can ensure the process unfolds a lot more smoothly.
Zillow has quickly become the go-to platform to help buyers find their dream home, but it’s not the only user-friendly site for home buyers and sellers. If you’re planning to rely on the internet as you search for your ideal property, looking beyond this big name can pay off. Read on to discover which site(s) are best for house hunting right now and how you can use them most effectively.
Which Site Is Best for House Hunting?
We highly recommend that you keep your options open by regularly browsing several different real estate websites during your house-hunting process. Don’t ask yourself “what is the best site for house hunting?”. Instead, ask which platforms are worthy of being included in your search for homes on the market.
Best Websites to Use To Find A Home
Zillow
Most sellers will list their home on Zillow, as it’s the biggest name in the game. Zillow allows buyers to get quick estimates of a property’s value, helps them find a real estate agent, and even obtain insights into mortgage options.
Realtor.com
Realtor.com is specifically aimed at first-time home buyers. It’s easy to use, has millions of listings, and helps you explore mortgage options.
Redfin
Redfin is a popular house-hunting website that allows you to see all properties you’re interested in at a glance and compare them. This helpful house-hunting site even lets you know how many other users are keeping their eyes on the same home. Plus, Redfin is easy to use and gives you a lot of up-to-date information.
Trulia
Trulia (which is, full disclosure, now owned by Zillow) is a unique house-hunting site that gives you insights into what the locals say about the area. It is a great site to include in your house-hunting efforts if you’re hoping to get a better feel for what living in a particular neighborhood would be like. Because Zillow owns the platform, Trulia also gives buyers the same info as Zillow.
ForSaleByOwner.com
ForSaleByOwner.com is a good house-hunting site for buyers who want to connect directly with sellers.
Estately
Estately is a house-hunting platform that offers information many of the other popular platforms don’t — including how noisy an area is, what the air quality is like, and what the average internet speeds are. This additional info makes Estately an interesting platform to include in your house-hunting efforts.
Simplify Your Home Buying Experience
Each real estate site has unique advantages, and you may want to include some or even all of them in your search for a new home. Some homes will be listed on more than one site — so when you spot a property you’re interested in, it can be helpful to check it out on all of the other popular platforms as well. You may find additional information that you can put to good use!
No matter which real estate website you use to look for a new home, it’s crucial to work quickly. Start looking when you’re ready, and be willing to drop everything to look at a property if you’re in a fast-moving market.
How Do I Find Out About a Neighborhood Before Buying a House?
Graves Development Resources | Land Developer in Omaha, Nebraska
Graves Development Resources (GDR) has been designing and building the market’s finest neighborhoods since 2000, with over 5,000 homesites and important commercial development projects throughout Douglas and Sarpy Counties.
Our pages showcase current neighborhoods where new home buyers may select from hundreds of home sites. We are definitely “phone friendly” and welcome the opportunity to provide you with all the information you need before making one of the most important decisions for your family’s future. Contact us with any questions.