Top real estate websites in America

0
333
real estate websites

Real estate in the United States was booming for two years before cooling off slightly in the last couple of months. In a bid to control inflation, mortgage rates have been increased which has led to less buying, and therefore the options are limited for sellers. In this climate, it is prudent to go for a solid real estate resource that would guide you expertly and help you navigate the dynamic real estate market. 

Here are some best home websites for you to peruse before you decide on your property. Full-service agents or FSBO, there is something for everyone. Best followed practice today is to not go for a full-service real estate agent to save up on commission, instead, list on MLS through a Flat Fee MLS, paying for their package as per service taken. 

1: Why is a real estate website needed?

Before zeroing down on a real estate website, it is important to know why are these websites significant in today’s market. Around 95-97% of buyers go online to look for homes and more than 50% of sellers from all age groups take to the internet to sell their properties. Hence it has become very important for companies to have a viable online presence for buyers, sellers, and other subsidiary businesses in the field of real estate. 

Real estate websites are an online marketplace where both sellers and buyers meet to conduct a transaction. Legal attorneys, home inspectors, auditors, experts, and investors also use this platform to further their businesses through this platform. 

Real estate websites are the need of the hour, they provide options to sellers to go for full service, discount, low-commission, or hybrid brokerage. Buyers look at the listed properties and get necessary seller contact plus expert advice. 

2: Salient features of a good real estate website

The basic and foremost function of a real estate website is – maximum exposure to the sellers. The platform should not only list the seller property on MLS but also syndicate it to other sites garnering huge traffic daily. 

The second is great tech support. Real estate websites need to be hi-tech to appeal to the clients of today. Sellers are looking for online aid for documentation, showings, open houses, 4D visual tours, and even virtual realtor assistance at the closing stage of the deal. 

A real estate site worth its salt is always great with customer care. A good real estate site should be committed to finding solutions for buyers and sellers and their customer care should reflect that. Reviews on Trustpilot, and Zillow matter a lot when choosing a service from a particular company. 

3: Top 5 real estate websites in America 

Following are a few best sites for real estate in the United States. Each one varies in pricing and services offered. Take your pick from these, according to your individual needs. 

  • Houzeo

Houzeo is the best in tech and enjoys a 4.9/5 rating on Trustpilot. They have four packages from $299 to $999 which include all the services right from quick MLS listing to closing assistance, according to the package chosen. They have a great reach and are experts in lending virtual assistance along with a hi-tech approach to buying and selling a house. Another important feature of Houzeo is that there are no hidden charges at the end of the deal. Houzeo is a Flat Fee MLS service that is both fast and highly customizable. With Houzeo, list on MLS, get assistance with pricing, staging, marketing, and finally closing, sitting at home in a few clicks. 

  • Zillow

Zillow is known to be a No 1 site as far as popularity is concerned. They enjoy the traffic of millions on an everyday basis. It also has over 200 million properties listed and therefore is a preferred place for buyers to search for homes online. In addition to listing houses on their site, they also have a battery of apps like Zillow Zestimate, Zillow mobile app, and rental manager app, among others. 

One major disadvantage of using a site like Zillow is that there is no filter for spam calls to sellers. Another disadvantage is that Zillow is not very big on customer service which is why they only have been rated 1.7/5 on Trustpilot. You can check out Zillow reviews here for more information.

  • Redfin

Redfin is the most trusted discount brokerage site available in the country. Their team of agents, who work on a monthly salary, assist sellers for a discounted fee of 1-2% depending on the property up for sale and of course market conditions. They use technology to the fullest to provide the best service to their clientele. One of the cons of Redfin is that their agents are on a fixed salary and hence have little or no motivation to give you the best deal as there is no added incentive for them. 

  • Beycome

Beycome is known for its value-for-money services. Their MLS listing starts at $99 and their most premium package is at $599 + 1% commission at the time of closing. The services are targeted at FSBO sellers. While they are good with the technology, there is an it-yourself approach in basic packages which is tricky. Also, the company does not offer buyer rebates. Beycome is mostly preferred by experienced sellers. They have a rating of 4.2/5 on Trustpilot which is decent. 

  • Realtor.com

Realtor.com is 100% the most reliable site as it is an official site of the National Association Of Realtors (NAR) and has listings from over 800 local MLS. This is the best place for buyers to scout for houses. It has a very strict code of ethics and only licensed realtors can list on the website. Their catch is that they don’t have discounts and levy a full-service charge of 3%+3% from sellers which is expensive in today’s time and age. 

Conclusion 

Real estate websites have become bigger in technology and user interaction is great, which is leading to more sellers from all age groups going FSBO. While there are many real estate websites, finding the right one could be challenging because there are many factors to be considered before making an informed decision. While looking for the best home websites for buying or selling, consider Houzeo because they do not charge extra at the time of closing, give full tech support, are highly customizable, and are value for money.  

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here