In the digital world, everyone prefers to buy and sell properties online with a simple process. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), around 95% of home buyers use online tools in their search process. Real estate websites help consumers find a home that suits their requirements.
Why Are Real Estate Websites Important?
Real estate websites allow buyers, sellers, and real estate agents to connect and share information. Both advertising and distribution are being handled simultaneously on real estate websites. These websites generate millions of visitors every month. Below are a few pointers to understand why real estate websites are important when buying land or homes online.
Real Estate Websites Provide:
- Access to a wide range of properties: Real estate websites provides a huge collection of properties for sale, making it easy for buyers to find the perfect home.
- Easy to use: Real estate platforms allow users to search for properties, view listings, and even schedule tours from their homes.
- Detailed property information: These provide clear and detailed information about properties, including photos, floor plans, and neighborhood statistics.
- Tools and resources: Several real estate websites provide mortgage calculators and home value estimators to help buyers and sellers make informed decisions.
- Marketing: These websites provide a platform for sellers to market their properties to a large audience, increasing the chances of a successful sale.
- Agent Connection: These websites also connect buyers and sellers with agents, allowing them to benefit from the expertise and resources of a professional.
Top 5 Real Estate Websites
The top five real estate websites in the USA are:
- Zillow
- Realtor.com
- Trulia
- Foreclosure.com
- Apartments.com
More details on the above real estate websites are discussed in this article.
1. Zillow
Zillow was founded in 2006 by two former Microsoft executives. Zillow has one of the most downloaded apps on Android and Apple platforms. It has more than 10 million downloads in Google Play. It has a rating of 4.7 stars out of 5 from over 950,000 users on Google Play and 4.8 stars out of 5 from over six million people on Apple Store.
Zillow provides the most robust suite of tools for buyers, sellers, landlords, renters, agents, and other home professionals. The power and flexibility of Zillow make it one of the top and the best overall real estate website.
The Zillow app is a platform that allows users to:
- Search for properties
- list their own homes for sale or rent
- View pictures and videos of homes
- connect with agents and lenders
- save their search criteria
- receive notifications of updates.
The app sources listings from both the MLS and non-MLS sources, such as for sale by owner, foreclosures, and auctions.
Zillow is free for buyers and sellers to use and generates revenue through advertising fees charged to agents, lenders, and other home service providers. It acts as a lead-generation tool for advertisers. Users should be careful about providing personal information on the site if they do not wish to interact with them.
2. Realtor.com
Realtor.com is one of the most accurate real estate websites. It is considered the gold standard for quality listings. This website was launched in 1996 and is currently operated by Move, Inc., News Corporation (NWS) subsidiary. The app has more than 383,000 reviews on Google Play, with an average rating of 4.7. It has more than 5 lakh reviews with an average rating of 4.7 on the Apple Store.
Realtor.com allows users to search for homes, view pictures, and video tours, and compare neighborhood criteria like noise levels. It updates all its listings in real-time.
Another feature of this app is that users can draw a shape with their fingertips on the app map and see only the properties within that geographic shape. Users can also contact realtors and run financial calculators through the app. The app and website are free to buyers and renters.
3. Trulia
The main advantage of the Trulia real estate website and its app is transparency. The app is powerful, simple, and easy to use. It has more than 232,000 reviews on Google Play, with an average rating of 4.7. Trulia has over 1.3 million users with an average rating of 4.8 on the Apple Store.
Trulia split these niches of real estate into two mobile apps.
- Trulia Real Estate: Find homes for home buyers
- Trulia Renters: For enhanced focus for renters.
Trulia updates the listing information within 24 hours, making it more accurate. Some of the features people like most about the Trulia app are its multiple map views for each property. For instance, users can view the property plotted on a map that shows places to shop and eat, schools, commute time, and more. The app is free for users.
4. Foreclosure.com
Foreclosure.com was founded in 1999. It is a one-stop shop for people seeking to buy properties in foreclosure. The website’s data is updated twice a day directly from the tax rolls, government agencies, and notices of lenders’ legal actions. The average rating is 2.6 for over 400 ratings on Google Play.
The app is free to use, but full features are reserved for the ones who have paid the monthly subscription fee for the website. While there is a monthly fee of $39.99, subscribers pay it because they see the chance to buy a home that could save them tens of thousands of dollars, far more than the subscription cost.
5. Apartments.com
Apartments.com was established in 1992 and later acquired by CoStar Group (CSGP) in 2014.
The app has over five million downloads on Google Play and nearly 67,000 reviews, with an average user rating of 4.6.
Apartments.com is ranked #16 in the Lifestyle category with an average rating of 4.8 from over 232,000 ratings. Both the website and its app are free to use to search properties. The property listings on the website may display pictures, 3D tours, floor plans, availability dates, current rent specials, and added expenses like parking or pet fees, if applicable.
Renter reviews, lease length options, and info on nearby shops, restaurants, gyms, banks, groceries, and coffee shops are available on the website. The site’s Walk Score and Bike Score help users understand neighborhood transportation, and a noise level rating.
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