According to Business Week, these are the top 5 real estate sites with Realtor.com being the best. It is a site run by the Board of Real Estate and they have the biggest share of the traffic. They have 8.8 percent of the traffic compared to Realtytrac.com that has 3.7 percent of the traffic. This survey was done comparing ten million users on the Internet.
1. Realtor.com - They have the best of all world. They have a huge list of homes, names of every agent in the state, all forms and how to use them and the ability to check on Realtor's status. The Board of Realtors, of course keeps track of all agents and if they have any criminal offenses against them, from ethics charges to manipulating funds. Their website is very precise and beautifully setup. It is the one place to find out every DRE (Department of Real Estate) regulation concerning finders fees, commissions and complaints. It is peace of mine in a small jar.
2.Realtytrac.com - Is the second largest site. They offer a seven day free trial, which means after the one week period, you must pay to use their site. They do have a large inventory of foreclosures, which is what many are looking for. There are many good things on this site from education to financial assistance in applying for loans. You will notice their large appeal to the foreclosure market. This is both a marketing ploy and a money maker. People are convinced the best buys are in foreclosures and short sales. The down side to these type of properties is that, they are very time consuming and have to appraise like any other property. When a bank is considering offers, very rarely do they accept "low-ball" figures.
3. Homegain.com - Is the third largest site. Another really great site and one of the best features is "compare Realtors." This is something everyone should do. But, keep in mind the most productive agent does not always mean the best agent. What a fabulous site which is simple and right to the point. Great marketing tool to let you compare Realtors. How many times do you have the chance to compare one Realtor to the next, but what they fail to tell you is the real information. It is basically impossible to compare a Broker to a brand new agent. A Broker may be extremely busy and not give you the time a new agent might. Maybe the personalities don't match or maybe one agent knows a certain part of town better. When comparing agents first look to who makes you feel comfortable.
4. Rent.com - Is the fourth largest real estate site and it is all about rentals. From homes to town-homes, helping you locate the best area and the best price. A huge website to attract renters. One that is unique in its kind. Speaking to millions of renters and convincing them that now is not the time to buy but to rent instead.
5. Remax.com - Is the only franchise here. They are world known for their expert Realtors. All Realtors must pay to work there and they pay for desk space. They not only have a huge inventory of homes, but also financing. They are very organized, reliable and huge.
Remax Real Estate is in the top ten franchised corporations but they are number one in the amount of traffic they get off the Internet. The reason behind this is service and of course their site and marketing. They are very strong in the field of marketing in both the Internet and in local communities.
Other top rated sites: The remaining top rated sites include:realestate.yahoo.com, zillow.com, apartments.com, ziprealty.com, move.com, century21.com, homes.com, servicemagic.com, forrent.com, hud.gov, housevalues.com, realestate.msn.com, coldwellbanker.com, apartmentguide.com and lastly is foreclosurestore.com.
Keep in mind that all agencies have the same inventory. It is all localized by the MLS. This is the multiple listing service. Unless the listing is exclusive to the agency, which is a very small percentage of the time, all agencies have the same list. Not all agencies are the same though. There are many Realtors who should not be in the business and some very small companies who have the best Realtors.
Do not judge a Realtor by how many listings they have, judge them by how much service they provide to you. When you ask for a list of properties, is it freely given or do you have to give them a contract.? Do you have to be prequalified before they help you or are they at your beckon call? To purchase a home is free and no company should be charging you. To sell a home, there is a commission to be paid and the commission is negotiable. Never list with the agent with the lowest commission. List with the one who can sell your home.
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