Shopping for homes can be fun! Check out Zillow and Trulia and the other sites that furnish the homes that are for sale in an area and you are off and running! Right!? Not so easy.
Finding homes on the Internet can be fun, but nothing takes the place of meeting with an expert in the area and getting the inside scoop about the neighborhood, trends and the market. While using Zillow and Trulia and Realtor.com is a great way to see what is available, finding a good REALTOR that you can trust is the most important part.
When you use these public sites you will probably see alot of smiling faces next to the houses that you are viewing, and have you ever noticed that these faces change from day/day? If you want more information on one of the houses that you see, you can choose who to reach out to, but then that person may change the next time you ask a question about a property, and so on. The reason is that these individuals are marketing themselves at a price to have that placement on these real estate sites. The real estate sites, too, ARE NOT REALTOR sites, they are advertising sites. Simply put, they are taking the inventory of homes for sale and using it to sell advertising to the REALTORS with the promise that the REALTORS then get business from inquiring buyers.
Another method is to use an individual REALTOR site that is owned and run by a REALTOR. These sites use a system called ‘IDX’ which means that their real estate home search is a direct reflection of the Multiple Listing System, and is updated throughout the day to reflect a New Listing, and those listings that have been removed from the market either by being sold, or cancelled. If you use one of these sites, you will be in contact with ONE REALTOR or team, every time you request information on a home. Many of these sites, like mine, do not require registration…so I’m not going to bother you unless you reach out to me when you need the information. It’s a bit of a ’boutique’ way of searching for homes, don’t you think?
Want to get really specific about what you are looking for? Want an RV pad, or a master bedroom on the 1st floor, or what about which direction the house faces? The information that you see on the public sites for home searches generally can’t get very specific. It’s usually area/bedrooms/baths/size/price. If you reach out to a REALTOR directly they can set up a portal of very specific criteria and update you automatically if anything fitting that description becomes available. Want a north facing house so that you get a passive solar effect on to your brick floors? I can do that. Want a fireplace in the master suite and a deck off the master with mountain views? I can do that.
The other great benefit to connecting with an active REALTOR in the market is that sometimes we have inside information on homes that are going to be available. We attend networking functions, we are actively previewing upcoming listings and talking to prospective customers who are thinking of selling. By choosing an active, experienced REALTOR in the area, you are connecting with a real estate insider who might find you just the perfect home before anyone else does!
I love being a ‘real estate detective’ and learning about the new things happening and being the first one in the door on a new listing. So, if you are ready to buy your next home, check out my site at realestateinabq.com and search! If you need something specific, contact me to customize a personal search and be alerted to any home that comes on the market that matches your dream home needs!
I look forward to being your real estate detective!
Leave a Reply