Are you on the hunt for a perfect forever home? The traditional way to contact real estate agents, visit open houses, and place offers. The entire ordeal can be long-drawn. Dealing in the real estate market is often quite exasperating.
However, with the advancement of technology, you can book your favorite house from real estate listings entirely remotely and by yourself. In addition, in the past few decades, websites catering providing multiple listing services have emerged.
We are sure you have heard of the Zillow group if you know of such options. Zillow has been a trusted name when it comes to real estate websites. So let’s talk about what Zillow offers.
An Overview of Zillow
Zillow is a real estate website on which you will find listings of more than 100 million houses from all over the US. Here, you can discover comparable properties that suit your needs and compare each listing price to save thousands of bucks and get your deal.
Pros:
- It is free of cost.
- It has a comprehensive database.
- It has a user-friendly interface.
- It provides detailed guides on purchasing or listing properties are available.
Cons:
1. The website uses the Zestimate algorithm for computing the property value. Therefore, the results may not be realistic.
2. Their data-selling policies are not entirely transparent, requiring the buyer to read them carefully before engaging in any transaction.
3. Zillow’s pricing is not transparent. For example, you may find multiple websites of actual real estate agents who list the same property at different prices.
4. The real estate site has a home search function. The search results are determined by how much you pay for the listing on your part.
5. If you don’t get a direct response from the home sellers and are unsatisfied with the services, a lot of time will be lost. You will have to spend the following days calling property owners to check if they are still interested in selling properties or not.
6. You will not be able to track the history of local properties.
So it’s a no-brainer that there has been a demand for Zillow alternatives that provide better services. If you are scouting the web for other options for Zillow, you have come to the right place! This article will list the best alternative websites that provide more transparent real estate services.
Let us dive deep into online real estate websites and see what they offer!
1. Trulia:
Trulia is one of the biggest names in real estate. Its website offers users an array of real estate services, making it the #1 Zillow alternative. In addition, the website features an active search engine and tools to get access to the property information of the available properties before the home buyers make the final decision.
Features:
1. The Trulia API is compatible with other real estate websites, ensuring that the information buyers get is consistent across the board.
2. The neighborhood insider allows the home buyer to access the neighborhood information.
3. An interactive map allows buyers to hover over properties and get information like prices, locations, etc.
4. The school guide provides detailed information on all the schools and allows home buyers to compare the ranking and scores of different schools.
Pros:
1. Trulia provides users with an intuitive search option.
2. The website is free of cost.
3. It is popular among potential buyers, sellers and investors.
4. The website features a massive database of condos, townhouses, and single-family homes.
5. Trulia provides neighborhood insider tips to help you make a well-informed decision before purchasing.
Cons:
1. You may find irrelevant search results.
2. The website provides a limited number of listing options.
3. You can’t connect with real estate professionals directly.
4. The user interface of Trulia is not as smooth as Zillow’s layout.
5. Seller policies are not clear.
6. Trulia can be pretty slow and cannot be used on mobile devices effectively.
2. Redfin:
Redfin is another popular website in the real estate industry. Redfin’s interface is more complicated as compared to the others. However, finding a home on Redfin is relatively easy. All you need to do is type in your search criteria, such as the exact address, number of bedrooms and baths, etc.
Key Features:
1. An interactive map in which you can hover over each property and get information like the property’s address, its size, home values, and more.
2. Redfin allows users to share photos from their phone or tablet on the website’s map without a scanner.
Other features:
1. The red flag rating system helps users gauge the property they are considering purchasing.
2. The house-hunting tool finds the perfect properties in the buying process.
3. The walk score finds the best neighborhood for you.
4. The neighborhood map allows users to see the property boundaries through virtual tours.
5. The Redfin estimate feature offers an overall perspective of home values.
Pros:
1. Redfin offers users a detailed overview of the environment in different neighborhoods.
2. The website provides excellent customer service.
3. It provides an accurate property valuation and walk score of each listing.
4. Property evaluation is done based on the latest information available.
5. You can find your property’s price range by entering its address into Redfin’s search bar.
Cons:
1. The website features only a few home prices and listing options.
2. You may get irrelevant results while searching for homes on Redfin.
3. The search engine does not provide detailed information about the property you are considering buying.
4. Redfin has a complicated interface.
3. Homesnap:
Homesnap features a wide variety of property listings, just like Zillow and Trulia. However, you don’t get a comprehensive map feature with Homesnap. Most of the listings available at Homesnap are also listed on the other websites.
Key Features:
1. Homesnap allows you to customize the map.
2. You can view the property on a live map.
3. You can personalize your search by using filters.
4. An interactive map allows you to filter homes by type and style.
5. The ‘my listings’ tab allows you to see all your listings in one place.
Pros:
1. The real estate agency services provide an intuitive search option to traffic data for finding the perfect property quickly.
2. Buyer leads can be sorted by price, square footage, location, and status.
3. HomeSnap provides users with the property details and some photos of the property from their phones themselves.
4. Photo galleries are also available at Homesnap. However, they are limited.
5. It allows users to view homes by popularity, price, and home type.
6. You can also sort your search results.
7. You can save your favorite listings.
8. You can ‘favorite’ any listing or map view.
9. The local real estate agent service provides mortgage calculators.
Cons:
1. Homesnap does not provide an interactive map feature.
2. There is no ‘Price Range’ filter.
3. Homesnap has a limited number of properties for sale.
4. The website does not provide any information about the property’s history, so you can’t determine if the property is in good or bad shape based on the home appreciation feedback!
4. LoopNet:
LoopNet is the most detailed real estate website on the Internet. It offers a vast amount of commercial and residential real estate listings. Apart from this, LoopNet provides users with a wide variety of property listings. However, you don’t get an interactive map.
Features:
1. You can search for any location by entering its name into the search bar.
2. You can view property listings using LoopNet’s interactive map.
3. You can personalize your search option by using filters.
4. An interactive map allows users to filter properties by type, location, price, etc.
5. LoopNet offers the ‘My Listings’ tab, where users can access all the properties they own in one place.
Pros:
1. The website has an extensive database of properties in various locations.
2. You can sort the property listings.
3. The search engine provides an interactive map feature to compare different properties.
4. The website allows users to save their favorite searches.
5. The website allows buyers to save the properties they like.
6. It allows you to take photos of any exciting property and upload them.
7. LoopNet allows buyers to check out properties from anywhere. The process of buying and selling homes thus becomes hassle-free.
Cons:
1. LoopNet does not provide an interactive map feature.
2. There is no ‘Price Range’ filter.
3. The website does not provide any information about the property’s history.
4. LoopNet is much more expensive than Zillow or Trulia and can cost up to $30-$50 per month for some premium features.
5. LoopNet requires you to register a login ID to save and download the properties you like. However, the website is not very clear about this.
5. Realtor.com:
Realtor.com is one of the most widely used real estate search engines, especially in the United States. Many use it as an alternative to Zillow. The website also offers a large number of residential properties for sale. In addition, Realtor.com provides users with information about any local area that they can use to determine which city or state they would like to move in.
Features:
1. The website features an interactive map.
2. The website allows users to compare properties from different real estate agents in one place, making them great property managers.
3. The website allows you to choose the ‘Price/Amenity’ and ‘Price/Schools’ filter options.
4. The search engine allows you to sort your search results.
5. Zillow alternatives like Realtor feature a ‘My Listings’ tab where you can easily access your properties in one place.
6. The Zillow alternative allows users to upload photos of exciting properties.
7. Realtor doesn’t provide an interactive map. So, it offers fewer services than other agents.
Pros:
1. Realtor services have a detailed database of properties.
2. The real estate agent service allows you to compare properties side by side with others from your search results.
3. The website features an interactive map.
4. The website allows users to save their favorite searches.
5. Realtor allows you to take photos of any exciting property and upload them.
6. Realtor doesn’t charge a monthly fee, although the website is too pricey for most users.
7. The real estate brokerage service allows you to take advantage of ‘Realtor Mailings,’ where you can notify of any new properties.
Cons:
1. Zillow alternatives like Realtor don’t provide an interactive map.
2. The listing agent is no ‘Price Range’ filter.
3. You can’t access the property’s history.
4. Realtors can cost up to $30-$50 per month for some premium features, increasing the buying and selling costs.
Wrap up
We are sure that one of the above websites for full-service real estate agents will help you find your perfect deal, be it a rental property or a wholesome purchase. Try all of the premier agent services to see which works best for you and helps you find your dream house quickly.
