Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
Real estate websites are a dime a dozen today. However, if you're looking for the best of the best, here are the top ten real estate websites -- presented in no particular order -- for both real estate professionals and house hunters alike.
Any list of the top ten real estate websites out there is going to have this one on it. The de facto ruler of MLS websites, Zillow has some of the best, most accurate property information and some of the best-integrated tools for examining and comparing these properties. The suite of tools it offers realtors to maximize marketing efforts is also a major advantage.
Sponsored by the National Association of Realtors, Realtor.com has a similar feature set that helps make it the "other" MLS site that home buyers browse. The truth is, though, that most people shopping for a new home will use both Realtor and Zillow, which makes it another prime marketing landscape for real estate agents looking for motivated buyers.
Rounding out the "big three" of every list of top ten real estate websites is Trulia, the industry leader when it comes to user-friendly real estate sites. While not quite as popular as Zillow and without the cachet of being sponsored by the National Association of Realtors, Trulia still brings in big visitor numbers thanks to how accessible it makes the search process for home buyers.
Featuring coverage of around 75 different metro US neighborhoods, Redfin provides more than just simple search functions for home buyers. In fact, Redfin offers personal service from brokers affiliated with the company; this makes joining Redfin's Partner Program a good move for any real estate agent.
Rounding out our top five is Homes.com, one of the oldest real estate websites that's been in continuous operation over the years through today. Offering branded agent and broker websites as well as lead generation services, Homes.com has high levels of support for realtors.
Thanks to high levels of brand recognition, the online arm of the venerable RE/MAX real estate empire offers much to both home buyers and real estate professionals alike. As RE/MAX runs a franchise system, agents that become a member gain access to the company's site-specific resources.
More than just another MLS site, Movoto offers agents the ability to become affiliates to receive leads in their area. Combined with a robust feature set for home buyers in addition to the lead generation benefits if provides agents, Movoto earns a spot on this list of top ten real estate websites.
Often known simply as KW, Keller Williams is a major mover and shaker in the real estate industry and its website reflects that. KW's reach ensures that home buyers using its site can find homes across the US; to realtors, however, most of the site's features require you to be part of the KW team. Fair warning.
Yet another private realty office, Coldwell Banker nonetheless has a well-developed MLS listing search engine that can connect home buyers with the types of houses they need. Working directly for Coldwell Banker is, of course, not much help to real estate agents already working independently but it is a good place to start if you're new to the industry.
Rounding out this list of top ten real estate websites is Craigslist, that ubiquitous user-curated online listing service that provides everything from house listings to employment opportunities. A savvy agent should always consider sharing key properties on Craigslist simply to ensure opportunities don't fall through the cracks!
