Frankly, it doesn’t really matter which home search app you use. Until it does.
Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, Homes.com, and other property search sites pull from mostly the same data, primarily the Multiple Listing Service, or MLS. The major differences come down to:
how often the site syncs with the MLS (usually within minutes but up to 24+ hours),
the user interface, and
what each site does with your data.
If you click “request a showing” or “contact agent” on those sites, your information may be distributed to multiple third parties including real estate agents, insurance agents, mortgage lenders, and others who buy your data and compete for your business. Expect your phone to ring.
See a property that catches your eye?
Just contact me. I’ll dive into the MLS to answer your questions and provide more specific information, including if there are HOAs or CC&Rs, attached documents, tenants living at the property, and so on.
Online searches are a major tool while searching for a home, but they’re not the only one. As an agent at Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty, the largest listing brokerage in the area, we learn of each other’s upcoming listings and can close deals before they even go online. Let me know what you’re looking for, and I’ll keep an eye out for you.
When you're ready to get serious, I'm happy to sit down and map out a game plan. We’ll talk about what you're looking for, what the market looks like, and what it's going to take to get there.
Just reach out.
P.S. I recently started piloting a property search app called RealScout. I like it because it has a clean, ad-free user interface and doesn’t harvest and sell your data. It integrates directly with the MLS, so the data is always real-time.
If you’d like to try RealScout, contact me and I’ll get you set up. It’s a tool I pay for, so it’s free for you.
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