Purchasing a home is one of the biggest financial investments in a person’s life. And for many people, buying or selling a home can be an exciting process. But it can also be overwhelming, time-consuming and stressful, especially in a bad economy. While real estate agents play an important role for many people in the market, free real estate search engines provide another vital resource for prospective home buyers or current home owners.
With the simple click of a mouse, users can search for market trends and real estate listings online. Using cutting-edge technologies, real estate search engines are transforming the traditional real estate industry into the digital age in a user-friendly way. Whether you are searching for a starter home, a fixer-upper, an affordable rental or that ultimate dream home, these helpful online tools provide a plethora of information, free of charge.
If you are in the market to buy, sell or rent, the following real estate search engines provide vital market trends, mortgage information and real estate data that will help you make an informed decision.
Free Real Estate Search Engines
Trulia – Founded in 2005, this San Francisco-based company was the brainchild of Pete Flint and Sami Inkinen. With MBAs from Stanford University, the duo launched Trulia after Flint’s own experience of trying to locate a home online. The Trulia team is comprised of real estate, marketing and technology experts.
According to the website, more than 5 million people visit Trulia every month. Featured in the New York Times, CNN Money and the Wall Street Journal, Trulia provides an intuitive user experience for buyers, sellers and real estate professionals. Trulia provides publicly available information to consumers at no cost. Data is compiled from various sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, parent reviews of schools, MLSs and more.
- Free tools, badges and widgets are available for buyers and sellers including the TruliaSlideShow, TruliaMap, TruliaCalculator, charts and stats.
- Real estate brokers and agents can list properties on the website for free.
- The site also offers many free marketing tools for brokers and agents.
Zillow – Launched in 2006, this comprehensive search engine provides detailed information on 93 million homes in the United States. In just two days after the launch, one million people had visited the site. Zillow was founded by Lloyd Fink and Richard Barton. Barton also founded the popular online travel site, Expedia.
- Zillow reveals the value of a home and values of homes in the area.
- A detailed Bing map showing aerial, street and list views with information on homes for sale, homes that recently sold and rental homes in the area.
- Zillow’s Birds Eye View feature offers 3 dimensional, high-resolution images of homes.
- Famous Historic Homes and Famous Celebrity Neighborhoods are also featured.
This website is so cool; TIME Magazine listed ZILLOW as one of its 50 Coolest Websites in 2006.
Real Estate Search Engine for U.S. and Canada Listings
REALTOR – Touted as the world’s largest real estate database of homes for sale, REALTOR is the official site of the National Association of Realtors. REALTOR provides real estate news and market conditions for both the United States and Canada.
- Mortgage calculators, moving guides, buyers and sellers guides, scam alerts and a helpful real estate library are available.
- Users can also determine the home's value, perform a credit check and search for pre-drawn house plans.
- Free email alerts are also available to registered users.
Whether you are planning a move across the country or across the street, the real estate search engines listed above provide a vast array of information at no cost.
For more information on real estate, visit Real Estate Software for Entrepreneurs by Daniel Workman.
Jace Shoemaker-Galloway - +JaceShoemaker-Galloway is more than passionate about online safety awareness. She has devoted and dedicated over five years to Internet ...
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