We know you. If you’re looking for a home, chances are you’re looking online first. According to a 2017 study by the National Association of Realtors, almost all homebuyers begin their hunt for habitation online. Real estate listing sites and apps are a dime a dozen, and navigating the glut of options can be a real downer. Here are Consumer Affairs' five best-rated sites on the web that can help you in your search for home, whether you’re renting or buying. Happy hunting!
1. Homes.com
At the top of the list, Homes.com is a home search site boasting a clean, easy-to-use web layout and more than 20 million site visits per month. The site has over 3 million home listings for sale or rent.
2. PropertyRecord.com
Second place goes to PropertyRecord.com, an online dealer of reliable property reports. The site uses a combo of algorithms and human review to compose its reports which include a wide range of information including estimated value, lot size, square footage and more.
3. Apartments.com
For all you renters out there, Apartments.com is your best bet for snagging a sweet pad. The site is a two-way apartment listing website where tenants can find and compare apartments, and owners can list their properties while learning about their potential customer base.
4. Realtor.com
Realtor.com came is the fourth best-rated site. Its bread and butter offerings are its listings through the Multiple Listing Service and its tools for homeowners looking to list their homes for sale.
5. Homefinder.com
Coming in fifth, Homefinder.com emphasizes mobile capability, offering multiple avenues of access including apps for iOS and Android, to accompany its standard home search offerings of listings and connectivity for real estate agents, sellers, and buyers.
