2017 RANKING & REVIEWS
TOP RANKING BEST REAL ESTATE WEBSITES
Finding the Top Real Estate Websites
In the past, when people wanted to search for real estate, such as a new home to buy, their only resource was their real estate agent. Now, that’s all changed, and the market for real estate listing sites and real estate websites has become an essential component of the industry.
Leading real estate websites allow buyers to view available properties in their desired area, learn about features of those properties, see things about the neighborhood and school district, and in many cases even take a virtual tour.
Award Emblem: Top 6 Best Real Estate Websites
Rather than shying away from the inevitable rise in popularity of realty websites, many realtors are using them as a benefit to their business. Real estate agents are embracing the best real estate agent websites and encouraging clients to use them as their initial first step in their home buying search.
The following ranking and review covers the top real estate websites and the best real estate agent websites. Each of these top real estate sites allows users to connect with real estate agents in their area and find links to local real estate agent websites.
They also serve as real estate listing sites and even information resources that provide homebuyers, sellers, and anyone interested in the real estate market with a source of valuable information.
These top real estate websites rank well because they have modern, user-friendly interfaces and innovative features and offerings as well.
This particular ranking focuses on nationally known real estate listing websites such as Zillow, but it should be noted there are also top real estate websites available from national and local real estate firms, and most individual realtors and teams also have real estate agent websites which are an excellent resource as well.
See Also: Best Real Estate Investment Books & Articles (Best Books On Real Estate Investing)
AdvisoryHQ’s List of the Top 6 Best Real Estate Websites
List is sorted alphabetically (click any of the real estate website names below to go directly to the detailed review section for that website):
Top 6 Best Real Estate Websites | Brief Comparison
Top Real Estate Websites | What It Is | Unique Features |
| Curbed | Home listing site that also includes city and neighborhood overviews | The Curbed Handbook is a guide to everything related to owning or renting a home |
| Homes.com | A real estate listing site also featuring foreclosures and rentals | Real estate agents can create profiles and advertise to directly connect with consumers |
| Realtor.com | A portal to find certified REALTORS in a user’s local area, and also home listings | Users can get pre-qualified for a mortgage on the site |
| Redfin | Site connects buyers to the best real estate agents in their areas to save them money on commissions | Redfin has been shown to provide the most accurate home price estimates among online home value tools |
| Trulia | One of the best realty websites including rental and for-sale properties as well as a portal for consumers to connect with agents | Features in-depth reviews of top real estate agents in the area |
| Zillow | This is one of the best real estate listing sites and also an information resource | Users have access to proprietary research, as well as for sale by owner and exclusive listings |
Table: Top 6 Best Real Estate Websites | Above list is sorted alphabetically
What are the top features of the best real estate agent websites and top real estate sites?
There are a couple of different reasons you might be interested in exploring the best features of top real estate websites. One reason people might be searching for the top features of the best real estate sites is so they know what to look for when choosing real estate sites for their own search as a buyer.
At the same time, this review can be useful if you are looking for tips on building the best real estate agent websites, because you can find inspiration as to what buyers and sellers are searching for and add these features to your own site, if you’re a realtor or you develop websites for real estate agents.
Image Source: Pexels
Some of the most desirable features of the best real estate websites include the below.
A wide variety of high-quality photos:
Photos are probably the most important aspect that any of the best real estate sites should have in common, but having just one or two photos isn’t enough.
The best real estate agent websites and top real estate websites usually have at least ten photos for each property, and they need to be high-quality, and if possible, taken by a professional photographer.
Virtual tours are also essential:
Many of the top real estate websites are putting a lot of focus on virtual tours so that buyers can feel as if they’re walking through properties, and this is an essential aspect of having one of the top real estate sites.
Neighborhood Information:
Neighborhood information is also valuable when either creating websites for real estate agents or searching for the best real estate websites to use.
Buyers don’t just want to know about the amazing features of the property itself, but also what’s around it, the general atmosphere of the neighborhood, information about nearby schools and more.
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AdvisoryHQ’s Selection Methodology
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Please click here “AdvisoryHQ’s Ranking Methodologies” for a detailed review of AdvisoryHQ’s selection methodologies for ranking top rated credit cards, financial accounts, firms, products, and services.
Detailed Review – Top Ranking Best Real Estate Websites
Below, please find the detailed review of each of the best real estate websites and best real estate agent websites. We have highlighted some of the factors that allowed these top real estate websites to score so well in our selection ranking.
Curbed Review
Curbed is somewhat unique from many of the other real estate sites included in this ranking because it focuses not just on listings, but also on specific cities and trends, as well as current events impacting the real estate industry.
Curbed is part of the Vox Media company and the site describes its mission as telling great stories, with the context readers need to know about homes, neighborhoods, and cities.
Key Factors That Led To Our Ranking of This As One of the Top Real Estate Websites
Below are some of the reasons Curbed is included on this list of the best real estate sites.
Neighborhoods
One of the best things about Curbed that makes it unique from many other real estate websites and most real estate listing websites is the focus on specific cities and neighborhoods throughout the country.
This pick for one of the top realty websites has a listing of some of the major cities and real estate markets around the country such as Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, New York, New Orleans, Seattle, and many more.
Then, along with those city listings, users can choose to view specific neighborhoods within the cities, and there are frequent articles and news updates that show everything from the current real estate trends in the neighborhoods, to the best things to do.
It’s one of the best hyperlocal real estate sites available.
Topics
Curbed is one of the best real estate listing websites for homes for sale throughout the country, but it also goes well beyond that.
For example, instead of just including real estate listings, Curbed actually writes feature-style articles for some of the most popular, interesting and in-demand properties currently listed for sale throughout the country.
These listing articles are great to read whether you’re a buyer looking for a home, a realtor looking for new properties to show your client, or you simply love home design.
Other topics covered by Curbed include:
- Architecture
- Interior design
- Tiny homes
- Prefab
- Home tech
Handbook
Handbook is a section of the Curbed website that has been curated and created over the past several years that includes what they describe as “essential how-to knowledge” on topics related to renting, buying and selling.
They organize what they determine to be the best insider tips and expert advice into one volume, and it gives buyers, sellers, realtors and anyone interested in real estate access to pertinent information on the entire home process.
The Curbed team also frequently adds new chapters to the Handbook.
Some of the chapter topics and titles include:
- Mortgages 101: The Basics of Getting a Home Loan
- Home Tech 101: Tips for Designing Your Smart Home
- Renovation 101: Tips for Your Next Home Improvement
- Tiny Living 101: Tips for Tiny Homes and Micro Apartments
- Gardening and Landscaping 101
- Tips for Designing and Decorating Your Interior Space
- Furniture 101: Tips on How to Buy and What To Look For
Image Source: Curbed.com
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Homes.com Review
Homes.com is one of the best real estate listing websites and also one of the best real estate agent websites. This site is a full-service portal for all things related to real estate, and you can not just view homes that are listed for sale, but you can also connect with realtors, view cities and trends, and more.
Key Factors That Led To Our Ranking of This As One of 2017’s Best Real Estate Websites
Reasons Homes.com is part of this listing of the top real estate websites and real estate agent websites are detailed below.
Real Estate Agent Search
Homes.com serves not just as a portal to view real estate listings, but it’s also an excellent way for buyers, sellers, and real estate agents to connect, which is why it’s ranked as one of the best real estate agent websites.
Buyers and sellers can visit Homes.com and search for real estate agents in the state-by-state directors featured on the site.
Real estate agents can also easily use this site. They just enter some brief data such as their contact information, MLS number, and office name and they can then claim their listing and consumer leads.
Users of this leader among real estate agent websites can also answer local consumer questions, get free lead conversion tools, get found on Homes.com and advertise on the site.
For Rent
As mentioned above, Homes.com is a one-stop shop for all things related to real estate, and that includes rental homes as well as featuring listings and information for buying homes.
Users of Home.com can start their search for local rentals or apartments by entering the city, zip or address information. Homes.com lists condos, townhomes, multi-family homes, retirement communities and more for rent. There are also rent-to-own options listed on the site.
In addition, Homes.com features off-campus housing options and a variety of informational resources for renters.
Foreclosures
Homes.com, one of the best real estate listing websites and best real estate agent websites, features a section of the site dedicated exclusively to foreclosures.
This makes it easy for investors or anyone searching for a great deal to find foreclosures in their area.
Users can also further narrow their foreclosure listing search by adding information such as minimum and maximum prices, property type, and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms they prefer.
Realtor.com Review
Realtor.com is part of the Move, Inc. company. The goal of this company is to provide the best in real estate information, tools and professional guidance and expertise across a family of websites and mobile platforms.
These tools are designed for use by consumers as well as professionals that are part of the real estate industry. Realtor.com is described as the trusted resource for buyers and sellers. Other brands that are part of the Move company include Relocation.com and Moving.com.
Key Factors That Led To Our Ranking of This As One of 2017’s Top Real Estate Websites
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Find a REALTOR
One of the features available on Realtor.com is the ability to connect with REALTORS throughout the country. REALTORS are real estate agents that are part of the National Association of REALTORS, which is an organization that advocates for home buyers and communities.
Consumers can use the site to find the best REALTORS in their local area quickly and easily, and this site is also one of the best websites for real estate agents as well.
REALTORS can use Realtor.com to gain access to some of the industry’s most innovative tools, take advantage of leading-edge marketing methods, and keep up with trends.
Local Information
Aside from offering a direct connection to REALTORS, Realtor.com is included in this ranking of the best real estate sites and best real estate listing websites because they provide localized information. Users of this site can enter a city where they currently live or plan on moving to and see a full breakdown of the housing market and real estate trends.
For example, if you were to search for San Francisco, you would see how many total homes are currently for sale and rent. You would see that the current median listing price is $1.3 million, the price per square foot is $856, and the median closing price is $1.2 million.
You could also see a breakdown of the best-rated schools in the city and specific neighborhoods, and explore various lifestyle-related articles, resources, and photos.
There are also Q&A boards for cities and neighborhoods so users can hear from the people who live in these areas.
Image Source: Realtor.com
Mortgages
Also available on Homes.com, one of the top real estate agent websites and one of the best real estate listing websites, is an area dedicated to mortgages.
First and foremost, users can enter the zip code where they plan to buy a home, be connected with a lender who will provide competitive mortgage rates, and they can potentially be pre-approved.
There are also mortgage tools and calculators, which include:
- Mortgage Payment Calculator
- Affordability Calculator
- Rent vs. Buy Calculator
- Veterans Home Buyer Tips
- Mortgage News
- Articles answering questions and clearing up common misconceptions about mortgages
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Redfin Review
Redfin.com is a site that started as a map-based search provider. They then began working with real estate agents, with the goal of being consumer advocates, rather than salespeople.
Customers receive value through Redfin because they save money in fees, and Redfin has also been able to leverage performance metrics and ratings and consistently improve their model and services. Redfin has helped 50,000 customers to this point and done $25 billion in home sales.
Key Factors That Led To Our Ranking of This As One of the Best Real Estate Websites
Details of why Redfin is included on this list of top real estate websites are below.
Full-Service Agents
Redfin is one of the best real estate agent websites, and they provide consumers with a connection to full-service agents paired with the benefits of advanced technology. More than 10,000 customers use Redfin to buy or sell a home annually.
The concept of the site, along with bringing together technology and the best real estate agents with consumers, is to help both buyers and sellers to save money.
When a consumer buys with a Redfin agent, part of the commission goes to the buyer. When sellers sell with Redfin, they pay only a 1.5% listing fee.
Mobile App
Along with the general features that led to the inclusion of Redfin on this ranking of real estate websites and the best real estate agent websites, also relevant was their availability of advanced mobile technology in the form of the Redfin App, available on the App Store and Google Play.
The Redfin Mobile App makes a great complement to the other features of the site, which is ranked as one of the best websites for real estate agents and one of the best overall realty websites.
The app features the following tools and capabilities:
- Users can see complete, accurate information updated from the MLS every 15-30 minutes
- There are tools to draw a search radius and browse photos, details, Walk Score ratings and more
- With the app, users can share favorites and comments with a co-buyer and their Redfin agent
- Users can also see exclusive Redfin Agent Insights on specific homes
Image Source: Redfin
Accurate Home Estimates
Another way Redfin maximizes technology and brings the most value to users is through their highly accurate online home estimates. Redfin was shown in an independent study of homes for sale to have the most accurate estimates among all top online home value tools.
Users can enter their street address and zip code to get a free consultation on the value of their home, or they can simply enter their street address to receive a Redfin Estimate based on the most recent market data.
Home value estimates are calculated based on recent home sales in the area thanks to the site’s direct access to MLSs. Users can also sign up to receive a Redfin Home Report, which features monthly updates on their home’s value and the most recent information about sales in their neighborhood.
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Trulia Review
Trulia is one of the best real estate listing sites and one of the top real estate agent websites. Trulia was founded in 2005 and since that time has grown to become not only one of the leading real estate sites but also a top mobile platform. There are information and resources provided on the site for buyers, renters, and sellers.
Trulia also connects users with agents, property managers and mortgage lenders, which also makes it one of the best real estate agent websites.
Key Factors That Led To Our Ranking of This As One of the Best Real Estate Websites
Among real estate sites, the following are some reasons Trulia is ranked as one of the best real estate websites and one of the best real estate agent websites.
Local Scoop
Local Scoop is an area of the Trulia website that was an important factor in our decision to rank it as one of the best real estate websites and one of the best real estate agent websites.
Local Scoop provides an overview of market trends in a local area, as well as information about schools and lifestyle. You can use Local Scoop to search for neighborhood information within a city, see homes for sale in those areas and find information such as median sales price, price per square foot, and median rent price.
In addition to viewing current trends, you can also see trend history.
Some of the demographic features you can see include the percentage of homeowners, the percentage of single residents and the median age of residents.
Agents
As mentioned, Trulia isn’t just one of the top real estate listing websites, but also excels as one of the leading real estate agent websites. You can not just connect with local agents, but with this pick for one of the top websites for real estate agents, you can also view in-depth information about them.
For example, agents are ranked as “Premier,” if they’re considered a top agent in the area. You can see how many sold homes they have, as well as their number of active listings, and there are in-depth reviews of the agents as well as quick-reference star ratings from real people who have worked with these professionals in the area.
The in-depth reviews are one of our favorite things about Trulia, and a top reason this is ranked as one of the top real estate websites and one of the best real estate agent websites.
Clients can write their feelings about their experience of working with realtors, and there’s also a review distribution breaking down the total positive reviews, neutral reviews and critical reviews for the agents featured on the site.
Image Source: Trulia
Mobile Apps
Trulia, along with being one of the top websites for real estate agents and a leader among realty websites in general, is also a leader regarding mobile technology. There are three different apps available from Trulia.
The first is the Trulia Real Estate App, which is a top-rated way to simplify your search for not only homes for sale but also rentals. It also includes photo galleries and information such as local crime statistics.
The Trulia Rentals App is specifically for rentals, and it includes options to do things such as sharing listings with roommates.
With the Trulia Mortgage App, users can calculate monthly payments and compare personalized loan offers to make the right choice for them.
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Zillow Review
Zillow is one of the most popular real estate websites and one of the most well-known real estate listing websites. Zillow is known for leading the way in terms of advanced technology and innovation when it comes to real estate websites and websites for real estate agents. Zillow, one of the best real estate sites, was launched in 2006 and is headquartered in Seattle.
Key Factors That Led To Our Ranking of This As One of the Best Real Estate Sites
Reasons Zillow is included in this ranking of top real estate sites, and real estate listing sites, as well as websites for real estate agents, are highlighted below.
Research
Zillow isn’t just known as one of the premier real estate listing sites. Along with being one of the best real estate listing websites, Zillow strives to be one of the top overall realty websites and a go-to industry resource.
As part of that, they have a section of their site called Zillow Research, which features exclusive, proprietary research that can be used by everyone from lenders and mortgage professionals to buyers, sellers and real estate agents.
Zillow Research features an updated look at the Home Value Index, the monthly change in U.S. Home Values, the annual change in U.S. home values, and the U.S. Zillow Home Value Forecast.
Zillow also features articles and content in the following subjects:
- Data
- Local market overviews
- Real estate and rental trends
- Housing affordability
- Forecasting
- Housing by generation
Extensive Listings
Zillow is ranked as one of the best real estate sites because it has some of the most extensive listing options of any other of the top real estate websites. Zillow has millions of listing of homes for sale throughout the country, but uniquely this site also features For Sale By Owner Homes, which many real estate sites don’t showcase.
There are also Coming Soon listings, foreclosures, rentals and exclusive listings that can’t be found on any other site.
Users can register with Zillow to save their searches and favorite homes, receive notifications when a new listing hits the market, and registered users will also get reports on the latest home values and trends.
Agent Finder
Zillow isn’t just a leader among real estate listing sites. It’s also one of the top real estate sites and websites for real estate agents. Users can search for local real estate agents based on their location or the name of the agent. They can also filter their search based on whether or not the agent is an individual or part of a team, and the service needed.
This site is one of the most valuable websites for real estate agents because they can sign up to be featured on the site, and there are also client reviews included on the site.
Conclusion—Top 6 Best Real Estate Websites
Real estate websites are one of the top ways consumers search for local homes in their area, explore neighborhood information and also find information to help them if they plan to sell their home.
Real estate sites have been leading the way in terms of innovative tools and offerings in recent years, and the above ranking represents the best real estate websites.
Each of the names on this list of top real estate websites focuses not only on real estate sites with home listings, but also real estate sites that have information dedicated to local cities and neighborhoods.
These are also the best real estate agent websites, in that they provide an easy way for consumers to connect with the best agents in their area, and many of these realty websites and best real estate sites also feature tools and marketing options for real estate agents.
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