Realtor.com Reviewer's Comments

Whether you are casually browsing the housing market, looking for your first home or want to try your hand at a flip, Realtor.com, “TopTenREVIEWS Gold Award” winning real estate website, is the best place to start your house hunt. With the most extensive search features, most property listings and great listing information you can go into a home negotiation feeling comfortable and educated.

You can find the perfect home to meet your specific needs, from lot features, amenities, sq. footage; right down to the home’s flooring. These search features and the volume of available listings are by far Realtor.com’s strongest assets. The only feature they lack is the ability to view the full address of the property. Although some locations included this listing, frequently this feature was missing.

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Property Types:  

When searching within our tested criteria, this site produced more “for sale” listings than any of the other sites we reviewed. Realtor.com has the most available home listings we could find on the Internet.

Their property types include single family homes, townhouses/condos, multi–family homes, mobile homes, land and farms. They do not search foreclosures or new homes; however, Realtor.com is an affiliate of the #9 site, Move.com, which specializes in new construction.

Search Features:  

Realtor.com has the most comprehensive list of real estate search features we found on the Internet. You can make your search as broad as a zip code and nearby cities or customize it by choosing specific features like minimum sq. footage, lot features, amenities and even the home's flooring. These are excellent options for those specifically looking for homes with a basement, garage, corner lot or fireplace.

Listed Information*:  

Realtor.com includes just about everything a potential buyer could ask for with information not only about price, beds and baths, but also minor details like property type, the year the home was built, it’s construction and lot information. Often the agent will also list additional interior and exterior features, like if the home comes with a dishwasher or sprinkler system. However, many of these listings are left up to the agent posting the listing.

The one feature we were terribly disappointed with is, Realtor.com does not consistently include the property's full address. About half the time we performed a search the listing did not include a full address. In order for a potential buyer to find these homes, they must contact the real estate agent directly or copy the MLS number and search for the listing on another website.

Additional Resources:  

Although this section is not Realtor.com’s strongest suit, their Homebuying Tools section is informative and helpful to buyers and sellers alike. Realor.com appeals to agents by accommodating their needs. There is a whole section dedicated to agents that helps them manage their accounts and keep them up to date about market trends, interest rates and so on.

Although this site offers a map feature, it is still in Beta form and does not work with all areas yet. It is beneficial for larger cities and urban areas but not for the burbs. Additionally, it would be great if Realtor.com included area demographics.

Summary:  

This is one of the best places to begin searching for a new home. Realtor.com’s extensive search features and property listings are a great way for buyers and sellers to see what the market looks like. Additionally, when you are ready to contact an agent, you can go into a home showing with all the rudimentary knowledge needed for you to prepare important questions about the property and feel comfortable about your investment.