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Using the Internet to Find a Home

The internet provides a staggering set of options for individuals like you who are searching for a home. Search engines, real estate directories, social media outlets and classified ad sites join websites for individual real estate agents and brokers. The internet will show you pictures, stats, maps, financing options, and so many other details that it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the choices, lost in information overload.

Here’s help.

1. Search Engines. Google, Bing, and Yahoo! are the three main search engines. You can search by town – “House for sale in Chapel Hill, NC“, by zip code – “Buy a home in 27514″, or by neighborhood or even school district – “Homes for sale in Woodcroft Durham, NC” If you’re searching by neighborhood or school zone, include the city and state. You can also further qualify your search by adding “for sale by owner”, “condominium”, or even “foreclosure”.

You’ll be presented with thousands of results, which can be overwhelming. So you may prefer a more specialized option.

2. Real Estate Directories. In the last several years, some really great real estate portals have been designed that let you refine your search for a home. Zillow.com, Trulia.com, Realtor.com, and ActiveRain.com are only a few of the great options available. You can choose to search by home size, price, number of bedrooms or bathrooms, amenities, and (of course) location. These sites allow you to save your searches, and they’ll even notify you when something matching your search comes on the market. Some of the real estate directories also have forums so you can ask questions about a neighborhood or buying options.

3. Social Media Outlets. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media sites offer a more interactive and personal way to search for a home. In addition to finding out what properties they are listing, you can get to know individual real estate agents and see how they interact and respond to their clients.

4. Individual sites. Brokers and individual agents most often have websites of their own. A good agent website will display current listings, contact information, and important information about buying a home. A great website usually means that an agent is up to date with the market, and truly cares about meeting the needs of clients like you.

Getting online to find a home is something that anyone can do. But being able to navigate all the choices effectively isn’t easy. If you’re feeling like you’re getting tangled in the web of internet options for buying a home, give me a call. Together, we’ll find the house that you can turn into your home!