Best Home Buying Websites for 2024

Buying a home in California can be an exhausting experience. The research, the questions, and wondering if you are paying too much can all cause a significant amount of stress.

That is why our Los Angeles County and Orange County realtors created Listwizer.

Here, we provide tips and resources to find your dream home by teaming buyers with highly skilled real estate brokers in their area for a fraction of the realtor commission costs.

What are the Best Home Buyer Realtor Websites?

  1. Zillow

Zillow is the most popular way to find houses online and features many “for sale by owner” home listings that allow buyers to connect with homeowners who are not using realtors for their sales.

They have an intuitive website and app that makes it easy to search for properties from anywhere for free. Unfortunately, Zillow home values are often inaccurate, and the website does not screen its partner agents.

  1. Realtor.com

Realtor.com is a highly reputable website owned by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) that includes 99% of all MLS-listed properties in the nation. However, there are complaints about the website and app lacking user-friendliness and also fraught with glitches.

What sets Realtor.com apart is its attention to detailed statistics and data.

  1. Trulia

Zillow owns Trulia, so listing information is identical, featuring information about individual neighborhoods, so it’s a good tool if you’re moving to a new area.

It does not show home value estimates for properties currently on the market, and monthly payment estimates are often inaccurate because they lack up-to-date tax estimates.

  1. Redfin

Redfin.com pulls data from the multiple listing service (MLS), a database established by cooperating real estate brokers to provide data about properties for sale so property information is accurate and current. However, it only shows listings in locations where it has in-house agents.

Redfin offers a rebate for eligible buyers on specific homes, but its estimates tend to be less accurate than Zillow’s.

  1. Homes.com

Homes.com is a home search tool that gathers information from the MLS, as well as other real estate websites. The site is a good platform for comparing homes in the area and allows viewers to see how the property’s value has changed over time.

  1. HomeFinder

HomeFinder offers a vast selection of homes to buy or rent, offering an interactive search tool that filters for price, size, and property type to connect you with the right home. It also lists homes for sale by owner, so potential home buyers have access to those listings, too.

  1. ForSaleByOwner.com

ForSaleByOwner.com is one of the best real estate websites for finding homes not listed on the MLS. Although it has fewer listings, it may be the perfect match for buying directly from a homeowner instead of an agent or broker.

  1. Foreclosure.com

Often loaded with DIY home improvement projects, Foreclosure.com specializes in short sales, foreclosures, city-owned houses, and other distressed properties, making many of its listings a deal for the right buyer.

  1. Neighborhood Scout

Neighborhood Scout is big data that matches you with your ideal neighborhood on a block-to-block level and delivers market forecasts the site claims are 90% accurate over a three-year timespan.

  1. Listwizer

At Listwizer, we provide California homebuyers and sellers with Multiple Listing Services (MLS) through a fully licensed, top network of realtors who offer their invaluable services to:

  • Receiving home valuation and pricing strategy advice.
  • Accessing matching home listings and neighborhood criteria.
  • Marketing to buyers who are an actual match for your property through listings on the MLS and hundreds of other sites like Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com.
  • Securing funding for buyers and confirming financial details for sellers.
  • Navigating complex paperwork and closing coordination to avoid
  • Assisting with offers and negotiations.
  • Uploading professional photos of your home.
  • Coordinating showings and open houses.
  • Lowering commissions and overall buying/selling costs.

Before Listwizer, buyers and sellers had to consider substantial real estate agent commissions and other costs, which can impact the purchasing power or overall profit. Our 1% listing agent flat fee brokers in Burbank remove the unnecessary costs from the equation so you can keep more of your money and move forward confidently. Contact our 1% Real Estate Listing Brokers in Los Angeles & Orange County today to learn more.