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Which are the worst - least helpful real estate websites. I surf for properties all over the country but cringe when the listing broker is Coldwell Banker.
They take you out of local and bring you to their national site- type in whatever and you are still lost. They ask "What" "Where" but it goes nowhere. This time I was just trying to find their listing agent for an old bank building on Main st in Monongahela PA.
For homes the Coldwell Banker sites are local and much better.
well realtor.c om doesn't do commercial - I did critique Realtor com Trulia Zillow in a thread a few months back with lots of helpful opinions from others. Meanwhile Coldwell Banker hasn't answered the email I sent over the weekend to find out which branch is listing that property.
Which are the worst - least helpful real estate websites.
For some reason I have found that, in general, the realty world tends to be very web-challenged, although some more than others. Realtor.com does probably the most effective job of using the internet but not all realtors use the site. And too I find that even searches in the new Realtor.com indicates that their database lacks specificity, especially when it comes to lot size.
Realtors who are not yet fully using the internet as a marketing tool are probably missing many opportunities with the current flow of younger and older Americans leaving cash-strapped States for jobs and retirement.
har.com has the best web I have found yet. At least narrow it down by stories on the home or lot size.
I like trulia for the keyword. Oodle is another as well as craigslist.
There is one company in my area where you have to click 5 times before you get to a page where you can search for a home, on my company site the search is right there on the home page. I find it very tiresome to search for the search! On the other hand, I have heard people tell their friends it is easy to navigate, so what do I know.
I sometimes see a listing in the local mls that looks interesting, but wanted more information so I go to the listing agent's website. I usually want to see more photos or details like if the property has a certificate of occupancy for a basement or in law suite.
I'm always surprised that the listing agent's website very rarely has any information beyond what's already in the mls. Is there a rule prohibiting agent's from giving potential buyers more information than what's on their own websites?
Which are the worst - least helpful real estate websites. I surf for properties all over the country but cringe when the listing broker is Coldwell Banker.
They take you out of local and bring you to their national site- type in whatever and you are still lost. They ask "What" "Where" but it goes nowhere. This time I was just trying to find their listing agent for an old bank building on Main st in Monongahela PA.
For homes the Coldwell Banker sites are local and much better.
Any other especially good or bad sites?
On most board websites there is a link for the consumer. For example the Arlington Board of Realtors has a consumer link and property link search engine that is residential, lease and commercial. I know that often times commercial leases and sales are not on the mls systems, why I do not know. But you can search what is listed and see who the local Commercial Brokers are and they may have links to their websites. I know in Central Texas and North Texas the Austin Board of Realtors covers all of Central Texas, just like the Arlington Board of Realtors covers all of North Texas, so it gives a wider range, with ALL BROKERS.
For some reason I have found that, in general, the realty world tends to be very web-challenged, although some more than others. Realtor.com does probably the most effective job of using the internet but not all realtors use the site. And too I find that even searches in the new Realtor.com indicates that their database lacks specificity, especially when it comes to lot size.
Realtors who are not yet fully using the internet as a marketing tool are probably missing many opportunities with the current flow of younger and older Americans leaving cash-strapped States for jobs and retirement.
Realtor.com pulls the listings from the MLS, so if an agent in an MLS that cooperates with Realtor.com puts their listings on the MLS, those listings will appear on Realtor.com. Now, in our firm we have enhanced listings (pretty border, top of the search, more photos allowed, more words allowed), but our broker is on top of things and pays for that.
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