Ask Val: House Hunting Apps

This regularly-scheduled sponsored Q&A column is written by Val Sotillo, Northern Virginia-based Realtor and Falls Church resident. Please submit your questions to her via email for response in future columns. Enjoy!

Question: Which free real estate sites are accurate and reliable?

Answer: Whether you’re looking to buy or sell a house, you’re tracking home sales in your neighborhood, or you’re just curious about the value of homes these days, chances are that you’ve visited one of many real estate websites. Technology can help make your search a little easier allowing you to view listings, calculate mortgage costs, and find out which businesses and attractions are nearby.

According to a 2017 report from the National Association of Realtors, nearly all homebuyers start their home search online, up from just 44 percent in 2015.

How Do You Know Which Of The Countless Real Estate Sites Are Worth Your Time?

Most used by my clients: Homesnap

The biggest advantage of Homesnap is that it has a partnership with our Multiple Listing Service (MLS) Bright, which is the system of record agents use to enter and manage properties that are coming soon, for sale, under contract and sold. The result is that the status of every property in Homesnap is 100% accurate and that changes are made in real-time vs the delay you see on many other property search sites.

Everything you see in Homesnap reflects exactly what the listing agent enters into MRIS. You can connect directly with your Realtor through Homesnap (click the link to connect with me!) allowing you to send homes you’re interested in directly to your agent.

The chat function allows you and your agent to communicate through the app and keeps a record of the properties you’ve shared back and forth. You can also add multiple people to the chat (like a spouse).

Snap a photo of any home across the nation to get instant property details, including home values, when it last sold, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, taxes, lot boundaries, local school ratings, similar listings and nearby sales.

Other Search Apps

Sites: Zillow, Trulia, Redfin, Homes, Realtor.com, etc.

I grouped these sites together because they essentially do the same thing: search the local multiple listing service (MLS) for properties for sale. Homebuyers can search by city/state or zip code to see current listings, and filter by price, number of beds and baths, property type, square feet, features, age of home and listing activity (e.g., open houses, new listings, price reduced).

Just keep in mind that Zillow and Trulia are not always reliable in terms of what’s for sale and what’s not on the market. They often show properties as currently listed that are not on the market, and vice versa. They have what they call a “Zestimate” of the value of all homes, but they are not always accurate.

MLS Through Your Realtor

The most accurate, up-to-date information available on your real estate market will come through the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS). This is information that licensed realtors and brokers have access to. Your real estate agent can set up email alerts for you based on specific search criteria.

Other Helpful Sites

Greatschools for school ratings.

Walkscore for commute report and options for getting around by car, bus, bike and foot.

Homepath for foreclosure properties owned by Fannie Mae.

What other property search tools do you like or have used in the past? I’d love to hear from you!

Note: Homesnap did not sponsor or review this post.

If you’d like more information, or would like a question answered in my bi-weekly column, please reach out to [email protected]. I hope to hear from you soon.

Val Sotillo is a licensed Realtor in Virginia, Washington D.C., and Maryland with Real Living At Home, 4040 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite #10C Arlington, VA 22203, 703-390-9460.