Which website has the best real estate search engine with the most “exclusive” listings and “top rated” properties?  Well, the short answer is all of them.  They all have the SAME listings, even the bad listings.  Really, they all have the same information in different formats.  Sadly, many are attempts to confuse or sway the consumer.

Huh?  So here is how it works.  Real Estate brokers upload listings into the MLS (Multiple Listing Service).  The MLS is a service that allows agents to search for available properties.  The MLS is then disseminated to hundreds of paying websites through IDX (Internet Data Exchange).  The agents are privy to private information (think: seller contact info) on the MLS, but most of the listing is public, especially the important stuff like price, pictures, location, etc.  The websites then display all of the listings in different formats.  It is really that simple.

The listings on the seemingly high-end brokerage websites are the same listings that are available on Realtor.com, Zillow, Redfin, Blockshopper, etc.  It is all the same stuff.  Don’t believe me – go to a real estate search website and take a look for yourself.

Why are there so many different websites if they all have the same listings?  Well, many consumers don’t realize how the above process works.  Many sites imply or explicitly declare that they have exclusive info when they don’t.  But the websites do have one very important thing in common – they want YOU.  They want YOU to give them your contact information or for you to contact someone that has paid to appear on the webpage you are surfing.  See that smiling realtor next to the home search you just conducted?  They paid the owner of the website to get there.   They want YOU to contact them because they want you to pick them to be your agent.  Or if there isn’t a smiling realtor, there is usually an opportunity to sign up for “alerts” for new listings or gain access to a “special list” of foreclosures.  Once you sign up for that list, you become a commodity known as a “real estate lead.”  They can then sell your info to brokerages for a profit.  Ever sign up for a list and then get a phone call or email a few days later?  This is why. 

When selecting someone to help you buy or sell your house, remember that the person that seemingly contacted you out of the blue might not be the best person for you.  Likewise, know that the realtor smiling next to your home search didn’t end up there because of destiny.  But if you are looking for a professional, responsible, and knowledgeable brokerage, please contact us.  We want your business without tricking you into giving it to us.  Lawyers Realty Group.  Buy Smart.  Live Well.