| The real estate business and the Internet | | | | Usually you can click to the agent's site |
| have made a terrific match. Realtors have | | | | from the page showing you the house. Some |
| taken almost universally to using the web for | | | | agents in rural areas still have no websites, |
| presentation of their listings. As a result, | | | | but they are a minority. |
| if you're looking for a home you can get a | | | | |
| long way into your search right there at your | | | | Some realtors such as Coldwell Banker and ERA |
| computer. By far the best resource for web | | | | will send you to their national web site |
| house hunting is This site has become the | | | | instead of the local office website and you |
| principal nationwide resource for home | | | | have to continue your search through their |
| finding and home listing. It is not the MLS, | | | | centralized service. Coldwell Banker and |
| or multiple listing service on which agents | | | | Sotheby's (high-end) do this well. ERA and |
| are required to list all of the properties | | | | ReMax provide no real additional information. |
| they have on the market, so you won't find | | | | But with most realtors, you can get to a |
| every listing here. | | | | local web site and good realtors make maximum |
| | | | use of them. |
| What you will find is the huge majority of | | | | |
| them, nearly all with at least one photograph | | | | Select a city, a price range, number of |
| and with a description of the property that | | | | bedroom, etc. and search the listings. If you |
| includes the essentials: home size, number of | | | | don't find much, expand the search area |
| rooms, age, size of lot, water and sewer | | | | – the search engine will do that for |
| systems, etc. Many will have multiple | | | | you too. When you have zeroed in on some |
| photographs and some will have "virtual | | | | appealing properties, it's time to contact a |
| tours" using video. | | | | real estate agent – not necessarily the |
| | | | listing agent on the property you want, but |
| If you want further information on the house | | | | someone local to the area that will work with |
| often you can go to the listing agent's site | | | | you. They will know of any additional |
| and often find additional photos and details | | | | listings in the area that meet your needs and |
| on the home's interior, roof age, etc. | | | | aren't shown on the web. |