Buying a new house may be an exciting experience yet a very stressful one as well, especially if you are moving to a neighborhood you know nothing about. Enter Trulia. Trulia is an American online real estate company founded in 2005 by Pete Flint and Sami Inkinen. It provides realtors, brokers, and buyers a platform to connect. A buyer can get hold of a realtor or broker in any state, find information about a locality or neighborhood, or get an idea about property prices. But Trulia is not the only online real estate company out there.
Redfin.com
Redfin has been around since 2004, since it was founded by David Eraker, Michael Dougherty, and David Selinger. Sellers post their properties on Redfin for a minimal amount (around 1-2%). When the property is bought, Redfin gives the buyers .5% of the fee the seller paid. Unlike Zillow and Trulia who earn from leads and advertising, Redfin earns money as a broker between agents and buyers.
They offer map-based property search, and this was even before Google Maps came out. They do not directly serve buyers but just connect buyers to any of their 3,100 agents across the US. They have been lauded for innovations they introduced in the industry. They offer virtual tours of homes for sale via their website, making it easy and convenient for buyers and sellers alike. Physical home tours are also available and scheduling is possible on their site.
Homes.com
Homes.com was established in 1999 and has since helped sellers and buyers alike in the real estate industry. They have made use of technology to their advantage as they have expanded their services to include real estate marketing and media services. Their listings of homes for sale or rent are always up-to-date.
They also offer advice and tips on owning property on their site. They give step-by-step guides in the financial process as well. They have a home matching service which gives you a list of homes that matches your preferences. If you also have a certain look that you love, send them a picture, and they will search for a similar one in their database and connect you to it. They have regular blogs for everyone’s consumption to have extra information about buying, renting, and selling a home.
Century21.com
Founded in 1971, Century 21 Real Estate LLC is one of the largest real estate franchise companies in the US. The company was formed by Art Bartlett and Marsh Fisher, both real estate agents at the time. It is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp. Their operations have a reach of 110,000 sales professionals and 8,000 franchise brokers across the US and 80 countries. Their app is available in 18 languages and accepts 36 different currencies. They have expanded their operations to include commercial listings. Century 21 specializes in luxury homes and gives you information on various property where you can still pursue luxurious pleasures.