Article Archive

High Tech Searching for Homes

by Corey Scholtka, and Pat Rioux

It wasn’t that long ago that the information about homes for sale was only available to home buyers through local real estate offices that were members of the MLS (Multiple Listing Service).  Today, the technological advances of the Internet and the World Wide Web have brought unprecedented access to consumers.  The trend of placing listings on Internet sites and through the Realtor-sponsored site, realtor.com has created a myriad of sites for searching for homes and getting buying and selling tips, relocation guides, mortgage calculations, and inspection advice. Although Realtor.com is still in the early stages of development, it is currently the most extensive source of homes for sale nationally.   Ken Kerin, Senior Staff Vice President of the National Association of Realtors recently reported that the site is seeing 9 million “hits” per month.

A vast number of alternative sites for home listings are in competition with the Multiple Listing Services offerings on Realtor.com.  These sites include: the Homes Internet Magazine, Cyberhomes, Massachusetts Real Estate Web, Massachusetts Living Network, Homeseekers, Home Scout, and the sites sponsored by the major national franchises such as Coldwell Banker, RE/MAX, and Century 21.

Unfortunately for many of us who like to “surf the net”, the overwhelming number of sites related to real estate can lead to frustration.  A unique site on the Internet, IRED.COM, can help you sort through many of the web pages because the sites have been rated by the IRED reviewers.  To help you find your way to some of the better sites we know about today, take a look at these:

The National Association of Realtors - REALTOR.COM
The National Association of Realtors created the Realtor Information Network (RIN) for residential property listings.  Home buyers can preview homes in their local market place or at their new destination prior to setting foot into a real estate office or calling a real estate agent.  By selecting a state from a map of the United States, they can request listings for a location by price, number of bedrooms and baths and square footage desired.  Other amenities can be selected to narrow the search even further.   Home buyers can also get advice about home buying and selling , tips for choosing a Realtor, and finding a Realtor or Realtor office.
http://www.realtor.com

The Massachusetts Living Network - MA.LIVING.NET
The Massachusetts Living Network, sponsored by the Massachusetts Association of Realtors will be operational in September of 1996.  Based on the successful Florida Living Network site, essential information about buying and selling real estate in Massachusetts as well as general information about local communities and consumer information will be available to Massachusetts home buyers and sellers.  The viewing areas will include Communities, Marketplace, Consumer Information, Properties, Real Estate Companies, and Realtors.
http://www.ma.living.net

The International Real Estate Directory - IRED.COM
IRED (The International Real Estate Directory) has a unique purpose compared to the many sites on the World Wide Web.  Since the 1995 inception, the IRED reviewers have examined over 8,000 sites and rated them according to their effectiveness and value to viewers.  The one-stop source and directory of Web pages rates the quality, presentation, and content of the sites and their library has thousands of consumers questions and answers, guide to regulatory issues, and a real estate news service that includes most major real estate news columnists.
http://www.ired.com

The Massachusetts Real Estate Web - MREW.COM
The Massachusetts Real Estate Web serves home buyers and sellers by providing property listings of Realtors.  The Useful References for Home Owners section has data on the census, energy, Massachusetts law, mortgages, homes inspection, and appraisal.  There are also links to education, recreation, government and towns and cities.
http://www.mrew.com

Cyberhomes - CYBERHOMES.COM
Cyberhomes, a division of Moore Data Management Services, has created a homes listing site that employs a mapping system which allows for interactive street-level mapping.   The listings are currently limited in the areas of the country but they do have Providence, RI on the database of homes for sale.  Future plans call for schools and real estate broker offices, according to Moore Data.
http://www.cyberhomes.com

Abele Owners Network - OWNERS.COM
This site of national “For Sale By Owner” listings covers most of the United States and offers free listings to home sellers.  It is the most comprehensive “FSBO” site on the Internet currently and was rated as a Top 10 site by the International Real Estate Directory.   Home buyers can search for homes according to their criteria on location, number of bedrooms, price, etc.  A unique feature allows home buyers to get free weekly updates of homes that meet their search criteria by E-mail.
http://www.owners.com

The FiSBO Registry - FISBOS.COM
The FiSBO Registry, sponsored by INRESCO Portfolios Ltd./Buyer’s Resource, provides free Internet advertising to home sellers nationally who choose to sell their homes “For Sale By Owner”.  In addition to photos of the homes, the home buyer can access the number of rooms, bedrooms and baths, age, style, square footage, taxes, etc.
http://www.fisbos.com

The National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents - NAEBA.ORG
The National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (NAEBA) has a Web page to help consumers learn about home buyer representation and locate exclusive buyer agents in their area.
http://www.naeba.org

The Internet Realty Network (IRN) - GOREALTY.COM
The Internet Realty Network (IRN) at GOREALTY.COM is a community Internet site for real estate and home ownership services such as mortgages, inspection and taxes.  IRN was developed to help the consumer find information about home buying, selling, maintenance and ownership.  Currently this site will link home buyers to a web page for the Massachusetts Association of Buyer Agents (MABA) which is a non-profit trade association dedicated to helping buyers find a real estate broker to represent their interests.
http://www.gorealty.com

SOME TIPS

When visiting these sites, type the addresses exactly as they are written.  Links and hyperlinks can connect you to other Web sites with a double click on the highlighted word or picture.  Keep in mind that some sites with lots of bells and whistles can take a long time to load into your computer so you may want to limit the graphics loading from your browser until you have previewed the sites to determine your interest.

Corey Scholtka, ABR is an accredited buyer representative and an Internet specialist for the Homebuyers Resource Center in Shrewsbury.

Back To The Article Archive