Searching for a home online has many advantages. Here are 5 important searching tips that will help find the home you want and expose you to great opportunities. You’ll save time, gain valuable experience about the market and be able to find a REALTOR® to help you, all at the same time.
As almost anyone knows, when you’re searching for some great new gadget or new clothing, it’s not uncommon to check out what’s available on the internet first but did you know that searching for a home online has many advantages too?
In fact, more than 35% of adults in North America like to browse real estate listings just for fun!
These days buyers like searching for homes on websites like TeamKate.ca and Realtor.ca. These types of sites are great for helping narrow down which properties are most appealing, compare prices, and get you out to home viewings.
Even social media plays a huge role house searching. That’s where professional real estate agents maintain an up-to-date online presence with plenty of listing photos and videos that you may be interested in. To find the opportunities, simply hit up social media search for real estate agents in the area your interested in. You’ll see plenty of agents and a lot of available listings.
Here are our top five tips for getting the most out of your digital home search that will save you time and frustration:
TIP #1: Create Your List of Wants, Needs and Wishes
When it comes to shopping for a home, there is truly a difference between the things you need and the things you want. So a great place to start is creating an honest list of what these are to you. The following lists some examples you can consider but make sure to get your list started to:
It’s important to remember that when searching for a home, you won’t always get everything you add to your list. Try your best but be prepared to let go of some things. As you’re doing your research, figure out what you can compromise on and what you definitely cannot live without.
TIP #2: Sign Up for an Online MLS® Portal
This is a good tip. You can either spend your days searching online endlessly for exactly for the property you want and then miss out on a hot new listing just because decided to take a break from searching. It’s almost impossible to keep up with all the websites and social media sites that it takes to see all available listings.
Wouldn’t it be so much easier to have the search done for you? Of course!
For instance, we have an online home search Portal service that allows you to give us your specific criteria including your needs, wants and wishes which generates a custom list of homes that are available and will interest you. You’ll receive these listings directly to your email every day as they become available – sometimes even before they get released to the general public.
Is there a neighbourhood you prefer? Or do you want to search an entire city? What budget range are you looking for? With The Portal you can be as specific or general as you like your results are tailored to your individual needs.
Signing up for our portal is easy and completely free.
Give it a try here.
Tip #3: Get Yourself Organized
First, considering using The Portal as your own organization tool. Mark certain properties as favourites and refer back to them later to narrow down which homes really caught your eye.
Start booking showings
Don’t wait to book your showings at these properties. Nothing is worse than finding an amazing listing and then learning you were too late and it’s already been sold to another lucky buyer. Your agent will be able to see the locations you’ve marked as a favourite in The Portal and may offer some other similar suggestions too. They’ll quickly organize showings at these houses so you’re ahead of the everyone else.
Not ready to view homes just yet?
If you’re in no rush to purchase yet, you can check back on these properties to see how quickly they sold or if they had any price adjustments. These are great indicators of what’s happening in your city’s real estate market. Doing this kind of research gives you a better understanding of the market for when you are ready to get serious about buying.
Of course your REALTOR® will always be there to offer advice and update you on market trends. They’ll equip you with the most up-to-date information and will be ready to book showings for you as soon as you are.
Tip #4: Don’t Be Afraid to Make Adjustments to Your List
Most home buyer needs, wants, and wishes will change the longer they’re on their journey to finding a home.
For example, you may be having trouble finding just the right home with a pool, so you’re willing to search for homes where you could potentially install your own pool in the future. Or perhaps you’ve realized that your budget is too narrow for the location you’d like, so you either have to raise your budget or expand your neighbourhood search. Adjustments are okay!
We can adjust and refine your search to broaden it as needed. It’s quite easy to do. Making these adjustments will ensure the listings you receive every morning in your inbox is not cluttered with homes that used to match what you were looking for. Instead only the properties that meet your newly expanded search will be sent.
TIP #5: Leverage Online Home Searches with The Kate Broddick Team
Your online search is a great way to view listings, but it’s not a substitute for the local knowledge and experience of your Team Kate agent. While we recommend establishing your search criteria to whittle down your list of prospective properties, it’s your agent who will fill in the gaps.
For instance, the online listings might not necessarily tell you that there’s a really large noisy industrial factory coming to the neighbourhood – but your real estate agent will. They’ll also give you valuable information on school districts, unique area amenities, and even exclusive listings that are not on the open MLS® system yet.
Also, your online search also won’t tell you how competitive you need to be when making an offer, or what kind of offer will be most attractive to the sellers in this market. So there’s a real benefit to working with your agent together in your online search. See our related article Tips For Putting In A Perfect Purchase Offer On A House for some very helpful information.
However, if consistent face-to-face interaction with an agent sounds time-consuming, don’t worry. Our agents communicate with our clients in the way that’s most convenient for you – text, email, phone calls, and yes, even over a cup of coffee.
Ready to Get Started?
Remember, it doesn’t cost anything to use a REALTOR® when buying a home. so take advantage of what our great team has to offer and make your life easier by letting us do the hard part for you.
