Tips for searching real estate online
Searching for real estate online? You are not alone, over 80% home-buyers start their search on the internet. Searching for homes on the internet can save your valuable time but it can also prove difficult if you are new to the internet. Here are some tips that can help make your search a bit easier.
There are 3 major search engines, Google, Yahoo and MSN. Google is the best search engine in the internet world. It displays most relevant search results, So use Google.
- Use Google Canada (www.google.ca) instead of Google.com because it focuses on Canadian websites and you are more likely to find relevant real estate web sites.
- To filter out the irrelevant, out of area websites, select the “Pages from Canada” option before clicking on the search button.
- If searching for a particular Realtor by name, add area and the word “Realtor” to the name. IE search for “Raj Dhaliwal Abbotsford Realtor” instead of just “Raj Dhaliwal“
- Use ” ” to narrow down your search results. Try “Abbotsford real estate for sale” instead of Abbotsford real estate for sale .
- “Abbotsford real estate” is a broad search term. Your results will contain all types of real estate websites from condos to commercial. Try other “narrow” search terms to get better results. IE, Abbotsford condos for sale or market value of my home in Abbotsford.
- Or simply ask Google a question, like, What is my Abbotsford home worth? Don’t ask “what is my home worth?” If Google doesn’t know your location, it can’t give you the relevant results.
- Try local search in Google.
- In search results focus on the organic (natural) results. The results in the sidebar (right side of screen) are paid links. These may not be relevant to your query. Sometimes these paid links are also displayed on the top of the natural results. usually they are highlighted (light yellow background). Paid results are always marked by Google as “sponsored links” These paid links can be websites of local Realtors but most of the times these links are irrelevant websites trying to capture your information.
- Use your “common sense” when clicking on the links in the results. Read the title and the URL. The very top link may not be the best website for your needs.
- When using real estate websites, stick with the ones that provide Free, instant information. Avoid those just trying to capture your information without providing any useful information.
- Realtors are required to collect your info to provide certain information about properties. If a Realtor is identified and contact information (Phone number, physical address, e-mail etc.) is provided on the main page of the website and your common sense tells you that the website belongs to a local Realtor, your information is more likely to be in safe hands.
- Once you find a great Realtor’s website, bookmark it, contact the Realtor or create an account on the website.
Visit MyAbbotsford.Com for Abbotsford real estate information.