7 Best Real Estate Websites in San Francisco, CA (2024 Updates)

Houzeo offers 4 Flat Fee MLS packages.

• Bronze Package – $399+: This package offers Houzeo listing only for 6 months with maximum photos.
• Silver Package – $399+0.5% at closing: This includes everything that home sellers typically look for.
• Gold Package – $429+ 0.5 at closing: It is Houzeo’s signature MLS package and includes all the technology Houzeo is known for Houzeo Showings, Houzeo Offers, and DigiTransact.
• Platinum – $449+ 1% at closing: It includes the assistance of a licensed broker to help you with negotiations, disclosures, and closing.

👉 Our Take: We recommend Houzeo’s Gold plan for most home sellers. It gives you access to high-tech features like Houzeo Offers and Houzeo Showings.

» Houzeo Reviews: Houzeo is 100% online. You can finish listing formalities in less than 60 mins.

Houzeo is America’s #1 Flat Fee MLS service because of 4 reasons:

• Max Exposure: Your listing gets syndicated to popular real estate websites like Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, Redfin, and more.
• 5-star Customer Service: Houzeo has a fully staffed customer service desk available 6 days a week. Chats and emails are open 7 days a week.
• 100% Online: Houzeo offers a complete online listing experience. Its powerful property search app makes your home visible to interested buyers on the go.
• No Hidden Fees: In most states, you’ll be paying just a small flat fee to list on MLS by owner. And remember, all fees are disclosed upfront, so there are no Houzeo hidden fees. You get to bypass the listing agent commission.
• Free Home Value Estimator: Now, you can get a free home value estimate within 30 seconds. It helps you set a listing price.

There are no dealbreakers with Houzeo.

» Is Houzeo Good?  Houzeo addresses all Houzeo complaints from home sellers.

Houzeo has 4.9 out of 5 stars from thousands of home sellers on Google and Trustpilot.

» Houzeo Reviews: Read why Houzeo is rated excellent by 10,000+ home sellers.

Realtor.com does not charge home buyers or renters any fees for using their platform. However, they do charge real estate agents fees for listing homes on their platform.

The exact fees depend on the agent’s location and other factors, such as home size.

👉 Our Take: Realtor.com seems to be a comprehensive platform for home buyers, sellers, and renters. They offer a range of services such as home listings, neighborhood information, real estate news, and many more.

Here are some advantages of choosing Realtor.com:

• Accurate Listings: Realtor.com claims to have an up-to-date listings of homes for sale and rent.
• Neighborhood Information: Realtor.com provides information about neighborhoods, such as school ratings, crime rates, and local amenities.
• Home Value Estimator: It provides an online tool that estimates the value of your home based on recent sales and other factors.
• Mortgage Calculator: Realtor.com offers a mortgage calculator that helps you estimate your monthly mortgage payments. The estimation is based on the price of the home, down payment, interest rate, and other factors.
• User-Friendly Interface: Their easy-to-use interface makes it simple to search for homes and access other features.
• REALTOR Support: It is the official listing website of the National Association of Realtors (NAR). So, buyers can buy or rent a property through a Realtor.

Here are some major drawbacks that a user should be aware of.

• Offline Process: Realtor.com has manual and offline procedures which can be very complex and time-taking.
• Poor Reviews: Many of their users complained about their customer support and realtor’s services.
• Unwanted Calls: Once you inquired about a property on Realtor.com, you start getting unsolicited calls from their agents.

Realtor.com has a poor rating of 1.6 out of 5 stars from 1000+ users on Trustpilot.

Zillow offers the following listing plans for home sellers:

• FSBO Listing on Zillow – $0: You can list your home for free on Zillow’s FSBO platform.
• Zillow Premier Agent – 3% commission: This is the traditional way to sell your home. An agent assists you through the home sale process.

👉 Our Take: You can list your home on Zillow FSBO free of charge. So, you save money on agent commissions, which are 2.5% to 3% of the home sales price.

»  How Does Zillow Work? Read further to learn the process of Zillow.

Here are some advantages to choosing Zillow:

• Free Listing: You can list your home on Zillow’s FSBO website free of charge.
• Free Cancellation: You can cancel your Zillow listing without any additional charges or hidden costs.
• Market Exposure: It is one of the most popular real estate websites, with millions of visitors each month. This means that your listing will be seen by a large number of potential buyers.
• Nationwide Coverage: Zillow FSBO is present in all 50 states in America.
• Easy To Use: Zillow’s website and mobile app are easy to use and navigate. Users can search for properties by location, price, features, and other criteria.

Zillow has some major drawbacks that a user should be aware of.

• Slow Listings: Your listing can take up to 72 hours from the time you submit your property details.
• Inaccurate Zestimate: Zestimate, Zillow’s property valuation tool is often inaccurate. This misleads both buyers and sellers.
• Limited Support: Zillow’s customer support may not match the level of personalized guidance offered by other FSBO companies.
• Lead for Real Estate Agent: Your listing information gets sold to Zillow’s agents. You’ll get calls not from buyers but from agents.
• Hide FSBO Listings: Zillow hides FSBO listings behind agent listings. FSBO listings are hidden 2 clicks away and get almost no traffic.

Zillow has a poor rating of 1.5 out of 5 stars from 300+ reviews on Trustpilot.

» Zillow Reviews: Read further to know why customers are dissatisfied with Zillow services.

Trulia doesn’t charge users for features like browsing listings, photos, or contacting agents. However, renters do have to pay $29 rental screening fees.

👉 Our Take: Trulia stands out for its user-friendly interface and extensive property listings. It offers valuable tools like neighborhood insights and crime maps. Trulia is a good choice for those seeking a convenient home search experience.

Here are some advantages of Trulia:

• Extensive Listings: Trulia covers several property types, allowing users to explore various options.
• Neighborhood Information: Trulia keeps you updated with all the neighborhood information such as crime rates, schools, amenities, etc.
• Agent Connectivity: You can connect with real estate agents directly through the platform. This service may benefit you if you want to work with an agent.
• Mobile App: It provides convenient access to property listings, saved searches, and notifications.
• Local Coverage: It offers a comprehensive map and filters, which make it easier to look for local information about the property.
• Best Calculators: Trulia has a mortgage, affordability, and refinancing calculator to serve you better.

Here are some disadvantages of Trulia:

• Incomplete Data: Some listings may lack details, such as neighborhood insights or detailed property histories.
• Outdated Listings: Sometimes even if the house is sold, the listing is not updated. This can mislead the buyers.

Trulia has a rating of 3.2 out of 5 stars from 70+ reviews on G2

»  Trulia Reviews: Click here to know the reason behind the 3-star review on G2.

Vanguard Properties does not disclose pricing on its website. This means you might end up paying the traditional 3% to 6% commission.

To get an exact figure for your commission, contact your local Vanguard agent.

👉 Our Take: Vanguard Properties agents’ are known for their genuine friendliness and distinct sense of style. However, the traditional real estate commission can burn a whole in your wallet.

Here are some advantages of Vanguard Properties:

• Deals in Commercial Real Estate: Vanguard Properties has 30+ years of multifamily and commercial experience.
• Vast Network: It offers you a vast local and global agent network. The agents can help you get a good deal on your property.
• Add-On Services: The company offers various services like open houses, premium technology systems, and marketing research.

Here are some disadvantages of Vanguard properties:

• Limited Coverage: It only covers San Francisco, Marin County, Sonoma and Napa Counties, and East Bay.
• No Mobile App: It does not have its own mobile app to ease out the process.
• Poor Customer Reviews: The company has average to poor customer reviews on Yelp.

Vanguard Properties has 2.6 out of 5 stars from 40+ customers on Yelp.

Redfin does not disclose its pricing on its website. Sellers will have to pay common closing costs.

• It offers 0.5% buyer’s rebate. To avail this, you’ll have to buy and sell with them.

👉 Our Take: Redfin offers 1 rebate option but with a strict clause. While, other real estate companies are willing to offer a higher rebate.

» Redfin Reviews: The reality of the buyer’s rebate.

Here are some advantages of choosing Redfin:

• Advanced Technology: With 3D walkthroughs and 40+ filters to narrow down your search, the Redfin app makes it easy to find the right home from anywhere.
• Paired With Local Agents: Local agents know their market better. This can help you secure a good deal.
• Home Tour: You can see updated listings every 5 minutes on their website. You can also schedule a home tour for the same day.
• Nationwide Coverage: Redfin covers 80+ markets in the US.

Here are some limitations we found with Redfin.

• Strict Rebate Criteria: Clients who sell and buy with Redfin within one year get a rebate of 0.5%.
• No Freedom in Agent Selection: You get an agent assigned automatically without having a choice in the matter.
• Agents Are Less Incentivized: Unlike traditional agents who work for commission, Redfin agents get a fixed salary. This can demotivate them from offering you additional services.
• Poor Customer Reviews: Customers have complained that agents are often unreachable and unprofessional.

Redfin has an average rating of  4.3 out of 5 stars from 60+ reviews on Google.

» Redfin Reviews: The Reality of the 1% Fees, Pros, Cons, and Alternatives!

Compass does not disclose pricing on its websites. This means you might end up paying the traditional 3% to 6% commission.

• Agents’ commissions vary according to their region of operation.

👉 Our Take: Working with Compass agents will guarantee you sell your property for top dollar.

Compass offers good service in the states they are available in:

• Market Exposure: Compass promotes your property using print, digital, and social media.
• Compass Concierge: This includes everything from staging and painting to cosmetic renovation. You will not be charged a fee until your home sale has gone through.
• Private Listings: The company has a separate section named ‘private exclusive’. These are off-market listings. The sellers decide the information they want to share.
• Cloud-Based Software: From the initial meeting to closing, agents have all the tools at their fingertips to streamline the process.

In our research, we came across some deal breakers with Compass.

• Limited Coverage: Compass Real Estate is only available in 17 states.
• Traditional Realtor Commission: The company follows the traditional realtor commission model. This means you will end up paying a 6% commission.

Compass Real Estate has an average rating of 4.24 out of 5 stars from 20+ reviews on Agent Advice.