America’s 12 Best Real Estate Websites (2024 Rankings)

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.

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!

Opendoor has the following advantages:

• Instant Cash Offer: You receive a preliminary cash offer within 24 hours of submitting your property’s information.
• Flexible Closing Date: Offerpad gives you 60 days to close on your home as it lets sellers choose a convenient time.
• Opendoor Exclusives: Opendoor also offers properties that are not listed anywhere else on the market.
• Wide Coverage: It offers iBuyer services in 48 metro areas.
• No Cancellation Fees: You can cancel the contract without any cancellation fee.

Here are some drawbacks of Opendoor.

• Lowball Cash Offer: Opendoor’s final cash offer may be below the property’s fair market value, around 70%. They also deduct repair and closing costs.
• High Additional Fee: You’ll have to pay a 5% service fee, repair costs, and closing costs. This reduces the amount of cash you get in hand.
• Non-Negotiable Offer: Opendoor’s offer is a take-it-or-leave-it offer, which leaves you zero room for negotiation.
• Opendoor May Back Out of the Deal: Some homeowners have had a bad experience with Opendoor. The company backed out of the deal at the last minute, leaving them stranded.

Opendoor has an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars from 3000+ reviews on Reviews.io.

Opendoor Reviews: Read what customers have to say about their cash offer.

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.

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.

Here are some advantages of choosing Homes.com:

• Extensive Listings: Homes.com aggregates listings from a various sources. This gives users access to a wide range of properties.
• Snap and Search Feature: It allows you to take snapshots of the home you like. Later, the app will match the snapshot with similar homes in your area.
• Advanced Search Filters: You can filter your search results based on various options, such as price, location, features, and amenities.
• Saved Searches: You can save your searches and receive email alerts when new listings that meet your criteria are added to the website.
• User-friendly Interface: The website is easy to use and navigate, even for first-time homebuyers.

Here are some red flags of Homes.com:

• Sells Leads: Homes.com sells home buyer and seller contact info to real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and lenders.
• Listing Accuracy: Homes.com aggregates listings from multiple sources, potentially leading to inaccuracies or outdated information.
• Limited Agent’s Information: It does not provide direct contact information of listing agents. Instead, users have to submit a contact form through the website.

Homes.com has a rating of 1.4 out of 5 stars from 100+ users on Trustpilot.

Here are some advantages of RealtyTrac.

• Affordable Properties: As a buyer, you get these properties for less. Banks sell these properties to quickly recoup their losses.
• Off-Market Properties: You can also get off-market deals on bank-owned homes and pre-foreclosure properties.
• Background Check: RealtyTrac helps you reduces the possibility of existing liens or unpaid taxes.
• Accurate Information: RealtyTrac keeps you updated with current information about foreclosed properties, upcoming auctions, and more.
• Subscription-Based Model: RealtyTrac provides access to listings and an opportunity to participate in auctions.

Here are some major deal breakers with RealtyTrac:

• Fewer Features in the Free Plan: Unpaid subscribers do not get access to detailed property information.
• Limited Options: RealtyTrac sells only foreclosed and distressed homes.
• No Mobile App: RealtyTrac does not provide any mobile application for users.

RealtyTrac has a rating of 4 out of 5 stars from 50+ users on Consumer Affairs.

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.

Here are some advantages of Apartments.com:

• Free to Search Properties: Renters can search properties for free in both the app and on the website.
• Walk-through Video: Apartments.com provides walk-through video demonstrations for renters. It also has a mobile app with search and contact features.
• Travel Time Feature: The travel time feature lets users search for rentals in proximity to a specific address.
• Unique Features: The website has a ‘Polygon’ tool feature that helps users mark a specific area on the map and search properties in that area. The commute planner helps users to find a home close to their workplace.

Here are some disadvantages of Apartments.com:

• Less Exposure: The listings are limited to company’s websites.
• Complaints From Customers: Some customers complained about their navigational features.
• No Upgradation: There is no product to upgrade to premium advertising on Apartments.com.

Apartments.com has 2 out of 5 stars from 100+ users on Sitejabber.

Here are some advantages of Auction.com.

• Online Auction: With Auction.com, you get the convenience of joining an auction from anywhere.
• Bank-Owned Property Auctions: These are safer bets as these properties are owned by bank themselves. Auction.com has a provision for you to buy them.
• E-Auction Feature: Auction.com’s “Foreclosure Interact” tool, gives you real-time status updates of auction.
• Proxy Bidding: This feature allows users to place a bid before the auction officially begins.
• Nationwide Coverage: Auction.com covers all 50 states in the United States.

Here are some disadvantages of Auction.com:

• Lack of Transparency: Auction.com doesn’t always provide comprehensive information about the properties on their platform. They lack critical property details and legal disclosures.
• Poor and Substandard Communication: Several customer reviews highlight problem with the customer support team regarding ineffective communication.

Auction.com has 2.4 out of 5 stars from 400+ users on Sitejabber.

» Auction.com Reviews: Find out whether Auction.com is an ideal place to buy or not.

Here are some advantages of Avail.co:

• FastPay: Avail FastPay feature allows landlords to receive rent payments the next business day.
• User-Friendly Website: Avail has an easy-to-navigate user interface. It is easy to manage property-related tasks.
• Track Maintenance: It allows landlords to track maintenance requests and expenses from start to finish.
• Avail Landlord Software: This software helps landlords find tenants, view credit history, sign leases, and collect rent from any device.

Here are some disadvantages you should look at before choosing them.

• Additional Charges: Avail charges $30 each for credit history, nationwide criminal background, and eviction checks or you can buy them as a bundle for $55.
• Short Listing Inventory: Avail has fewer features for the landlord to highlight their property. It has a minimum list of search filters that applicants may use to search for a property.
• Renters Pay a High Fee: Renters have to pay $2.50 for every bank transfer. They are also responsible for the screening report fees.

Avail has a rating of 2.9 out of 5 stars from 10+ users on Trustpilot.

Here are some advantages of Sundae:

• Skip Repairs: You don’t have to worry about making repairs, as you can sell your house as-is with Sundae.
• Multiple Offers: You will receive multiple offers as your property is marketed to hundreds of investors.
• Cash Advance Program: Sundae offers its qualifying homeowners a cash advance of up to $10,000.
• Flexible Closing Process: After accepting an offer, you have the flexibility to set your own closing date within a window of 10 to 60 days.

Sundae.com has the following drawbacks:

• Lowball Offer: Investors will make an offer significantly lower than the fair market value.
• Longer Wait Time: Sundae conduct a full inspection before listing and they also have a 3-day bidding period to review the offer. This can delay the whole process.
• Coverage: As of October 2023, Sundae only operates in 7 cities in the United States.

Sundae has an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars from 100+ users on the Better Business Bureau.

» Sundae Reviews: Read before listing.