7 Best Real Estate Websites in California (2024 Updates)

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.

Beycome offers good service in the selected states they are available in:

• Unrestricted Revisions and Edits: You can make unlimited changes to the description, photos, or price of your listing.
• Expert Assistance, if Needed: You can get expert assistance on all 7 days of the week in English and Spanish.

In our research, we came across these deal breakers with Beycome:

• Upselling Title Service: Beycome also owns a title company, which will be pitched to you repeatedly.
• Limited Coverage: It is only available in 10 states.
• Lack of Assistance: Most sellers had to manage price negotiation, showings, and closing by themselves. Sellers also complained about the delay in resolving issues.
• Average Technology: Leads, inspections, appraisals, etc., are managed offline so the process can be cumbersome.
• Only for Experienced Sellers: First-time sellers may not have experience in closing costs and seller disclosures. Beycome does not provide that much assistance in this area.

Beycome has 4.5 out of 5 stars from 600+ reviews on Google.

» Beycome Reviews: Know why Beycome is not the best choice to sell your home.

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 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 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 4.2 out of 5 stars from 20+ reviews on Agent Advice.

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.

Here are some advantages to choosing Century 21:

• Global Coverage: Century21 operates in every U.S. state and 82 other countries.
• Market Exposure: It has good brand recognition and over 14,000 independent franchise real estate brokers.
• Professional Real Estate Agents: According to previous customers, Century 21 agents are highly professional.
• Best for First-Time Home Sellers: You get to access your listing, review your contract, the closing process, and a lot more.

Century 21 has some major drawbacks that a user should be aware of.

• No Discounts: The agent’s fees at Century 21 are usually high. They do not offer any discounts or rebates.

Century 21 has an average rating of 1 out of 5 stars from 100+ users on Consumer Affairs.