As the real estate industry continues to go digital, it’s more crucial than ever to choose the right real estate marketplaces to maximize online visibility of your properties, both for sale and rent. With countless options available to real estate professionals, agents, and investors, it can be challenging to know where to put your focus.
In 2023, we’ve seen some players in this space standout, and in this guide, we’ll highlight 10 of the best real estate marketplaces that are consistently delivering results. We’ll cover:
- Why you should consider leveraging real estate marketplaces
- 10 of the best real estate marketplaces available
- Key groups that can benefit from these platforms
Let’s jump in.
Why Use Real Estate Marketplaces?
Real estate online marketplaces have revolutionized the way individuals buy, sell, and rent properties. In fact, according to the National Association of Realtors, over 96% of buyers are using online search platforms. Offering a platform where sellers can list properties and buyers can search and filter through thousands of listings based on their preferences, the best real estate websites and marketplaces have made the property transaction process more transparent, efficient, and user-friendly.
With the integration of advanced technologies, users can now access property reviews, virtual tours, and detailed neighborhood information, all from the comfort of their homes.
Key Benefits:
- Empowers users with a vast array of property options, enriching their property search, real estate investing, and home buying experience
- Enhances trust through detailed property insights, firsthand user reviews, and local knowledge, ensuring buyers and renters make well-informed choices
- Simplifies the transaction journey with tools that aid in financial planning and direct communication, removing potential roadblocks
- Provides the flexibility of mobile platforms, making property searches and transactions seamless, no matter where users are
10 Best Real Estate Website Marketplaces
To optimize your time and resources, it’s important to choose the right real estate website or marketplace. In this section we’ll highlight some of the most popular real estate websites and marketplaces available, along with key features you need to know to find the right one for you.
Zillow
One of the top real estate websites for buyers, sellers, renters, and real estate professionals who want to buy, sell, rent, or research properties.
What you need to know:
- Zillow’s iBuying business, known as Zillow Offers, allows sellers to sell their homes quickly and conveniently
- Zillow’s estimated market value for a property, known as the Zestimate, provides users with an estimate of how much a property is worth. It helps users gain valuable insights into the current market
- Has data on roughly 110 million homes across the United States
Realtor.com
Real estate listings website that helps you find your dream home, whether you want to buy, rent or sell.
What you need to know:
- 2nd most real estate listings website in the United States as of 2021, with over 100 million monthly active users
- Directly connected to over 800 local multiple listing services (MLS)
- Offers a variety of tools and resources to help you with your home search, such as mortgage calculators, affordability estimators, down payment assistance programs, local market insights, virtual tours, and more
Redfin
Real estate marketplace platform that helps you buy or sell homes with ease and savings.
What you need to know:
- Offers discounted services for home sellers, charging only 1.5% listing fee instead of the traditional 2.5-3%
- Has a top-rated app that lets you search for homes, get alerts, and schedule tours with local agents
- Has a network of over 2,000 lead agents who are experts in their markets and provide full-service support to their clients.
Airbnb
Community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world.
What you need to know:
- Offers a range of unique accommodations such as apartments, houses, villas, and castles in more than 33,000 cities and 192 countries 2
- Provides various features such as online booking, secure payments, messaging, reviews, and customer support
- Has a growing community of users and hosts who share their travel experiences and stories
Homelight
Platform for buyers, sellers, renters, and real estate professionals who want to buy, sell, rent, or research properties.
What you need to know:
- Offers a range of services such as online booking, secure online payments, messaging, reviews, and customer support
- Provides various features such as agent matching algorithm that drives quantifiably better outcomes.
- HomeLight’s Simple Sale product is a one-stop-shop for instant offers
Loopnet
The largest real estate website in the commercial real estate industries.
What you need to know:
- Provides a platform for connecting tenants, buyers, and owners in the commercial real estate market
- With over 12 million monthly global unique visitors, LoopNet ranks number one for more than 136,000 commercial real estate search terms
- Founded in 1995 by Dennis DeAndre and has since become the internet’s largest real estate listing service for commercial properties
eXp Realty
Peer-to-peer real estate marketplace that flips the script and focuses on owners with potential tenants.
What you need to know:
- Cloud-based real estate brokerage that offers virtual tours, 3D models, and floor plans to its agents and clients
- 4th largest and fastest growing realty brokerage in the US, with operations in Canada, Australia, and the UK
- Operates via a gaming-style, cloud-based virtual world called VirBELA, where agents can collaborate, train, and socialize with avatars
Zumper
A top real estate website that helps renters find and apply for their next home.
What you need to know:
- Provides access to over 13 million listings across the US and Canada, with detailed information such as photos, amenities, floor plans, and neighborhood guides
- Offers a free online application and credit report service that allows renters to apply for multiple properties with one click
- Includes a rent payment feature that allows renters to pay rent online using various methods, such as credit cards, debit cards, e-checks, and bank transfers
Trulia
Online real estate marketplace that helps buyers and renters find homes and neighborhoods across the United States.
What you need to know:
- Was founded in 2005 and is now a subsidiary of Zillow Group
- Provides comprehensive school and neighborhood information on homes for sale, including local insights, recommendations, and map overlays
- Offers tools and resources for home sellers, such as home value estimates, guides, and tips
Rightmove
The UK's number one property website for properties for sale and to rent.
What you need to know:
- Has over 900,000 properties for sale and over 300,000 properties to rent from more than 19,000 estate agents and developers across the UK
- Offers tools and guides to help buyers, sellers, renters and landlords make informed decisions about their property needs, such as free home valuation, mortgage in principle, sold house prices, energy efficiency ratings and more
- Allows users to search for properties by location, price, type, features, keywords or even draw their own search area on a map
Who Can Benefit from Real Estate Marketplaces?
Real estate website marketplaces have revolutionized the ways people search, buy, and invest in properties, stand out not just for their simplicity but also for their inclusivity in catering to diverse real estate needs. From potential homebuyers to seasoned property investors, here's a snapshot of who stands to gain:
- Potential homebuyers and renters: Those looking for a new home can easily search properties or rental listings, accessing details and visuals.
- Sellers/homeowners: Individuals selling their properties gain increased visibility and a broader audience reach.
- Real estate agents and brokers: Professionals can promote their listings, attract potential clients, and leverage digital tools.
- Property investors: Investors benefit from spotting potential deals and researching market trends.
Conclusion
In an increasingly digital age, the right online platform can make a significant difference in the real estate world. By leveraging the top real estate marketplaces highlighted in this guide, professionals can ensure their properties gain maximum visibility, ultimately driving sales and rentals.
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