Not long ago, Realtors held the keys to virtually all of the information about homes that were for sale. Today, home shoppers can unlock a keyboard to browse more than 50 home- search sites containing a wealth of details about homes for sale, including prices, descriptions, color photos, virtual interior and exterior tours, and in some cases, exact addresses. The search sites also are packed with links to other real estate sites offering school profiles, neighborhood demographics, mortgage rates, loan prequalification, real estate news, FAQs about real estate transactions, and much more.

The home-search sites are provided by various owners and operators, including real estate brokerages (large and small), Realtor associations, and technology companies not affiliated with the real estate industry. The quality and quantity of information varies quite a bit, so you'll want to check out a few sites rather than relying on just one.

A great home base for your search is Realty Locator, where you'll find lists of search engines that have homes for sale in your state. When the Realty Locator compass appears, click on "Home Search," then select your state. For California, you'll find 48 search engines. For Texas, you'll find 38 search engines, and so on. Not only does the handy compass point you to home searches, it also directs you to extensive searches for other services associated with the real estate transaction, such as architects, builders, appraisers, mortgage lenders, Realtors, title companies, and more. Realty Locator is currently the Internet's largest directory, or search site, of real estate-related Web pages.

The largest home-search engine by far is Realtor.com from the National Association of Realtors and RealSelect, Inc. This site claims to have more than 1 million listings nationwide. The listings, which are pulled from local MLSs, contain lots of details and color pictures. Realtor.com also has a "find a Realtor" function and a large real estate Q&A library. With the site's unique "mover's toolkit," you can calculate the cost of an interstate move, plan a move timeline, and research crime statistics for more than 500 cities. The only disappointment on Realtor.com is the real estate news link, which leads to N.A.R.'s press releases.

Other home-search sites with a national presence include Homescout, Cyberhomes, and New Realty. Compared with Realtor.com, the inventory on these sites is less extensive, but the homes listed are not limited by MLS guidelines. Homescout, a growing contender, lists more than 500,000 homes.

Despite their smaller inventories, the up-and-coming real estate sites have some good information. Homescout has a library of short real estate FAQs. Cyberhomes has a nifty map function that shows the exact location of each home. It also has an e-mail feature that supposedly zaps new listings meeting your criteria directly to you. NewRealty is organized as a home shopper's to-do list, with links to resources that guide you through the homebuying process.

A good example of a one-state search engine is the California Living Network from the California Association of Realtors and ListingLink. The site claims to include listings from virtually every MLS in the state. It also has a limited amount of tourist information. If you're looking for a home specifically in California, this site is a useful search option.

Whether or not you are planning to purchase a home via the 'Net, home-search engines are a tremendous time-saver and an entertaining way to help you crystallize your ideas about what you really want and where you want to live. Once you have satisfied your curiosity on the Internet, you can always select a Realtor to help you with additional information and assist you with other steps associated with finding a new home.

Published: January 7, 1998

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