Newbie and first-time investors will get a lot by knowing the best real estate websites to visit online.
Table of Contents
- What Is a Real Estate Website?
- Why Are Real Estate Websites Important?
- Choosing the Top Websites for Real Estate Investors
- The 10 Best Real Estate Websites for Real Estate Investing
- Wrapping It Up
The real estate investing landscape has changed significantly over the past few decades. There are a lot of major technological advancements that have completely changed the way we do things.
For instance, looking for relevant real estate market information and data took months to do back in the day. To do that, one has to literally go out and drive around town to spot the best deals on investment properties. And even with all the time spent on the road, investors are still limited with their choices. Not everyone can afford to look beyond their backyard, much less go out of state to look for inventory.
Nowadays, thanks to the internet, investors have an easier time finding great deals on income properties for sale. They now even have plenty of out-of-state options to choose from as far as housing stock is concerned. With all the real estate websites and apps to choose from, investing has never been easier.
The question now is, which are the top real estate websites that first-time investors should take note of?
What Is a Real Estate Website?
Before we get to the list of the top websites for real estate investing, we first need to define what a real estate website is.
Real estate websites are websites targeted specifically at home buyers, real estate investors, and real estate professionals. The websites offer convenience to buyers and greater exposure to sellers. They also give professionals the opportunity to expand their network and connect with other real estate professionals and enthusiasts.
Sellers can get their properties listed on the websites for buyers and agents to view. They can post pictures for potential buyers to get an idea of what to expect. One of the best things about the arrangement is that no walkthroughs are necessary.
Real estate professionals such as agents, brokers, and even lenders, also benefit a lot from the said websites. The sites serve as marketing channels to help generate more leads for their respective businesses.
Plenty of real estate websites have also expanded their coverage and have developed mobile apps for investors on the go. Mobile apps let investors look for investment opportunities in different real estate markets on their mobile devices. It makes investing a lot more convenient as it already eliminates the need for a desktop or laptop computer to get the job done.
Why Are Real Estate Websites Important?
COVID-19 made us all realize how important technology and the digital realm are. Since it disrupted our pre-pandemic normal lives, almost everyone and everything migrated to the digital world.
Work-from-home and online businesses became two of the primary financial saviors of almost every professional and business person. Transactions were made, and deals were closed online for most of 2020 and 2021. Society learned to function using different online platforms and applications. Even the real estate industry was forced to embrace technology in the face of a downturn.
Real estate websites have given the industry its much-needed lifeline. Lots of buyers and sellers conducted most of their business online, only meeting up in person for the turnover and whenever necessary. Traffic on real estate websites dramatically increased at the height of the pandemic.
Buyers can look at properties online in the comfort of their homes. Sellers also benefit from an increase in views by the hundreds compared to the few who actually swing by to check out their properties.
According to the 2020 National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 28% of home buyers found their homes through a realtor, 4% of them got houses from yard signs, and a whopping 51% purchased their homes online.
With an audience like that, it’s no wonder that real estate companies are beefing up their online presence.
Choosing the Top Websites for Real Estate Investors
While there are literally tons of great real estate websites out there, certain sites stand out for what they can offer to real estate investors. People who are just learning about how to invest in real estate will benefit from knowing which websites to follow.
When coming up with the succeeding list of real estate websites, we chose the ones that are best known for something specific in real estate investing. We scoured through the internet to find what we believe are the best based on what newbie real estate investors can gain.
Website Categories
We’ve selected the following categories:
- Best Website for Investors. This selection is for the top overall website that can help investors in every aspect of real estate investing.
- Best Real Estate Listing Website. This selection is for the website with the best inventory out there.
- Best Website for Data Accuracy. This selection represents the site with the most accurate real estate market data today.
- Best Website for Lead Generation. This selection goes to the website that is tops in lead generation and contact management.
- Best Website for Foreclosures. This selection goes to the website that is the best source of foreclosed properties and related relevant information.
- Best Website for Vacation Rentals. This website is chosen as the best site and app to look for and book short-term rental properties.
- Best Website for Crowdfunding for Beginners. This website is selected based on its performance as a crowdfunding site that’s beginner-friendly.
- Best Website for Turnkey Properties. This website is chosen for its large selection of turnkey properties.
- Best Commercial Real Estate Website. This selection goes to the best website for commercial real properties.
- Best Website for Modern-Day Heroes. This website is chosen for what it offers the heroes of today.
Instead of just ranking the websites, we’ve decided to highlight specific sites for their specialization. It gives newbie real estate investors a chance to find out which sites to turn to for their specific needs.
Related: Top 7 Qualities of the Best Real Estate App for Property Investors
The 10 Best Real Estate Websites for Real Estate Investing
If you’re a first-time investor and you’re looking for houses for sale, you know that finding them will be a lot easier online. Compared to the limited inventory you got in your backyard, going online will open more opportunities for investments.
While there are a lot of great and reputable websites out there, we have listed ten of the top real estate websites that have something specific to offer investors. The following are the best real estate websites for agents, sellers, buyers, and investors both novice and experienced:
1. Mashvisor – Best Real Estate Website for Investors
As a real estate website, Mashvisor is quite known for data analytics, especially where traditional and Airbnb properties are involved. Its MLS database is regularly updated to ensure only the most relevant information and data are available to its subscribers. It also makes projections of return on investment a lot more accurate and realistic.
The platform also offers a wide range of tools that investors find useful. Its investment property calculator is among the best online calculators available today. The website is easy to navigate and friendly to all users. A subscription to Mashvisor is affordable and gives investors more bang for their buck.
To learn more about how Mashvisor can help with your real estate investing needs, schedule a demo today.
2. Zillow – Best Real Estate Listing Website
Zillow is widely known in the industry as one of the best real estate websites for rentals. It has been around for quite some time, building its reputation as an industry leader and authority along the way.
As a real estate website, Zillow maintains a huge database of around 135 million listings. It also offers some how-to guides for buying and selling. It also provides links for pre-qualified financing, which is especially helpful to investors who are on a budget.
The website is also free to use for both buyers and sellers. The only downside to Zillow is that its Zestimate algorithm is only as good as the data and information put into it.
3. Realtor.com – Best Real Estate Website for Data Accuracy
When it comes to data accuracy, Realtor.com is the top name that comes to mind. It is affiliated with the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and is considered the gold standard for listing quality and accuracy.
While it does not offer an option to search for for-sale-by-owner properties, its massive database includes nearly 99% of all MLS listings. Fellow real estate website Mashvisor acknowledges it as one of the best websites for real estate news today.
It also provides a mobile app that has been downloaded on both Apple Store and Google Play Store countless times. While it’s not as good a mobile app as Trulia, it remains one of the most trusted websites that real estate professionals and investors trust.
Going through Realtor.com’s listings is almost a similar experience as browsing Trulia homes for sale. Any investor will most likely find a great deal when looking at Realtor.com homes for sale listings.
4. Market Leader – Best Real Estate Lead Generation Website
A lot of real estate websites and companies offer leads without taking accountability for them. Market Leader is not like those companies. It is able to deliver on its promise with a money-back guarantee. As a leader in the lead-generation industry, it guarantees users a certain monthly volume despite having very limited analytics and tracking for single agents.
It can be easily integrated into your CRM, helping provide advanced tracking for lead behavior. While it does lack certain features such as SMS texting, phone dialing, or social media integrations, it is arguably the most complete available online solution for agents and brokers. It may not be the best for prospecting, but if you’re paying good money for inbound leads, nothing comes close to it.
5. Foreclosure.com – Best Real Estate Website for Foreclosures
Veteran real estate investors know how valuable Foreclosure.com is to their success. There are lots of excellent deals waiting to be discovered on the website. Foreclosure.com is dedicated to anything and everything foreclosure. If you’re looking for relevant information, how-to guides, and checklists on foreclosure processes, it is the site for you.
Its app may not be as frequently updated as the website, but it’s not enough to take away from all the good the site can offer. Although the monthly fee is a bit pricey to some, and a credit card is required to sign up for a free trial, you still get more than what you pay for. The site offers over 1.2 million foreclosure, pre-foreclosure, tax lien, and bankruptcy listings in the country.
There are more than a million foreclosure, pre-foreclosure, tax lien, and bankruptcy listings that can be found across the US.
6. Airbnb – Best Real Estate Website for Vacation Rentals
Airbnb is renowned worldwide as a giant in the vacation rental industry. Its ever-increasing popularity is all thanks to its genius think-tank and marketing folks. Even amid a pandemic, the company managed to stay afloat by pivoting and helping meet people’s needs.
As a vacation rental website, Airbnb connects travelers to homeowners renting out properties for shorter periods. The website provides travelers on a budget with more affordable alternatives to expensive hotels and resorts.
The company has also made starting a rental property business easy by providing useful articles on its site that discuss requirements, standards, and even the latest news in the short-term rental industry.
7. Fundrise – Best Real Estate Website for Crowdfunding for Beginners
Crowdfunding is a great way to get into real estate investing if you don’t have thousands of dollars to purchase a physical property. One of the best crowdfunding sites for beginners is Fundrise.
As a crowdfunding site, it offers beginner investors different investment options depending on the chosen account level. It requires no accreditation to join, unlike other real estate crowdfunding sites. While it does charge a 0.15% advisory fee and 0.85% management fee, minimum investments go between $10 and $100,000, depending on the account level.
Related: Learn and Experience the Power of Real Estate Crowdfunding
8. Roofstock – Best Real Estate Website for Turnkey Properties
If you’re looking for a website that allows you to turnkey homes with tenants in place, then Roofstock might be worth checking out. It gives investors the chance to invest in single-family and multi-family properties to add valuable assets to their investment portfolios.
Such an arrangement is especially helpful for first-time investors looking to build a good portfolio. It not only allows them to own real estate property but own a rental property business as well. While the company does allow you to buy, sell, or bring your own house to the table, it does not come with a mobile app to make your reach wider, unlike Trulia or Realtor.com.
9. LoopNet – Best Commercial Real Estate Website
Not all great real estate investment opportunities are tied to residential properties. Some of the most lucrative deals involve commercial real estate. For such reason, a website like LoopNet comes in handy, especially for those looking to break into the commercial real estate industry.
The website allows investors to search for commercial properties to buy or lease using listings that can be filtered accordingly. However, unlike other real estate apps like Mashvisor, it does not include an in-app real estate agent directory, nor does it provide important investment tools. However, as a bonus, it does offer residential property listings that are specifically targeted toward investors and potential landlords.
10. Homes for Heroes – Best Real Estate Website for Modern-Day Heroes
Last, but most definitely not least, we cannot in good conscience complete our list without honoring our heroes today. Homes for Heroes is a website that allows modern-day heroes to buy, sell, or refinance their homes and earn different rewards and savings. The website is for the military vets, those who are still on active duty, firefighters, EMTs, law enforcement officers, healthcare professionals, and teachers.
Although it does not come with a mobile app and does not offer free property information on the website, Homes for Heroes more than makes up for them with its different benefits. It helps our real American heroes save up on the different services that go with real estate transactions.
A portion of the amount on closed deals goes to a nonprofit that supports other local heroes. It is one of those programs that honor those who sacrificed a lot by giving back to them.
Related: 8 Best Websites to Access MLS Real Estate Listings Without a Realtor
Wrapping It Up
The best real estate websites often are backed up by positive peer and customer reviews. They also almost always offer something very specific to investors, whether it’s specializing in rental properties, foreclosures, crowdfunding, or data analytics.
But if you’re looking for a website that can pretty much address all of your concerns and answer your questions as a newbie, we highly recommend Mashvisor.
As a website, Mashvisor helps countless real estate investors find the right investment properties that line up with their goals and needs. It specializes in data analytics and maintains a massive database that covers almost every market of the 2022 US housing market. The platform’s real estate investing tools, such as the Property Finder and Investment Property Calculator, make investment property analysis a breeze.
To start using Mashvisor’s real estate investing tools, sign up for a 7-day free trial now, followed by 15% off for life.
