I have noticed recently that many home buyers looking for Massachusetts Homes for Sale are going about it the wrong way. I get dozens of calls a week from home buyers looking on large national aggregates like Zillow or Trulia looking for Massachusetts Homes for Sale.
The national aggregate home sites just lead to frustration for the home buyer.
So what is wrong with the national sites like Zillow and Trulia? They do not generally pull Massachusetts Homes for Sale from the Massachusetts Multiple Listing Service (MLS). They are pulling homes from any number of different sources. So the sites are not updated quickly, they are listing homes for sale that are not for sale and they are confusing home buyers.
You have to remember that these sites make money by selling leads to real estate agents. They don’t care how or why you call an agent they just want to sell services. They are using you, the unsuspecting home buyer to make money. If you are going to use a national site the most accurate one is Realtor.com.
Realtor.com is the only national site that pulls directly from each individual MLS.
How Does the Multiple Listing Service Work?
Briefly, I think it is important to understand how the Multiple Listing Service Works. An agent gets a home for sale or what we call a listing. With in 24 hours of receiving that listing we must post it in our local MLS. The Multiple Listing Service used to be a service just for real estate agents to share listings. Which really in the simplest terms it still is used for agents to share their listings with others.
The internet has definitely changed the field putting every home for sale listed by an agent at your fingertips. The MLS provides an IDX or Internet Data Exchange for agents to put listing on websites and the internet. Literally, these data exchanges will update these homes immediately. The home buying public finds out about new homes as soon as the real estate agents do.
The best way to find Massachusetts Homes for Sale
The best way to find a home to buy is connect with an agent and get an account to access their website or get daily updates. Your local real estate agent will have the proper tools to help you find a new home. You can have the agent sign you up or you can go to a website and sign up yourself. Plain and simple this will give you the most accurate information on homes for sale that you need. You will not waste countless hours chasing homes that are not available for sale.
Any agent will have this tool and it is free for you to use. The housing market is tight and inventory is low. Pay attention to what is really available to you and be aware of the new listings hitting the market immediately.
My last piece of advice, is learn to use the tool properly. They can be very comprehensive home search tools and if you take the time to learn the features it can help you sort though the homes for sale and focus on what you want.
This article, Where to find Massachusetts Homes for Sale, was provided by Kevin Vitali of EXIT Group One Real Estate. If you want to make the most of your Massachuestts Home Search try out my advanced mapping Massachusetts Home Search. You can also sign up for the companion mobile app and daily new home notifications.
