Step 3 - How to search & find the home you're interested in

Step 3 -  How To Search & Find The Home You're Interested In
 

How to search for Homes

• Open houses
• Driving the area you like, you should really narrow down the area and type of home you're interested in
• Search Online (the most popular and easiest)
• Search the MLS itself (most accurate)
• Search Zillow, realtor.com, Trulia & other sites

What's the best way to search?

•  Search Your Local MLS:  The MLS is the database with all of the listings and has live data.  Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and other sites are ok but they are a a datafeed from the MLS. Those are  3rd party sites that feed FROM THE MLS. So, the mls is simply the most accurate place to search for homes.  Google search your local mls like, "Detroit MLS" or Detroit board of realtors". Make sure you look at the URL or address to verify it is the board of Realtors and not some other site. It can be deceptive.
• First To Know:  With "First To Know",  we enter your search criteria into the MLS. This is really the way to go because each time a new home is listed OR a home's price is reduced that meets your criteria, you automatically receive an email alerting you to the listing! This can be huge in a "Buyer's market" where there are many showings and multiple offers. Doing "First To Know" you will know before most other people as to the new home that was just listed". If you wish to be the "First To Know" on listings, email us with your criteria like area, price range, home type and so forth. We will set you up in the MLS. You will receive automated emails with all homes that meet your criteria! No Obligation either.  If you would like us to enter your search criteria into the mls (No Obligation), just send us an email with your criteria and area.

• 3rd Party Sites:  .A word on 3rd party sites:  www.zillow.com, www.realtor.com, www.trulia.com are perhaps the largest sites.  These sites are in the business of selling advertising to agents. So, if you find a home here it is often hard to find the actual listing agent. Typically you end up contacting an agent who buys that zip code and NOT the actual listing agent so be careful searching 3rd party sites!  If you search these sites, make sure you contact the actual listing agent.
• Realtor sites: Many people search specific agents sites. This is nothing more than an other datafeed from the mls. Some agents pay a fee to the mls to have what is called, "IDX Data Feed" meaning the MLS listings datafeed to their site. This makes that agent look like they have a ton of listings but in fact it is just another datafeed.
• The actual MLS itself (live data & most accurate).