Page 17 - REN_May-June 2021

Top Tips For House Hunting Online

unting for a new home online is a great place to start your search, but it should not be your end all be all. Good
listing agents are excellent at highlighting the best features of the home, but keep in mind there may be more
Hthan meets the eye. To make the most of your time and efforts and gather a well-rounded picture of home
listings online, keep the following three things in mind.
ONE
Stay up to date. When you start your search, make
sure you find a site that pulls up-to-date listings
directly from the multiple listing service (MLS) where
real estate agents actively post their most current
homes for sale. Many online resources update less
often or fail to remove listings that are off the market,
making it more difficult to sort through the clutter.

TWO
Pictures can be deceiving. Real estate photographers
are experts at showing a home in the best possible
light. Many use tools and strategies to boost appeal,
such as a fisheye lens to make areas look larger and
creative editing to make colors and textures really
pop. But, often listings will not contain photos of
unappealing parts of the home, like small closets or
outdated bathrooms.

THREE
See it to believe it. Once you find what appears to
be your dream home online, call up your real estate
agent and schedule a showing. You want to take the
opportunity to vet the home in person and explore
every part of it before beginning the offer process.
Your real estate agent will help you cover all your
bases and will ask questions you may not have
thought of. g

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