Home Buying Searches: The easiest way to do it
With few exceptions, a Realtor can find a home in Las Vegas for you to purchase quicker and easier then you can. We have access to professional databases that are not ENTIRELY available to the public.
The first database we use to locate homes for sale is the Multiple Listing Service or MLS. The MLS is run by Realtors for Realtors. We pay several hundred dollars a year to have full access to this database. When we have homes for sale, we enter the information into the MLS so other Realtors can easily locate our listings for their Buyers.
The MLS tends to be more accurate then public Real Estate websites because Realtors can be fined for posting inaccurate information. For example, once a property has an accepted offer it must be changed from available to contingent or pending sold within 24 hours. Failure to do so can result in a fine for the offending Realtor.
Another important feature of the (Professional) MLS is that it can be searched using several dozen criteria. Public websites do not offer such detailed search capacity. How about an FHA (mortgage) approved, single story home, in an age restricted community, less than twenty years old, with a 1/4 acre lot, an association fee of less then $150 dollars a month within a 2 mile radius of St. Rose Hospital in Henderson Nevada? I can search for all those criteria (and find it) and I would be willing to bet (as a member of the general public) that you could not. Better still, I can automate said search for you so that you will be immediately notified (by email) when such a property becomes available.
Another website that Realtors use (and pay to do so) is called Salestraq. It works in a similar fashion to the MLS but is focused on new homes instead of resale homes. Salestraq is not available in every market, but it is available in Southern Nevada.
Don’t get me wrong, I think the Internet is an exceptional tool for information gathering. It is great for researching crime statistics, school ratings and utility information but there is a better way to find a home. Let your Realtor do it!
My name is Greg Hoffman and I have been a Realtor in Las Vegas for 10 years. I have lived here for 19 years, feel free to contact me if you have an Real Estate questions about Southern Nevada. (greg @ senasellsvegas.com)
Recent Comments