Best Real Estate Sites for Buyers in 2025

Most home buyers kick off their search online, exploring the top real estate websites to find their dream home. These sites provide access to thousands of listings, including those posted by realtors on the MLS and For Sale By Owner (FSBO) properties. 

A good site provides the details to make informed decisions, from clear photos and listing descriptions to key home information like tax history and comparable properties.

But finding the right home and neighborhood is just one part of the journey. Many of these websites also offer resources to guide you through the entire process. 

Read on to discover the best home buying websites and find the tools you need to succeed in your home-buying journey. 

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Top 5 real estate sites for house hunting in 2025

1. Zillow

🔑 Key takeaway: Zillow provides a convenient and comprehensive starting point for your home search. Just remember to pair it with the expertise of a local real estate agent who understands the market and can guide you through making an informed offer.

Zillow stands out as the go-to site for house hunting. It offers a free, easy way to explore property listings in their desired area. Buyers can filter searches by location, price, home type, features, and more. 

Zillow also estimates monthly costs, including mortgage fees, insurance, and property taxes, and provides neighborhood insights such as local schools, commute times, and walkability scores.

For buyers eyeing specific properties, Zillow’s app offers push notifications for updates on market changes. Additionally, you can connect with mortgage professionals through its network of lenders.

One of Zillow’s standout features is its proprietary “Zestimate,” which estimates a home’s value based on recent sales and appreciation trends in the area. While it can be a helpful reference point, it’s important to remember that the Zestimate is just an estimate, and can be off by thousands of dollars. 

Recently, Zillow also announced that its listings will now feature detailed climate risk information for five key categories (flood, wildfire, wind, heat, and air quality), along with insurance recommendations.[1]

For example, this home in Los Angeles, CA carries virtually no flood risk, but Zillow has estimated that the number of days per year above 87 degrees will increase by 214% over the next 30 years. This temperature rise could lead to increased cooling costs and heat stress on the property, and influence decisions around home upgrades.

2. Realtor.com

🔑 Key takeaway: Realtor.com is a top choice for home buyers due to its credibility and extensive MLS coverage, but it lacks FSBO listings and has a less reliable app experience. 

Realtor.com is the second most visited real estate website, averaging about 30 million monthly visits last year. Most popular real estate websites in the United States in 2023, based on monthly visits.[2]

Like Zillow, it allows you to research homes for sale in your area. However, what sets Realtor.com apart is its attention to detailed statistics and data. You’ll find highly accurate information on home values, neighborhood and regional market forecasts, school ratings, local businesses, crime rates, and commute times.

The platform also provides additional support with tips on buying a home, calculating mortgage payments, and determining your budget based on affordability.

Despite its strengths, Realtor.com's one limitation is its exclusive focus on MLS-listed properties. Homeowners can't manually add FSBO listings to Realtor.com.[3] Only listings entered into an MLS by a licensed agent can be displayed, and basic MLS data and up to 100 images are free. 

3. Trulia

🔑 Key takeaway: Despite its strengths, Trulia receives about 10 million monthly visits, significantly less than Realtor.com and Zillow. However, its emphasis on neighborhood details and visual tools makes it a valuable resource for buyers looking to understand a community before moving.

Trulia is a user-friendly platform that helps you find and compare homes easily, similar to other popular home browsing tools. You can search by various factors, such as the number of bedrooms, price range, and home type. 

Both the Trulia website and app are intuitive, offering a general overview of surrounding neighborhoods and nearby properties.

One standout feature is Trulia Neighborhoods, which gives you an immersive look into everyday life in a community. This feature includes original photos, drone footage, user-generated reviews from residents, and local insights to help you decide if a home and neighborhood fit your needs. 

The interactive map lets you explore different filters, such as the crime filter to identify safe areas. Additional filters cover commute times, nearby schools, median age ranges, home affordability scores, and the locations of restaurants and shops.

» READ MORE: Trulia vs. Zillow Estimates

4. Redfin

🔑 Key takeaway: Redfin is a great option for buyers seeking comprehensive home search tools and a cash rebate. However, it's limited to areas with Redfin agents, so consider alternatives like Zillow or Realtor.com for broader coverage.

Redfin is a real estate brokerage with licensed agents, but it’s best known for its popular home search website. 

For the most part, you’ll find the same listings on Redfin as on other major real estate sites, but Redfin includes unique features like the Redfin Compete Score, which shows how competitive the local market is based on whether homes are selling above or below their list price.[4] Additionally, buyers can receive push notifications for new listings in their favorite neighborhoods.

One of Redfin’s standout offerings is its rebate program, now called Redfin Sign & Save. This program gives buyers a rebate of 0.25% of the home’s purchase price at closing if they sign a buyer agency agreement with a Redfin agent before their second home tour. 

For example, a buyer purchasing a $400,000 home would be eligible for a $1,000 rebate at closing. This program aligns with recent NAR settlement changes, which now require buyers to sign a buyer agency agreement with their agent before viewing properties.[5] Essentially, Redfin adds a cash incentive to a practice buyers would already need to follow.

5. Homes.com

🔑 Key takeaway: Homes.com is a fast-growing platform with strong neighborhood insights and innovative tools. However, agents’ complaints about lead quality, customer service, and navigation issues could impact your experience. 

Homes.com, owned by CoStar Group, is a home search platform that gathers data from MLS and other real estate sites. It’s designed to easily compare homes and offers insights into property value trends, helping buyers understand potential appreciation in a neighborhood.

Homes.com has been exploding in popularity. Its “my listing, my lead” policy directs all leads generated from a listing back to the listing agent, unlike competitors like Zillow that sell these leads. This Realtor-friendly approach and a $1 billion marketing push have resulted in a 320% year-over-year traffic increase and over 100 million unique views in a single month.[6][7]

One key feature for buyers is its neighborhood feature, which provides the following benefits:  

• Video tours.
• In-depth articles, and insights on over 20,000 neighborhoods.
• Insights on top-rated schools with expert reviews. 
• The ability to search condo buildings using detailed filters.
• Over a million agent profiles that include bios, photos, reviews, and deal histories. 

The main downside to Homes.com is the negative feedback from agents reporting poor-quality leads, which are described as spam or contain inaccurate contact information. According to reviews we analyzed at Consumer Affairs and TrustPilot, other common complaints include misleading contract terms, unresponsive customer service, and unfulfilled advertising promises. 

While these issues don't directly impact home buyers, they could influence your overall experience with the platform.

Other top real estate sites for buyers

HomeFinder

HomeFinder is a good choice for finding hidden FSBO gems. It offers tools to refine your search and discover properties not listed elsewhere.

HomeFinder offers a huge selection of homes to buy or rent and interesting categories such as "off market" properties. It functions similarly to Zillow or Trulia, offering an interactive search tool that filters for price, size, and property type to connect you with the right home.

HomeFinder's top benefit is that it includes several FSBO listings, including some that may not be advertised elsewhere.

That means you could find exclusive properties on HomeFinder that aren’t listed on other popular real estate websites. If you find one you like, you can have your agent negotiate directly with the seller.

ForSaleByOwner.com

ForSaleByOwner.com helps buyers find FSBO deals, but be cautious about potential pricing risks and agent commission arrangements. Check out the best FSBO sites to find more for sale by owner homes, and take a look at our article on FSBO vs. realtor statistics to familiarize yourself with FSBO home purchases.

ForSaleByOwner.com is one of the best real estate websites for finding homes not listed on the MLS. It has fewer listings than sites like Realtor.com, so it shouldn't be the only house hunting tool you use.

However, it may include FSBO listings that don't appear on other websites, which could help you find homes that other local buyers may not know about.

FSBO often sell for less than market value — so you may be able to find a good deal. However, there are some issues to be aware of when you buy from a DIY seller. If the seller has overpriced their home, your lender will likely only approve your mortgage for the appraised value, which could cause complications during closing. Also, note that some FSBO sellers aren't willing to pay the buyer's agent commission, so you may need to pay your agent out of pocket.

Foreclosure.com

Foreclosure.com is ideal for those interested in buying distressed properties at lower prices and willing to invest in renovations.

If you're looking for a cheap house and are not afraid of taking on some DIY home improvement projects, check out Foreclosure.com. This house buying website specializes in short sales, foreclosures, city-owned houses, and other distressed properties.

Most homes listed on Foreclosure.com require a lot of TLC, but you'll have less competition from other buyers, so you'll have a much better chance of finding a deal.

Auction.com

Auction.com, a bank-owned and foreclosed property clearinghouse, currently offers over 30,000 properties. Opening bids can be as low as one-third of their estimated resale value.

If you’re the only interested party, you’ll get a bargain. However, most properties on Auction.com have a reserve price — if no bid meets or exceeds that price, the auction will end without a buyer. Also, if a property attracts a lot of interest, a bidding war can often drive the price way up.

Sellers who auction their properties prioritize a fast home sale over a maximum price, and it’s a relatively expensive way to sell once you factor in auction fees. These motivated sellers translate to a lot of potential value for buyers. Just remember that if you win an auction, you have to put 10% down immediately, so be prepared.

Best social media sites for home buyers

Craigslist

Craigslist is a straightforward platform with basic search filters that gives users access to local FSBO listings and rental properties that may not be found on other websites. 

While it's a simple way to explore local real estate options, users should be cautious about potential scams and always verify listings thoroughly.

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace offers another way to find local FSBO listings and undeveloped land, with the added advantage that some sellers provide owner financing. 

However, the platform has a more limited range of listings than major real estate sites, so it's best used as a supplementary tool for local deals.

Neighborhood Scout

Neighborhood Scout stands out for its in-depth data on over 600 neighborhood characteristics, offering block-by-block granularity for precise searches. 

This platform is especially valuable for data-driven buyers who want detailed insights on neighborhoods and micro-communities, although its highly analytical approach may not appeal to everyone.

GreatSchools.org

This website provides comprehensive ratings and reviews of local schools, including metrics like test scores, college readiness, and teacher-to-student ratios. It’s an essential tool for families who prioritize quality education and understand long-term property value retention.

Niche

Like GreatSchools, Niche similarly offers data-based rankings for public, private, and charter schools. This information can help families make informed decisions about where to settle down. 

However, users may still need to visit individual school websites for more detailed insights on district boundaries and enrollment procedures.

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