Technology can supercharge the process of selling your home. You can use the internet or mobile apps to find Realtors, while your real estate agent can use digital promotions, virtual home tours, and more to appeal to potential homebuyers. Reviews also offer a powerful tool to vet potential partners in the home selling process. So what are the best real estate websites you should be using when navigating the many steps of selling your home?
It all depends on what you’re looking for. Some real estate websites can help you with finding realtors, others with home renovations, and still others with finding new properties. Let’s dig in.
Best Real Estate Websites for Home Renovations
Many homeowners decide to put money into their homes to fix it up before putting it on the market. This is often one of the first steps sellers take before listing their homes. Even minor repairs can make a big difference in the final closing price. It can also make the home inspection go more smoothly after an offer has been submitted.
The easiest and most common work is landscaping and painting. There’s also an old saying that kitchens sell houses, and kitchens are also often redone.
Here are the best websites for getting your home renovations taken care of.
1. Homeadvisor
Homeadvisor lets you find contractors in your area to work with. It also lets you learn about the average costs of specific repairs in your area to ensure you’re getting a good deal. Getting those prices can also help you budget for repairs.
2. Angi
Angi lets you hire contractors for home repairs. The site also has reviews so you can learn what it’s like to work with people before you hire them.
3. DoItYourself.com
For the more hands-on home renovators, DoItYourself.com helps you with every repair you can think of, from plumbing projects to deep cleaning.
4. Costimates
This website offers estimates for tasks like landscaping and home repairs.
5. ThisOldHouse
This website offers tutorials for renovating homes and reports on the average return on investment home sellers see for a variety of upgrades. It’s a great resource for home sellers who want to make sure they’re getting the most bang for their buck for their renovations.
When should you hire a professional to complete a home renovation?
The cost benefit analysis of doing something yourself versus hiring a contractor is complex. Consider the time it will take you to complete the project and how well you think it will come out. A professional will likely be able to do the job better and faster — at a higher cost. In some cases, such as roofing or electric work, it is far safer to hire a professional.
Best Real Estate Websites for Design and Staging
Home repairs are important, especially if they are needed to pass an inspection, but staging your home for tours is also a major factor when it comes to getting offers on your home. Home staging can help a potential buyer envision themselves in the home and see its true potential. They can picture themselves relaxing with their family, doing work, or enjoying the backyard.
Sellers can stage houses themselves or hire a professional. Regardless of which option you choose,
Here are the best resources to check out
1. HGTV
The HGTV channel and website is a great way to stay up to date on trends in home décor and style. The site can keep you informed on popular colors, material, and can help you stage your home accordingly.
2. Houzz
This website helps you find design ideas for your projects in addition to helping you find profesionals. It can also provide furniture ideas for staging your home.
Best Real Estate Websites to Hire Photographers
Photos of your home can go a long way toward soliciting interest from buyers. A great home with poor photos can make the house appear smaller and darker than it naturally is. The more interest you receive for your home, the more bids you’ll get, and the more leverage you’ll have in negotiations. Videos and virtual tours are also a great way to show your home. Here are some websites to help with all this.
3. UpWork
UpWork is a website for freelancers of all kinds to market themselves and offer their services. You can search for real estate photographers and read reviews on professionals in your area. They also list hourly rates to help you budget.
4. Thumbtack
Thumbtack helps you hire real estate photographersphorographers who have experience marketing homes. It’s a great resource for home sellers.
5. Flytographer
Flytographer is mainly used for vacation photographers, but it also hasalsohas thousands of professionals who have experience with real estate photography as well.
Will My Real Estate Agent Hire a Photographer?
When you’re getting you re vetting Realtors, ask if they will hire a real estate photographer in addition to inquiring about all the ways they plan to market the home. It’s important to address this before you hire a Realtor because that’s when you have the most leverage.
UpNest lets you sift through thousands of the best Realtors in the country, checking to see what services are included in their fee, and read reviews on them. UpNest also helps you interview and negotiate with Realtors before making your choice, which is a great way to make sure photography is included in their services.
The Best Real Estate Website to Find A Realtor
When it comes to finding a Realtor, you want a website that provides unbiased, comprehensive data on the professionals in the results. Many real estate websites only offer Realtors from their network or provide skewed and limited results.
UpNest only partners with top agents based on agent performance data. They compare real estate agents across a variety of data points in their transaction history, looking at how fast a real estate agent sells, how many properties they work on, how much money they save or earn their clients, and what cities and neighborhoods they specialize in. UpNest also shows reviews, previous transactions, and other factors to bring you the best agents.
UpNest works with more than 20,000 agents around the country, including small brokerages and major brands like Keller Williams, Century 21, and RE/MAX. Sellers can enter their preferences in UpNest’s database and within 24 hours get three to five commission quotes from agents in their area.
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