Use a Home Search that Uses the MLS

September Cover

I hope you had a great August.  If you have school-age children, I hope the transition back to school was smooth.  Now that we are in September, we are preparing for a new seasonal phase of the Orlando Real Estate Market.

By the way, we are also in the peak hurricane season right now.  For important information on buying or selling a home during hurricane season, please read my September 2015 blog.  You can also see any of my other previous blog posts by clicking on “Orlando Real Estate Journal” on the top menu bar.

The summer peak season is behind us, buyers who are looking to purchase a home towards the end of the year are now emerging.

Buyers now have more tools than ever to aid their home search on the internet.  There are many websites that allow you to search for homes for sale.  However, these sites are not all created equal. The key to a good search site is the validity of its data.   The gold standard is one based on professional MLS (Multiple Listing Service) data.  (For how MLS works, please read my March 2016 blog).   I would like to invite you to try such a search engine on our website www.TheYaoTeam.com.

The professional MLS data is maintained and policed for its accuracy.  Member agents face fines and penalties from the Board for inaccuracies and outdated information.  There is nothing else like this on the internet.  3rd party websites scavenge their data from many miscellaneous sources and do not have an effective way to check and monitor their quality.  We routinely get buyer inquires about fraudulent listings on 3rd party websites.  For example, a home listed for $400,000 in the MLS can show up for half that price on sites like Zillow and Trulia.  This wastes everyone’s time, and worse, subjects buyers to potential scams.

This also highlights why it’s important to have buyer representation when you are looking to buy a home.  The online search is only the first step.  A professional agent is your eyes and ears for buying the right home.  We screen the vast amount of information online, and separate out for you the real information from the fluff.  We are your advocates in the entire process.  There are many intangible things that can make all the difference in your home buying process.  “Exceptional Service” is our team motto.  We consider your trust an honor, and always strive to do our utmost for you.

I’ll stop here.  Until next month, take care!

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