The 20 Best House Buying Websites in 2023

Before you can buy your dream home, you need to find it. But where should you look? We've compiled a list of the best home buying websites so you can quickly find ALL the houses for sale in your area and get a jumpstart on your search.

From the best house buying websites like Zillow and Realtor.com to the top websites for real estate knowledge like Clever, our list gives you the tools and information you need to navigate every step of your home buying journey.

Ready to start house hunting? We can match you with the best realtors in your area. And, on eligible purchases, you could also earn a cash-back refund that saves you thousands when you buy your dream home!

» MORE: Find your perfect real estate agent today!

1. Zillow

Zillow is the most popular real estate site and app out there. It’s an incredibly easy, free way to search for property listings in a given area — and also offers some additional built-in benefits.

Buyers can filter homes by location, price, home type, features, and more. You’ll get an estimate of monthly costs, including mortgage fees, insurance, and property taxes. Zillow also provides neighborhood info, like local schools, commute times, and walkability scores.

If there’s a property you have your eye on, you can receive push notifications through the app for updates on the local market. You also have the option to connect with mortgage professionals through their online network of lenders.

In addition to the list price, Zillow features a "Zestimate" — a proprietary estimate of a home’s true value, based on recent sales and appreciation in that area.

» MORE: Find other Zillow competitors

2. Realtor.com

Realtor.com is another one of the best house hunting websites. Like Zillow, it lets you research homes on the market in your area.

What sets Realtor.com apart is its attention to detailed statistics and data. You’ll find highly accurate data on home values, the neighborhood's and region’s housing market forecast, information on the best schools and businesses in the area, as well as crime rates and commute times.

This real estate website also offers additional support and tips about how to buy a home, calculate your mortgage payments, and determine how much home you can actually afford.

However, Realtor.com has one noticeable drawback. Its home search tool only shows homes that are listed on the multiple listing service (MLS), so it may not show houses that are "for sale by owner" (FSBO).

3. Semya-Moya

When you're buying a house, Clever provides many resources to help guide you through the process and inform your purchasing decision.

You'll find:

• Up-to-date, fact-checked guides to every step of the home buying process
• Data-backed information about closing costs and average commission rates in your state
• Tips on how to get a cash refund when you buy a house

Clever also offers a free service that connects home buyers like you with the best real estate agents in your area. Clever's partner agents come from top companies like Berkshire Hathaway, Keller Williams, and RE/MAX, so you can be confident you'll find the right agent to guide you on your home buying journey.

By working with a Clever agent, you'll get instant MLS alerts, on-demand showings, and an expert negotiator to help you craft a winning offer.

The best part? You could save thousands through Clever Cash Back. On qualifying purchases, you'll earn a cash-back refund back in your pocket after closing. Find out how much you can save on your home purchase today!

4. Trulia

Like other popular home browsing tools, Trulia can help you find and compare homes easily. You can search for homes based on a variety of factors, including number of bedrooms, price range, type of home, and more. The website and app are simple to navigate and give you a general overview of the surrounding neighborhood and other properties in the area.

One unique and helpful tool Trulia offers is an interactive map feature where you can learn more about the neighborhood. For instance, when you click on the "crime filter" you can see where crime is highest or lowest in a given area.

Additional search filters include commute times, nearby schools, median age ranges, home affordability scores, and where restaurants and shops are located throughout the community.

» MORE: Zillow vs. Redfin vs. Trulia: Which is best?

5. Redfin

Redfin is a real estate brokerage with licensed agents, but it's best known for its popular house hunting website.

For the most part, you'll find the same homes on Redfin as other similar house websites, but Redfin also includes a couple extra useful features. For example, each listing includes a "Redfin Compete Score," which gives you an idea of whether homes in the neighborhood are selling above or below their list price. If there’s a neighborhood you’re interested in, you can receive push notifications through the app with updates about new listings on the market.

In addition, Redfin offers a rebate program for eligible buyers. If you qualify and live in a state where rebates are offered, you may be able to save some cash on your closing costs. Learn more about home buyer rebates.

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6. Homes.com

Homes.com is a home search tool that gathers its information from the multiple listing service (MLS), as well as other real estate websites. The site is a good platform for comparing homes in your area and allows you to look at how the property’s value has changed over time.

With this information, you can gain a sense of the neighborhood’s home value trends and whether your home is likely to appreciate in value in the future.

One useful and unique feature offered by Homes.com is the Snap & Search tool. With Snap & Search, if you see a home you love, simply take a picture and the site will find similar homes in your area that match the features and type of home in the picture.

7. HomeFinder

HomeFinder offers a huge selection of homes to buy or rent, as well as 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 a number of FSBO listings, including some that may not be advertised anywhere else.

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.

8. ForSaleByOwner.com

ForSaleByOwner.com is one of the best real estate websites for finding homes that aren't 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. But 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. Some FSBO sellers aren't willing to pay the buyer's agent commission, so you may need to pay your agent out of your own pocket.

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.

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9. Foreclosure.com

If you're looking for a cheap house and you're 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 of the 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.

» MORE: Pros and cons of buying a foreclosed home

10. Auction.com

Auction.com, a clearinghouse of bank-owned and foreclosed property, 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’re going to 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 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.

11. RealtyTrac

RealtyTrac offers buyers access to foreclosed properties. Customers who buy a subscription service also get access to foreclosure addresses, loan histories, and dates and locations of auctions.

Buyers can get great deals by shopping foreclosures, but there are some complications to keep in mind. If you buy a bank-owned property, it’s usually sold as-is. That means the bank isn’t going to do any repairs or work on the property.

A bank-owned property will come with a clear title, so the buyer doesn’t have to worry about liens or back taxes. This may not apply if the home is purchased through a foreclosure auction. These properties can come with a clouded title, which can require the buyer to assume those debts.

Still, a foreclosure auction can yield a great deal, because the homes are offered for the amount of the outstanding mortgage, which can be quite low. Just remember that typically the price has to be paid in full, in cash, at the time of the sale. Usually, mortgages aren’t allowed for auction purchases.

12. HomeSales.gov

Ever wonder what happens to foreclosed properties that had federally-backed mortgages? They end up on HomeSales.gov. This is where the U.S. government sells all the homes that were once backed by USDA, VA, or HUD mortgages.

As you might imagine, the federal government is a dispassionate and rational seller, so buyers can definitely find deals here. But they’re not the most engaged homeowners, either; most of these properties are sold as-is and can come with problems ranging from minor to major. It can also be difficult to view the properties — sometimes you’ll be required to put down an offer just to get a look at the property in person.

13. Craigslist

Craigslist isn't just a place to sell your vintage VHS tape collection. It's also where you can find local FSBO listings and other properties, such as homes for rent, that may not show up on websites like Zillow or Realtor.com.

It's not the most user-friendly home search tool, of course. You can filter by property type, price, size, and zip code, but you won't find many other search options.

14. Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace is a lot like Craigslist. You won't find every home on the market in your area, but it's a good place to look for FSBO listings and undeveloped land.

Many sellers who advertise on Facebook also offer owner financing, which can be a huge benefit if you're unlikely to qualify for a conventional mortgage.

Ready to buy?

Other great real estate websites for home buyers

15. LandWatch

If you're thinking about building a new home, LandWatch is a great place to find land to build on. Whether you're looking for a quarter-acre lot in the suburbs or a secluded mountain retreat, you can find it here.

» MORE: Interested in buying land to build a house? Start here!

16. Neighborhood Scout

Neighborhood Scout is an intensely data-driven website that matches you with your ideal neighborhood. Using proprietary methodologies from a leading data scientist, the company has identified a long list of over 600 neighborhood characteristics. These include (but go way beyond) the more basic metrics — like school district, crime rate, and demographics — you see on house buying websites like Zillow.

Yes, most of the big sites let you explore neighborhoods using statistics like this, but Neighborhood Scout’s angle is that you can "zoom in" much closer — to the block-to-block level of granularity — to find the micro-hood that’s best for you.

This site also uses all its data to produce market forecasts it claims are 90% accurate over a three-year timespan. If you believe in the power of Big Data, this is definitely the website for you.

17. GreatSchools.org

Another useful site that may not be on your radar is GreatSchools.org. Assessing the types and quality of schools in an area is certainly important if you have children — but it can also reflect long-term value for homes in that area. Homes in good school districts typically retain — and accrue — value very well, which is incredibly important if you ever want to resell (or tap into your home’s equity).

GreatSchools.org scores each school on a scale from 1 to 10, taking into account everything from test scores and college readiness to discipline issues and teacher-to-student ratios.

18. Niche

Like GreatSchools.org, Niche provides data-based rankings of local public, private, and charter schools.

This information can help you make an informed choice about where to put down roots and start a family, though you’ll want to visit the actual school’s websites in order to get more details on school district boundaries and see if there’s a lottery system to attend a particular school.

19. CityProtect

CityProtect is a massive interactive crime map, run by the tech giant Motorola, that works in concert with 1,000-plus police departments across the U.S. to upload and display the latest crime reports.

This is a great resource if you're buying long distance and want to make sure a house you're interested in is located in a safe neighborhood.

20. BroadbandNow.com

When looking for a new home, cable and internet may be the last thing on your mind. You’re most likely focused on qualifying for a mortgage or finding a home close to work.

However, you should keep in mind the hurdles and extra costs that come with getting cable, internet, and phone services. And if you're moving to a rural area or planning to work from home, you'll want to make sure you have access to internet speeds that meet your needs.

BroadbandNow.com allows you to search zip codes and your location to see which providers and services are in your area. It offers detailed information such as pricing, coverage, set up fees, and termination fees, and it helps you compare one service provider against another.

When determining your monthly budget for your new house, be sure to factor in internet, cable, and phone costs, because spending an additional $60 each month can add up quickly when you’re strapped for cash.

Frequently asked questions about house buying websites

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