Before you start searching

Today there are so many resources to search for a home online, it can be overwhelming.  Some sites look great, but their information is all old.  Others have good info, but are difficult to navigate.  What are your options?
The easiest solution is to contact your Realtor and have them set up an automated search.  Their system will continually search and send you an email anytime something new comes on the market or the price changes.  This is always going to be the most accurate and up to date information because it comes directly from the Realtor-only site, NTREIS.net. An automated search is simple for your Buyer's Agent to set up and most are happy to do that for you even if you are months away from actually moving.
If you don't think you are ready for that yet, here are some of the better search engines for finding a home, along with some notes on each, from a Realtor's perspective:
Realtor.com has the most up to date and accurate information of all the home search sites because it is linked directly with REALTOR.net, which is the Realtor-only site for NAR(the National Association of Realtors).  Since this site updates automatically, you shouldn't find many homes on here that have wrong info or are already sold.  However, it won't tell you if a house is already under contract or not.  You'll need to check that with your Buyer's Agent. Unfortunately, their search engine can be hard to navigate and often doesn't work as well on alternative browsers.  But, this is a great link to check the accuracy of information you found elsewhere.  Always double check availablity here before you book a showing.
Zillow is one of the most popular home search sites because they have a great search engine.  Unfornuately, the information on their site is not often updated and sometimes, it's just plain wrong.  Anyone can add information to any house listing on the site, so that leads to outdated info and I have even seen listings that I suspect were being used for some sort of scam (foreclosure listings listed on Zillow as rentals when they definitely weren't for rent). Zillow is a great place to start your search, but always check everything you find there with your Buyer's Agent or on Realtor.com.

Why do I need a Buyer's Agent?

Now that you have talked to a lender and looked online at homes, it's time to find yourself a Buyer's Agent.  Why should you find a Buyer's Representative and not just call the agent who is listing the home?

A Buyer's Agent represents only you in the home buying process and owes no loyalty to the seller.  They have your best interest at heart and keep your information and thoughts private.

Many buyers call the agent whose name is on the sign to make an offer and think they have a Realtor, but that listing agent owes their fiduciary responsibilty to the seller only.  While a listing agent cannot tell you untrue information, they are not allowed to give you their opinions of value or of the house or make suggestions on what to put into your offer.  They have to keep the seller's best interest as their top priority.

A Buyer's Agent is a Realtor who you have a special relationship with to be loyal to only you - even though you, as a buyer, are not responsible for paying their fees. They will collect their commission at closing from the listing broker.  However, because they represent only you, they can tell you what they really think about a house. For example, if they think it is overpriced for the neighborhood.  They can tell you if, based on the history of the listing, they think the seller might be willing to take less than asking price.  They can share with you information they may have heard from the neighbors, like rumors of a six lane highway going in right behind your backyard.  The listing agent isn't free to share any of that information with you and could actually lose their license if they did.

​Even if you decide not to use Metro Dallas Realty as your Buyer's Agents, please find your own, loyal agent before you offer on a house.