Frequent Questions
Detailed Answers to Common Questions
General QuestionsWhere do you get your properties for sale?Estately is a member of a bunch of Multiple Listing Services (MLSes), which means we share listing information from hundreds of brokerages all over the country. Wherever possible, we update our database every 30 minutes to ensure that we can show you properties the moment they're listed. What areas do you cover?We cover a lot of the United States and we're adding more areas every day. Type in a city name or a zip code to tell us where you're looking for. Will you help me buy or sell my home?Yes! We have partnered with many of the best agents in America (and turned away the rest), and can help match you with the perfect agent for your needs. Find out more about Agent Match, or start finding your agent now. Will you guess the value of my house?We don't guess the actual value of a house. We'll give you a list of comparable nearby properties that have sold recently to help you determine its value. If you want a better appraisal, click here to contact us and we'll put you in touch with someone who can do it for you. Are you trying to replace real estate agents?Absolutely not. Buying and selling houses is a difficult and time consuming process; a good agent can make buying or selling a house much easier. Most people only buy a few homes in their entire lifetime - having someone with the experience of hundreds of transactions working on your behalf is an incredible advantage and can save you money, time and grief. A good real estate agent can give advice like "1950s homes in this area tend to have plumbing problems" or "these people have remodeled the kitchen and living room using cheap materials" and, unfortunately, our site cannot. We believe that good agents provide (and will continue to provide) services that are not replicable by a computer. |
Searching the MapWhy aren't some listings mapped?We do not map properties when the seller requests that the property not be mapped. We also do not map listings with incorrect or hard to map addresses. We'll still show unmapped properties on the sidebar on the left of the map. It says you found 1,000 properties, but I only see 100 on the map. Are you hiding the other 900?If you look at the top of the list of properties, you'll find a drop down that lets you scan through hundreds and hundreds of properties. We limited the number of markers on the map to make sure the map loads quickly and so the map isn't so covered in markers that you can't see the streets. Please search to your heart's content. Home BuyersAre real estate listings a good way of judging the market in an area?The active listings in an area are what is left on the market and are often skewed toward unpopular property types or overpriced properties. For example, if high-end homes aren't selling as quickly as low-end homes, the average price of the properties that are for sale could be much higher than that of the average home. Our sold statistics for an area are a much better representation of what is available and a better indication of the value of nearby properties. If you are looking for a home and you are in no rush, look at the homes that are pending or have sold recently. Keep your eyes peeled for similar houses as they come on to the market. The best deals go quickly, even in a slow market. Are your listings current?We download updates from most MLSes every 30 minutes, although some don't update more than 4 times a day, so you can be confident that you are seeing listings as they come on the market. What does the status of a property mean?Typically a property for sale will go from Active, to Active Contingent (or Subject to Inspection), to Pending, and finally to Sold.
Active means a house is currently for sale - you can make an offer. |