More people looking for homes are using online listing sites because of the convenience they offer but before doing away with real estate agents, there are some essential things about online listings that buyers should be aware of.
According to Fox, online listings are not perfect and have several flaws that can easily cost buyers more money than they think they can save buying online. For starters, listings online are not 100 percent foolproof and accurate. It is easy for sellers to put in the wrong information or in many cases, home owners do not bother to check for accuracy of the information they post.
A house can be listed with specific measurements but on actual inspection could turn out to be smaller. Another problem is getting updated information. Buyers get excited finding the home they desire so they make the offer. They will then get notified that the property has already been sold to another buyer the previous day.
The next problem often associated with online listings is the difference between photos and the real thing. Most agents spend money to hire professional photographers to take amazing pictures and more often than not they get a lot of deals because of them. However, it should be taken into consideration the fact that no property is perfect and many of these photos focus only on the "highlights" of the home rather than giving buyers the whole picture. In addition, there are many listings that do not have great looking photos which could be missed especially for those buyers with a specific budget.
Finally, the biggest problem with online listing is the accuracy of pricing. Most owners rely on information they believe is true and advantageous to them. Many of these sellers don't take into account current market trends and they engage buyers in an unnecessary tug of war that wastes time and money for both of them.
