I love redfin, ziprealty and sdlookup. They are great innovations for the real estate market.
I love to see the listing myself instead of having to ask the realtor for a printout (remember the old days?).
I’ve not bought anything yet, but I’ll give them a try next time. I’m pretty knowledgeable with escrow, title, inspection, financing etc… so I don’t need hand-holding.
When the time comes, I’ll drive by the house, look at the exterior and do my due diligence before even asking for a showing. To me the interior is not all that important because it can be changed if the price is right.
But I can imagine a young couple having to really rely on their Realtor as their “best friend” in the business. They should be on Piggington educating themselves instead of shopping for a nest. It’s amazing to me how little hands on research people perform when buying a house.