It seems there is an unlimited number of
websites that allow you to view real estate listings. The
biggest aggregators that pull in listings from all areas of
the country include Zillow, Trulia, Redfin, Realtor.com and
MLS.com. But in addition, each brokerage company has a
company-wide listing site, while individual agents often
have their own websites as well.
The aggregator websites get paid for with ads (which are
based on the number of people searching for listings) and
also by real estate agents whose names get surfaced if you
happen to be looking in a zip code they pay to cover. We’re
willing to bet that many of the agents who have contacted
you got your contact information because they paid the
website for that access to it.
If you visit one of the more popular real estate websites
and look at a home, the site will show a listing with the
name of the listing company and agent below the written
description for the property. Some sites will give you the
option to connect with an agent for this home, but that
person may not be the actual listing agent. And other sites
will give you the option to fill in a box with your
information to get more information about the property.
Again, when you enter the information, your name and phone
number does not always go to the listing agent — or it may
go to other agents in addition to the listing agent.
That’s called real estate marketing, and it’s a
multi-billion-dollar business. So, when you’re searching for
listing information, make sure you get connected to the
listing agent. Or, take the name of the agent and look up
the property in a search engine to find the agent’s own
information.
Now let’s address incomplete listing information. In our
view, there’s no excuse for information to be missing from
the listing, such as details about the included appliances,
the amount of real estate taxes and the homeowner
association dues. The only reason information like this
would be excluded is that the agent has made a mistake, or
there is a technology glitch (it happens!) or the agent
purposely didn’t include it because they didn’t want to for
some reason.
A quick search on a main aggregator website for properties
in Maryland confirmed that the listings showed homeowner
association dues and property taxes. In some instances,
these costs were shown under an itemized list of some of the
costs and features for the property and in others in what
your monthly costs might be for the property.
In looking at some sites, you might have to drill down into
the property features to see if the home has a washer and
dryer. If it’s not listed there, the property likely does
not have a washer and dryer that will come with it (although
it may have a hookup and you’ll have to buy your own
appliances).
Ultimately, if you must know or need to confirm details
about the property, you would have to contact the actual
listing agent for that information. Finally, you can request
that the listing agent not contact you in the future and
that if you have any questions, you will contact the listing
agent.
You should also know that once you contact that listing
agent and later decide to hire your own agent to view the
property, the listing agent may not agree to have your agent
come to the showing and may claim that you are the listing
agent’s client. You see, when you contact that listing agent
on your own without a real estate agent, your interaction
with that agent may make that agent a dual agent where the
listing agent is both an agent for the seller and an agent
for the buyer.