The short table
| Resource | Use it for | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Zillow | Buy / Rent / Sell | Third-party comparisons report that the “Contact agent” button can route to advertising agents rather than the listing agent. |
| Realtor.com | Buy / Rent | One comparison reports that homeowners cannot post their own for-sale-by-owner listings there. |
| Redfin | Buy / Rent | Brokerage services depend on where Redfin operates. |
| Homes.com | Buy / Rent | Features and agent model differ from other portals; compare listing freshness with your local MLS. |
| Trulia | Buy / Rent | Largely overlaps with Zillow’s inventory, so it rarely shows a different set of homes. |
| Apartments.com | Rent | Strongest for apartment buildings; fewer single-family or small-landlord rentals. |
| HotPads | Rent | Overlaps with Zillow Rentals; listings may be duplicated. |
| Zumper | Rent | Coverage varies by city. |
| Local MLS and broker sites | Buy | Each broker site works differently, and some details are only available through an agent. |
| Brokerage sites (e.g. Compass) | Buy | You may be asked to register or work with that brokerage to see everything. |
| HUD Home Store | Buy | Homes are sold as-is and often need repairs; rules for who may bid and when apply. |
| Auction sites | Buy | Often cash terms, limited inspection, and fees. |
| County assessor and recorder sites | Research | Records can lag recent sales and say nothing about a home’s condition. |
| Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace | Rent | Rental scams are common here. |
Pick a goal
Start with two portals plus the source. Search a large portal such as Zillow or Realtor.com for breadth, then check the same home on a local broker site fed by your MLS (in the Seattle area, NWMLS-based brokerage sites) for the latest status. Look up the parcel on the county assessor site for tax and sales history.
Use rentals-focused tools first. Apartments.com for buildings, Zumper or HotPads for a map-based search, then Zillow for houses and small landlords. Treat Craigslist and Marketplace listings with extra care and follow the scam checklist.
Know the rules before the price. HUD Home Store homes are sold through registered brokers, as-is. Auction sites often require cash and give little time to inspect. Check liens on the county recorder’s site and speak to a licensed professional before bidding.
Compare, don’t trust one number. Automated estimates differ between sites. Compare recent sales on the county site, then ask a licensed agent or appraiser for a real opinion before you rely on a figure.
That is what we do. Tell us what you need on the search help page and we will do the searching and checking and hand you a shortlist. We are not a brokerage; when you are ready to make an offer you will need a licensed agent.
Pick a goal to see where we would look first.
Each resource in detail
We describe each service as a user of it, from its own pages and independent reporting. We do not rank them. Which is right for you depends on where you are searching and what you want.
Zillow
Buy · Rent · SellWho runs it (as of October 12, 2026)
Zillow Group. Also owns Trulia, StreetEasy and HotPads, as of this writing.
Good for
Wide listing coverage, a home-value estimate, rental tools, and listings that owners can post themselves (for-sale-by-owner).
Watch for
Third-party comparisons report that the “Contact agent” button can route to advertising agents rather than the listing agent. Check who you are actually writing to.
Realtor.com
Buy · RentWho runs it (as of October 12, 2026)
Move, Inc., a News Corp subsidiary, under a license from the National Association of REALTORS®.
Good for
Listings fed largely by MLS data and agents; one 2026 comparison reports that contact goes to the listing agent.
Watch for
One comparison reports that homeowners cannot post their own for-sale-by-owner listings there. HOA and square-footage fields can be missing or inconsistent.
Redfin
Buy · RentWho runs it (as of October 12, 2026)
Rocket Companies, which completed its acquisition of Redfin in 2025.
Good for
A brokerage that also runs a listing site; agents are Redfin employees or partners in its service areas. Founded in Seattle.
Watch for
Brokerage services depend on where Redfin operates. Browsing is open to everyone.
Homes.com
Buy · RentWho runs it (as of October 12, 2026)
CoStar Group.
Good for
Neighborhood-level pages alongside listings.
Watch for
Features and agent model differ from other portals; compare listing freshness with your local MLS.
Trulia
Buy · RentWho runs it (as of October 12, 2026)
Zillow Group.
Good for
Neighborhood context and commute-oriented tools.
Watch for
Largely overlaps with Zillow’s inventory, so it rarely shows a different set of homes.
Apartments.com
RentWho runs it (as of October 12, 2026)
CoStar Group.
Good for
Large database of apartment communities with floor plans and fees by unit.
Watch for
Strongest for apartment buildings; fewer single-family or small-landlord rentals.
HotPads
RentWho runs it (as of October 12, 2026)
Zillow Group.
Good for
Map-first rental search.
Watch for
Overlaps with Zillow Rentals; listings may be duplicated.
Zumper
RentWho runs it (as of October 12, 2026)
Independent rentals-focused platform.
Good for
Rental search with filters for pets, price and move-in date.
Watch for
Coverage varies by city. Confirm that the listing is current before you apply.
Local MLS and broker sites
BuyWho runs it (as of October 12, 2026)
In western Washington, the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) is the listing service that member brokers use. Regional brokerages such as Windermere and John L. Scott publish listings from it.
Good for
Typically the most current status and details, because brokers enter listings there first.
Watch for
Each broker site works differently, and some details are only available through an agent.
Brokerage sites (e.g. Compass)
BuyWho runs it (as of October 12, 2026)
Each national or regional brokerage runs its own site.
Good for
Some listings, such as private or “coming soon” homes, appear on a brokerage’s own site first or only.
Watch for
You may be asked to register or work with that brokerage to see everything.
HUD Home Store
BuyWho runs it (as of October 12, 2026)
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Good for
Homes acquired by HUD after FHA-insured mortgage foreclosures, sold through registered brokers.
Watch for
Homes are sold as-is and often need repairs; rules for who may bid and when apply.
Auction sites
BuyWho runs it (as of October 12, 2026)
Operated by private companies, including foreclosure and bank-owned auctions.
Good for
Access to foreclosure and bank-owned properties.
Watch for
Often cash terms, limited inspection, and fees. Read every term and speak to a professional first.
County assessor and recorder sites
ResearchWho runs it (as of October 12, 2026)
Each county runs its own, for example the King County Assessor in Seattle’s county.
Good for
Free parcel data: tax history, lot size, sales history and zoning notes.
Watch for
Records can lag recent sales and say nothing about a home’s condition.
Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace
RentWho runs it (as of October 12, 2026)
Operated by private companies; listings are posted by anyone.
Good for
Small landlords and rooms that never appear on large portals.
Watch for
Rental scams are common here. See the scam checklist.
Sources and dates
Information checked October 12, 2026. Ownership: company announcements and independent reporting, including Rocket Companies’ announcement that it completed its Redfin acquisition. Listing-service background: Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Contact routing and for-sale-by-owner points come from 2026 third-party comparisons (List With Clever) and may differ by market. We do not claim any listing site is the most accurate or most complete.