5 Ways to Find Houses Sold Near Me
When you see a “for sale” sign pop up in your neighbor’s yard, it’s natural to be curious. You might wonder where they’re moving to, or what the selling price for their home is.
Not only is this natural curiosity normal, it can actually be very useful. By keeping tabs on the local real estate market and how much similar houses in your area are selling for, you’ll be better positioned to get the highest return on your investment when it comes time to sell your home.
This exercise is also an important first step for homebuyers who are interested in purchasing property in a particular area. According to Creston Inderrieden, an Elite Agent in Houston, Texas, this will ensure they don’t end up surprised when home prices are higher than initially expected — something that can be difficult to determine simply by driving around. “It’s good to not waste time looking at homes you can’t afford, but even more importantly, to have a grasp on the market,” he says.
1. Rely on the expertise of an experienced real estate agent
If you want to learn more about the selling prices of homes in a particular area, and how that relates to your homebuying or selling goals, you can’t beat the expertise of a qualified real estate agent in your area. Not only do these professionals know the ins and outs of the local market, but they have access to tools that provide the most accurate and up-to-date information on home listings and sales.
With the multiple listing service (MLS) at their fingertips, a real estate agent can run a comparative market analysis (CMA), which will come up with an estimated selling price for a home based on three to five comparable homes in the area that have sold recently.
If a homeowner or seller came to top agent Jami Harich, a top seller’s agent in Remington, Virginia, she would “go to the MLS and look up the active homes in the area right away.”
She would then look up all of the properties that have sold within the last six months (or three months if the market is changing rapidly). “Realtors have access to different online sites that buyers and sellers are not privy to,” she says. “I would research those as well to put together a property analysis.”
“When we’re looking at comparisons, we’re looking at location, neighborhoods, square footage, the home’s condition, and whether any updates have been made,” Inderrieden adds.
HomeLight’s Agent Match can connect you with a top real estate agent in your area who provides more than just accurate home selling prices — but greater context to those numbers so that they’re more useful to you.
