How to Find the Best MLS Listings in Edmonton
Thinking about buying a brand-new home? Perfect! Now all you need to do is start shopping around for the actual property you want to buy. This is where an MLS – a Multiple Listing Service – comes in handy. And you want to make sure you find the best MLS listings in Edmonton!
In case you aren’t sure, an MLS is a listing service in which a group of REALTORS® agree to share their databases and work together to try and sell properties more efficiently than they could on their own. In other words, rather than going to each individual builder or realtor’s site to see what they’re offering, you can access all available properties through a single site. Finding a good MLS site can greatly increase your chances of finding your perfect home, and it could greatly speed up the process.
Let’s take a look at why MLS listings are so popular, and how you can find a good one.
Advantages of an MLS for Sellers
If you’re selling your current house before buying your new home, you’ll want to make sure that your home is listed on an MLS listing in Edmonton, whether you’re using a Realtor® or not.
Reaching a Wider Audience
The key to selling your home – and selling it quickly – is getting the word out to as many people as possible. There’s someone out there who’s going to think your house is the perfect home for them, but if they don’t know about it, you won’t get the sale.
On the MLS, your property will reach as many potential buyers as possible. They’ll get to see important details about the home and look through pictures of each room. This will help them decide whether they want to tour the home and buy it.
A More Efficient Selling Process
Most people hire a real estate agent to sell their house, and when they list the home on an MLS, it creates a more efficient process.
The Realtor® doesn’t have to rely on extensive external marketing to generate interest in the properties they have. Instead, potential buyers are looking at all available homes in the area and contacting only those agents who have homes that fit their needs.
A Standardized Set of Best Practices for Selling
When you browse MLS listings in Edmonton, you quickly notice that most of the listings follow a similar format. You’ll see a description of the property – where quality may vary depending on the person doing the write-up – but you’ll also see standard information about the home that includes things like:
- Amenities/appliances included
- Specific details like the number of rooms or square footage
- Amount of property taxes
- Information about the exterior, such as parking or yard space
Often, an MLS will also include details that can help the buyer make their decision, such as neighbourhood information and statistics about sales in that area. It’s helpful to have a good understanding of what typical homes are selling for in any area so you can be sure you’re getting a good deal.
If you’re using a Realtor® – and we think that’s one of the best ways to sell your home – they should handle gathering and uploading your home’s information to the MLS. This is perfect because they have the experience necessary to do it right. However, if you’re selling your home on your own, you should also be able to list it on an MLS. Just make sure you follow the directions so your listing looks the same as the professionals.
Advantages of an MLS for Buyers
There’s also a big advantage to using an MLS when you’re buying a home, whether you’re also selling a home or not.
A Centralized Shopping Experience
When you use an MLS, you get to see all of the available properties from a single site. This significantly cuts down the time you’ll spend searching for options. MLS sites will list all available listed property, including both resale and brand-new homes, so you need to pay close attention to what you’re looking at. But it’s clearly the best option for shopping around.
Searchable Databases
Perhaps one of the best features of an MLS is the ability to use search functions. If you have specific features you’re looking for in a home, you can set the MLS search engine to only show homes with those features.
These might include things like the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, property size, square footage, and additional features like a patio or garage. It definitely makes the experience a bit easier because you can automatically eliminate the homes that don’t have the things you want.
Easily Compare Prices
Since you’re able to search for specific features, you’ll have an easier time comparing the prices of your various options.
This can be hard to do when you’re visiting individual builders who are building spec homes with different features. It can also be time-consuming because you have to specifically request price quotes from multiple builders. With an MLS, you get to focus on what you want in a home, and then look at the prices of those specific types of homes.
Expanded Search Options
MLS sites give everyone an equal opportunity to showcase the homes they have for sale. This means you’re seeing homes from some small or new companies alongside some of the biggest Realtors and builders in the area. Without the MLS, you could miss the options coming from the smaller companies. It gives you more options, and that always works out in the buyer’s favour.
You don’t necessarily have to use an MLS to find your new home, but it’s a great place to start. It shows you what’s available at any given moment, and can help you set your expectations. If you see something you like from a particular home builder, you can contact the builder directly for even more options.
Where Can I Find the Best MLS Listings in Edmonton?
Now that you know why you should use MLS listings, let’s take a look at some of the websites that are popular in the Edmonton area.
Realtor.ca
Realtor.ca serves all areas in Canada, and it’s one of the most popular sites, no matter where you’re trying to buy a home. Fortunately, you can easily narrow your search down when you select “Edmonton” as your city. The interface is easy to use, and you’ll see photos of all the available options.
EdmontonRealEstate.pro
This MLS site is nice because it allows you to browse listings by neighbourhood. This is ideal for those who have a good idea of where they want to live and want to see what types of homes are available. You can also add filters to narrow down your search.
EdmontonHomesWeb.com
This site also lets you browse available homes by neighbourhood. Once you’ve selected a neighbourhood, you can then also select a price point that fits your budget. This way, you’re not looking at homes you can’t afford. They also let you filter your searches by property type.
YegHouseSearch.ca
This site starts by showing homes by price, from highest to lowest. Don’t let that intimidate you! You can switch to a price category that’s more appropriate to your needs or search by neighbourhood or property type.
Rew.ca
Rew.ca offers buttons to help you easily sort available homes by the number of bedrooms or the neighbourhood that you’re looking for. You can even view properties for sale on a map, which is a great option for those who aren’t as familiar with the city yet. This site also lets you save your search, which will save you time when you visit the site each day.
EdmontonHomesOnSale.com
This is another site that’s focused on showing homes by neighbourhood, with options to further sort properties based on price. Under the “Quick Searches” drop-down box, you’ll find an option for brand-new homes. If you’re certain that a brand-new home is what you want, this link will definitely help you narrow things down.
These are the most popular MLS sites for this area, but you can likely find others with a quick internet search. Ideally, you want to find a site with an easy-to-use interface that allows you to filter out the results based on what you’re looking for.
Using an MLS is a great way to search for a new home that fits your needs. It streamlines the entire search process so that you can view homes on offer from multiple real estate companies in a single location. Even better, you can sometimes find some hidden gems from smaller companies that you might not otherwise have seen. This is especially useful at the beginning of the home searching process when you might not be as sure about what you want.
We understand that the search for a new home can be a stressful process even under the best conditions. You want to take advantage of anything that can make things a little easier. An finding the best MLS listings to narrow down your search is the perfect way to do this.
Photo credit: DepositPhotos.com
About the Author:
At Sterling Homes, our mission is to provide the opportunity for affordable homeownership without compromise. Over the last 70 years, Sterling Homes has quickly become one of Edmonton’s most popular builders. We bring more than seven decades worth of exceptional customer service, superior design and unparalleled craftsmanship to the greater Edmonton area. As a member of the Qualico Group, Sterling Homes focuses on greater Edmonton’s finest family communities, while being able to offer some of the region’s most family-friendly prices thanks to volume purchasing power for materials, trades and land. This has not only made Sterling one of Edmonton’s bestselling, move-up builders, but also one of the industry’s most respected home providers. It is through our uncompromising commitment to our customers that we proudly deliver the Sterling Advantage – that’s why each and every home we build includes a 10-year home warranty, a completion guarantee and new home warranty excellence rating. Our Advantage is our pledge that, when you build your dream home with Sterling, we will deliver a timely, well-built home you’re sure to enjoy for years to come.
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