Searching for Myrtle Beach Real Estate | Why should you begin your real estate search online?

It is always good to have a firm grasp on what you are looking for before you venture out with a REALTOR®. I know it is kind of hard to get a feel for an area when you are searching online, but with the help of a knowledgeable REALTOR® you should be able to get a pretty good understanding.

Where do you search online?

With so much emphasis put on online advertising most of the areas you will be searching should have a couple good websites, either company or individual REALTOR® sites; with properties updated daily or every couple of days through the MLS. What is MLS? MLS, is the Multiple Listing Service that REALTORS® input properties into and use to search for available properties. Most properties that REALTORS® list are entered into this multiple listing service, it is up to the seller if there property is listed into this MLS system. If the area you are searching is like the local board I am a member of, they offer agents and companies an IDX feed that allows individual websites to update listings daily, or every couple of days. Once you find a website that is user friendly and has a property search you like using, you can start searching on your own time from the convenience of your home, office, or wherever a computer is available. REALTOR.com offers a search in all areas across the country, but not all listings that are available in areas are on REALTOR.com.

So many listings, so little time…

If the area you are searching is similar to Myrtle Beach, there are thousands of properties available. Here is a look at the number of properties available in the Myrtle Beach Area(Including Horry and Georgetown counties searched 9/4/07): Residential properties – 5,561 currently listed, Condos/townhouses – 7,901 currently listed, Residential lots – 4,102 currently listed. Of course these is all the listings in Georgetown and Horry counties, but that is still a lot of properties to sift through if you do not narrow down your search options by price, bedrooms, areas, etc… Most of the websites I have seen offer different options that will help you narrow down the available listings that meet your criteria. Once you get a pretty firm grasp on what you are looking for, it would be a good idea to contact a REALTOR® or company in the area you are searching. If you used one website to help you in your search, I would contact that REALTOR® or company. These companies and REALTORS® have worked hard to make there websites as informative and user friendly as possible for clients and future clients. Once you start working with a REALTOR®, they should be able to search for property with other search options to narrow down your search even further. As a REALTOR®, the search that I use is much more complex than the searches offered online to the public. Why is this? If the search offered on my personal real estate website had all the search options available to me, the search would not be user friendly and would be an overload of search options.

This is how I would start my search, if I were looking outside of the Myrtle Beach area. These websites that offer online searches, offer a great way to get a head start when searching in the area you live, or an area you are looking to buy property. It would also be helpful to work closely with a REALTOR®, or company during this process to answer any questions you may have. They should be able to answer questions about taxes, insurance, HOA fees, schools, etc… Good luck in your search, if you are searching for property in the Myrtle Beach area please take a look at the Myrtle Beach Real Estate search on CRGCompaniesinc.com. I constantly update the search on my website to make it as user friendly as possible.