MLS, what does it stand for? In real estate it’s an acronym for Multiple Listing Service. It’s a national database, if you will, of most properties that are handled through a real estate agent, company, or broker. Anytime you see “MLS Search” on a realtor’s site it goes back to the same place for listings. It may look different from site to site, but they are pulling information from the same place, as far as I can tell anyway.

Realtor.com – Great search engine and save system. You can save different searches and keep a list of properties that catch your eye. It’s easy to use but it load time is kind of slow most of the time. Each listing does offer a lot of information including extra pictures (if provided by seller), virtual tours, address, and additional local details.

Coldwell Banker.com – They have really go the search and display down on this web site. You do your search and a list appears on the left side of the page with small icons that when moused over display a small thumbnail of the property (if provided by the seller). You can save properties, but you can’t view them all at once like on Realtor.com. They offer the saved searches, which is nice, and the page always loads quickly.

Assist2Sell.com – If you have Assist 2 Sell in your area this is an ok site to check out. They might not have loads of listings, but they do offer a quick link to the MLS search where you can find all real estate listings to date.

Real Estate.com – Not the best site to search, but it offers slightly bigger pictures and is easy to use. It does not list the address or MLS for each property which is crappy. They expect you to call up the agent and set up an appointment. Come on people, we are savvy internet users these days. Don’t make us call you on every stinking listing. We won’t magically buy a property because we took the time to go see it in person. Still, it’s an ok site with a lot of home buying and selling information. Beware though, it’s part of The Lending Tree family, so you will get hit up with spam probably if you sign up a new account on the site.

Real Estate Foreclosures.com – First of all you have to get a “Trial Account” to check out the listings details specifically, but if you are good at surfing the other real estate sites you can figure out which properties are in foreclosure and look them up elsewhere. Ok, so these people had some bad luck, or they are just losers who didn’t pay their mortgages. Why let good property go to waste. You can search your area for properties that have been snatched away from their non-paying dwellers. The search is good and you can narrow it down to your own town anywhere in the US.

Real Estate ABC.com – A fantastic sight for people who are just beginning the process of buying their first home. Lots of honest advice and real world experience to soak up on your journey to home ownership.