Read this first
We offer search help too. Crosswicks Home Finder is not an impartial judge and wants people to contact us. We show our sources and dates so you can verify each point yourself. None of these sites paid us or saw this page beforehand, and we earn nothing from them. We do not link to them.
At a glance
| Site | Who runs it | How it earns / what to know |
|---|---|---|
| Realtor.com | Move, Inc. (News Corp / REA Group) | Sells leads and ads to agents; listings largely from MLSs |
| Zillow | Zillow Group | Sells buyer leads to agents; listing access standards since Apr. 2025 |
| Homes.com | CoStar Group | Charges agents for placement; says it sells no leads |
| Redfin | Rocket Companies (since July 2025) | Listing site plus its own brokerage |
| Local MLS-fed sites | Local brokerages | Freshest status; each works differently |
Built from dated sources, some older than others. Confirm current details with each site.
Site by site
Checked October 24, 2026. We do not rank these sites or name a best one. The right choice depends on where you are looking, your budget and whether you are buying or renting. Many people use more than one.
Realtor.com
Buy · RentWho runs it (as of the source date)
Move, Inc., owned about 80% by News Corp and 20% by REA Group according to a source updated in April 2025. It operates under a license from the National Association of REALTORS®.
How it works
Sells leads and advertising to agents, brokers and others in the industry, per the same source. A 2026 comparison says its listings come largely from MLSs and agents.
Keep in mind
A 2026 comparison reports that owners cannot post their own for-sale-by-owner listings. Items such as HOA fees and square footage may be missing.
Source and date
Online Marketplaces (updated Apr. 10, 2025); List With Clever (2026); Wikipedia
Zillow
Buy · Rent · SellWho runs it (as of the source date)
Zillow Group, which also owns Trulia as of this writing.
How it works
Makes most of its money selling buyer leads to agents through Premier Agent, per a source updated April 2025. Very broad coverage and a home-value estimate.
Keep in mind
The agent who answers your inquiry may not be the listing agent. In April 2025 Zillow introduced listing access standards that bar listings not shared with the MLS within 24 hours of public marketing, so some privately marketed homes may not appear.
Source and date
Online Marketplaces (updated Apr. 10, 2025); Inman (Dec. 31, 2025)
Homes.com
Buy · RentWho runs it (as of the source date)
CoStar Group, which acquired it in 2021 and closed its Matterport purchase in early 2025.
How it works
Says it does not sell buyer leads to other agents (“your listing, your lead”) and charges agents for higher placement in results.
Keep in mind
Its tools and agent model differ from the other portals. Check how fresh its listings are against your local MLS.
Source and date
Online Marketplaces (updated Apr. 10, 2025); Inman (Dec. 31, 2025)
Redfin
Buy · RentWho runs it (as of the source date)
Rocket Companies, which completed its purchase of Redfin in July 2025.
How it works
A listing site that also runs a brokerage with its own agents in the areas it serves. Anyone can browse.
Keep in mind
Brokerage service depends on where Redfin operates. The 2025 change of ownership means features and fees may shift.
Source and date
Rocket Companies press release (July 2025); Inman (Dec. 31, 2025)
Trulia and Apartments.com
Buy · RentWho runs it (as of the source date)
Zillow Group owns Trulia; CoStar Group owns Apartments.com.
How it works
Trulia adds neighborhood context. Apartments.com keeps a large database of apartment communities.
Keep in mind
Trulia largely repeats Zillow’s inventory. Apartments.com is best for apartment buildings and thinner on houses and small landlords.
Source and date
Ownership as reported in the sources below, checked October 24, 2026
Local MLS-fed broker sites and county records
Buy · ResearchWho runs it (as of the source date)
Local brokerages publish sites fed by the multiple listing service their agents use. Counties publish parcel, tax and sales records.
How it works
Often the freshest status, since brokers enter listings there first. County records show tax and sales history at no cost.
Keep in mind
Each site behaves differently, some details require an agent, and records can lag recent sales.
Source and date
General description; confirm with your local MLS and county
Using them well
- Try at least two portals; each shows a slightly different set of homes.
- Look up the same home on a broker site fed by your MLS to see its latest status.
- Treat automated value estimates as rough guides, not appraisals.
- Before you press “contact,” find out who will really respond.
Where we fit
This page cannot say whether we will find something these sites miss. What we can do is go through several of them for you, check the details and send a short list. Ask for a callback and we will explain precisely what that involves.
Sources
- Online Marketplaces, “Zillow vs Realtor.com vs Homes.com: The Ultimate Visual Guide to U.S. Real Estate Portals” (Harvey Hancock; published Sept. 6, 2023; last modified Apr. 10, 2025). Ownership and business-model points reflect that date and may have changed.
- Inman, “The Top 10 Moments That Rocked the Portal World in 2025” (Dec. 31, 2025).
- Rocket Companies, “Rocket Companies Completes Acquisition of Redfin” (July 2025).
- List With Clever, 2026 comparisons of real estate websites (contact routing, for-sale-by-owner listings).
- Wikipedia, Realtor.com (ownership and NAR license).