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We offer search help ourselves. Thornapple Home Match is not a neutral reviewer, and we have a business interest in people contacting us. We name our sources and dates so you can check every point. None of these sites has paid us or reviewed this page, and we earn nothing from links to them. We do not link to them.
At a glance
| Site | Who runs it | How it makes money / trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Realtor.com | Move, Inc. (News Corp / REA Group) | Sells leads and ads to agents; MLS-fed listings |
| Zillow | Zillow Group | Sells buyer leads to agents; listing access standards since Apr. 2025 |
| Homes.com | CoStar Group | Charges agents for placement; says it does not sell leads |
| Redfin | Rocket Companies (since July 2025) | Listing site plus its own brokerage |
| Local MLS-fed sites | Local brokerages | Freshest status; each works differently |
Based on dated sources, some older than others. Confirm current details with each site.
Each site
Checked October 15, 2026. We do not rank these sites or say which is best. The right choice depends on your area, budget and whether you are buying or renting. Most 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 per a source updated April 2025. Operates under a license from the National Association of REALTORS®.
How it works
Sells leads and advertising to agents, brokers and other industry parties, per the same source. Listing data comes largely from MLSs and agents, per a 2026 comparison.
Watch for
One 2026 comparison reports that homeowners cannot post their own for-sale-by-owner listings there. Fields such as HOA and square footage can 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
Mainly earns money by selling buyer leads to agents through its Premier Agent product, per a source updated April 2025. Wide listing coverage and a home-value estimate.
Watch for
The agent who receives 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 there.
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 bought it in 2021 and in early 2025 closed its acquisition of Matterport.
How it works
Says it does not sell buyer leads to other agents (“your listing, your lead”) and instead charges agents for placement in search results.
Watch for
Features and the agent model differ from other portals. Compare listing freshness with 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 acquisition of Redfin in July 2025.
How it works
A listing site that also operates a brokerage with its own agents in the areas it serves. Browsing is open to everyone.
Watch for
Brokerage services depend on where Redfin operates. Ownership changed in 2025, so features and fees may change.
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)
Trulia is owned by Zillow Group; Apartments.com is owned by CoStar Group.
How it works
Neighborhood context (Trulia) and a large database of apartment communities (Apartments.com).
Watch for
Trulia largely overlaps with Zillow’s inventory. Apartments.com is strongest for apartment buildings, with fewer single-family or small-landlord rentals.
Source and date
Company ownership as reported in the sources below, checked October 15, 2026
Local MLS-fed broker sites and county records
Buy · ResearchWho runs it (as of the source date)
Local brokerages run sites fed by the multiple listing service their agents use. Counties publish parcel, tax and sales records.
How it works
Often the most current status, because brokers enter listings there first. County records give free tax and sales history.
Watch for
Each site works differently, some details need an agent, and records can lag recent sales.
Source and date
General description; confirm with your local MLS and county
How to use them well
- Search at least two portals; each shows a slightly different set.
- Check the same home on a local broker site fed by your MLS for the latest status.
- Treat automated home value estimates as a starting point, not an appraisal.
- Ask who you are actually writing to when you click “contact”.
Where we fit
We cannot tell you from this page whether we will find something these sites will not. What we can do is search several of them for you, check the details and send a shortlist. Ask for a callback and we will explain exactly what the help includes.
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 statements 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).