Online shopping has never been as popular as it was over the past 2 years. With physical stores becoming less accessible, e-commerce transactions reached a record high in Canada. Even experiences like concerts, fundraisers, and fashion shows have moved to offering more online options.

With that in mind, searching online might seem like a logical way to find a home too. In fact, it is the main method that our clients use for shopping listings, whether they live near or far. 

While digital listings are definitely a great place to start, there are certain things you need to be aware of when house hunting on the Internet.

3 Tips for House Hunting Online

A good listing will provide you with lots of useful details and information about the house. But that will not tell you enough to be able to make a decision about the property before you buy it.

When looking at listings online, follow these tips:

1. Stay Current on Listings

Wherever you decide to start your search, make sure that you find a website that includes up-to-date listings. Any platform that pulls listings from the multiple listing services, such as Realtor.ca, will give you current listings with updated information.

If you are working with a Realtor, they will usually set up search alerts for you that send you fresh selections of listings that fit your criteria on a regular basis to make sure you don’t miss anything. Take your time to look these over, and give your Realtor feedback about what you like or don’t like in the options you are seeing. There is always an option to change or refine your search to suit your specific criteria.

2. Don't Trust Pictures Alone

Pictures can be deceiving. Simple things like good lighting, special lenses, and editing software can improve the appearance of any photo. Additionally, you are not likely to find pictures that cover every inch of the home. Storage spaces or unfinished areas of the house, which are less appealing to look at, are likely to be left out.

And, on the Ottawa board, we are limited to 30 pictures per listing. Look for multimedia links to additional images that offer other angles and extra rooms if available. Even this may not show you everything you want to see, however.

3. Take a Look for Yourself

Before you buy a home, you will want to contact a real estate agent and schedule a showing. There is nothing like seeing the house up-close and personal. You can learn so much more about the house if you take the time to inspect it yourself. Get a feel for the size, see what condition the house is in, and explore every part of the house. Yes, every part. Get up close and personal with it.

This is also your opportunity to talk to your real estate agent and ask questions about the property. Your agent will be able to tell you a lot of what you want to know, and they also have the resources to inquire about any questions that you may have for the listing side.