5 Property Searching Tips – How To Use A Property Portal

If you are in the market for purchasing a new home, it is important to use the correct tools when searching.

A property portal website is also sometimes referred to as a ‘real estate search engine’ and it’s essentially a tool that helps you to locate a property that suits your requirements, whether it’s a property to buy or rent. There are many property-finding websites on the market and they all do the same thing with minor differences.

At Hadleigh, we have a convenient, easy-to-use, and comprehensive property portal. We have an extensive range of properties available for purchase and for rent, so you’ll be able to find a property that’s right for you.

You simply enter the details of your desired location, whether you want to buy or rent, what your expected price range is, which property type you are looking for, and a search radius. Sometimes, these property-finding websites may offer more options for you to fill out in order to find the exact property you’re looking for.

When you use a real estate search engine, you want to be sure that you’re able to quickly sift through the property listings in order to find properties that match your criteria. That’s why it’s important to know how to use this tool effectively. In this article, we share our top tips on how you can use this feature effectively to help you find the right property.

1. Identify your Search Parameters

Before you start your search, it’s important to know what you’re looking for.

• Do you have a budget in mind?
• Is there a specific type of property you’re looking for? Perhaps detached, semi-detached, or terraced?
• Where are you looking for a property? Were you thinking of staying in your local area or perhaps you’re thinking of buying property further afield?

These are all good questions to think about when you’re looking for a property as they will help you greatly narrow down the list of properties to help you find the one that’s suitable.

With the Hadleigh property search, there are a few more extra filters that you can apply to help you browse the market more effectively. You can choose to sort the listing results by price, you can choose to see the newest properties that have been added, you can choose to exclude or include properties with a sale agreed in your search results, and you can also choose whether you want to see new properties or resale properties.

2. Find a Reputable Property Portal

There are a number of different real estate search engines available online, so you may want to have a look around if you’re unable to find a property on one website. You may think that they’re all the same, but they do have their differences and some may display different properties.

At Hadleigh, we also advertise our properties on some of the most popular property portals, so when you use our property portal, you’ll also be seeing properties that we’re advertising on other platforms. That’s one of the great benefits of using our portal as it acts as a centralised location for finding properties that we’re advertising.

3. Enter your Search Parameters

Once you’ve selected a property portal, it’s time to start your search! Now that you’ve thought about what you’re looking for in a property and what your potential budget may be, simply enter your desired location, price range, property type, search radius, and any other preferences into the search bar and hit “search.”

In most cases, you’ll then be presented with a list of matching properties for you to browse through.

4. Browse Through Listings

Now comes the fun part! Browsing through all of the wonderful properties that match your criteria!

Each property listing will have photos of the exterior and interior of the property which will help give you a better picture of how the property looks. It’s always recommended to book an in-person viewing if you’re serious about buying a particular property.

With the listings on Hadleigh, you’ll be able to see a wide range of information, such as:

• How many bedrooms, bathrooms, and living rooms that a property has.
• A description of the property itself with information about each room.
• You’ll be able to see a drawn map of the floor plan to give you an idea of how the property is laid out.
• You can see the EPC graph which displays the energy efficiency ratings.
• You can see where the property is located on Google Maps.
• You can save your favourite properties to your account so you can revisit them at a later date (you will need to create an account with Hadleigh before you can save properties)
• You can set up property alerts to be notified whenever there is an update with the property (you will also need an account to do this)
• You can also email this property to a friend if you’d like to share your findings.

As you browse through, make sure you take note of any properties that stand out to you in particular and create a shortlist for you to revisit and compare. Once you have a shortlist, you may want to find out a bit more about the property and perhaps even arrange an in-person viewing to see the house up close.

5. Contact the Listing Agent

Once you’ve found a few properties that you’re interested in, it’s time to reach out to the listing agent and schedule a viewing. The agent will be able to show you around the property and answer any questions you may have about the property. If you’re happy with the property, they can then help you take the next steps toward making an offer.

Contact Hadleigh Estate Agents for Properties to Buy or Rent

If you’re looking for a property to buy or rent, but you’re unsure of where to start, get in touch with our property experts at Hadleigh. We’re an established estate and lettings agents in Harborne and we’re here to help you find your ideal property.

Get in touch with us on 0121 427 1213 or you can send us an email here.