Time has released its 50 Best Websites of 2009 list, and making the grade are two property related websites: propertyshark.com and redfin.com.
Coming in at number 23 is propertyshark.com. Time write:
“In geek-speak “information asymmetry” is a problem that crops up, for example, when you buy a house. The seller knows more about the house than the buyer and thus has an unfair advantage in the deal — though perhaps not for long. PropertyShark.com is a free service that culls an incredible amount of data for houses in the big, coastal population centers, plus Texas. The PropertyShark database, searchable by address, tracks price history, comparables, tax-roll information, owner names, demographic information, flood and fire maps and more. A subscription buys even more information, including lists of foreclosure auctions and pre-foreclosure notices — even phone numbers of property owners. By the time you make that call, you may know more than he does.”
At number 24 is redfin.com. Time write:
“Disintermediation — another SAT word whizzing around the Web — means removing the middleman, and that’s the strategy of real estate site Redfin, which aims to do to Realtors what travel sites have done to travel agents: eradicate them. Redfin provides the same information that real estate agents have in their computers, like price history, pictures and comparables. After you narrow your choice, the site provides a cut-rate real estate agent to help you close the deal. Sellers can use Redfin too. The loser in the deal is the traditional Realtor, who has been — all together now — disintermediated.”
Other relevant sites on the list include: twitter.com at number 6, google.com at 11, youtube.com at 12, craigslook.com (a web 2.0 version of craigslist.com) at 17, and yelp.com at number 36.
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