Tulliani: Online platforms a must for families navigating today's real estate market

Renee Tulliani

Submitted photo

Home buyers are putting less emphasis on the size of the home and more on specific features such as design, personalization and authenticity.”

When searching for a new family home, it’s essential to consider needs that go beyond aesthetics. Families deserve a space that matches their functional requirements while also offering comfort and convenience. Here are some tips that can help families navigate the home-buying process.

Features fit for families

Home buyers are putting less emphasis on the size of the home and more on specific features such as design, personalization and authenticity. Family size and dynamics can vary significantly among buyers, which calls for home layouts that utilize the space in alignment with their distinct lifestyles and needs.

For example, a family that values spending time outdoors may want landscaping and exterior lighting, while a family that likes to host may want hardwood flooring, walk-in pantries and a full bath on the main level.

An essential step in preparing for your house hunt is to sit down with your family and determine which home features are your top priorities. Once you reach a consensus, you can create a list to help you stay focused and intentional during your search. This will also reduce the number of homes you explore that do not meet your family’s specific needs, bringing you closer to your ideal home. 

Online platforms also provide busy families options for comprehensive, virtual property tours. These platforms often include advanced search tools with feature filters that can greatly assist in narrowing down property search results, helping highlight relevant listings for buyers to save your family time, energy and a slew of trips to each property.

Browse with intent, buy with confidence

The National Association of Realtors found that 100% of today’s homebuyers use the internet to explore listings. Last year, over half of families discovered the homes they purchased through online channels.

Online platforms like Dealty are valuable resources for obtaining immediate and transparent listing information. Rather than driving to multiple properties and enduring back-and-forth communication to request documents like tax histories, buyers can easily access property images, videos, features and public tax records.

This ultimately eases the pressure of the home-buying process on families and reduces the hassle for buyers, allowing families to browse with intent and enjoy the search with their loved ones from the comfort of their own homes.

For families seeking expert guidance, many platforms offer services that directly connect you to real estate agents in your area. Increased flexibility is also seen with the presence of 24/7 chat tools that connect you to sellers, which is massively beneficial for families with uncommon or strict work schedules.

For those who cannot afford to take time off work to explore multiple properties across the map, these tools offer an equally informative and more accessible solution to your overall home-seeking experience.

Use online resources to sell, buy and simplify

If you’re selling your current home, getting the most for your property can significantly impact your next purchase. Knowing the worth of your home can demand intense research to keep current on ever-changing market trends, and it can become costly to hire a licensed appraiser or real estate agent to conduct comparative market analyses.

For busy families trying to fit the most in their day, navigating the selling landscape can easily become overwhelming, which is why tools such as the home value estimator were developed. These tools afford the average family easier access to informed real estate transactions through a simple upload of their current home address, resulting in instant, data-backed home estimates.

Ultimately, online real estate platforms empower families with a transparent wealth of research, effective strategies and reliable data, helping make the process smoother and more enjoyable for everyone involved.

Editor’s note: Renee Tulliani founded Scottsdale-based Dealty in 2018. Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.