When the times come to buy a home or condo in Toronto, most buyers will start their search on the Internet and more specifically on Realtor.ca, an online database of properties for sale. This site which was formerly known as MLS.ca has recently experienced a nice face lift and now incorporates interactive maps to help simplify your search. Buyers can search for a property based on location, price and type of home (condo or residential) which is then shown plotted on a map. Although the public Realtor.ca site is a fantastic tool for home buyers, Realtors are privy to a whole wealth of information on their own MLS database. So what's the difference you ask?
The Realtor MLS site is a system used and accessed only by Realtors and is operated by CREA (Canadian Real Estate Association). REALTOR.ca on the other hand is a public website also operated by CREA but this system displays a condensed version of the listings on MLS. Realtors have access to extra info and details about the property that is not exposed to the public.
Besides including additional property information, one of the major and most important differences is timing. What I mean by this is the time it takes for a property to appear on the public Realtor.ca site. It takes a few days after loading a property onto MLS to show up on the REALTOR.CA site. In a hot market, many of the properties on the public site have sold as they have already been exposed on the Realtor MLS system for days. Realtors are able to give their buyers up to date information, therefore giving them an opportunity to jump at a property before the public. This is just one of the many advantages of working with a Realtor.
If you are looking to purchase a condo or a home in Toronto, contact me and I would be happy to send you up to date listings on properties that may be of interest to you.
Realtor MLS vs Public REALTOR.ca