Real estate agents: you’ve been asked time and again for your opinions on nearby neighborhoods. If you’ve ever been unsure how to answer, there’s a new resource you can direct your clients to.
Trulia Neighborhoods is a newer feature from the home search website, Trulia. It digests insights from locals and official statistics about certain neighborhoods into one spot, giving potential homebuyers crucial information.
Trulia claims its new tool will “revolutionize online real estate, and change the way people discover homes and neighborhoods.” While first tuesday isn’t willing to go that far, it does have some handy features for potential homebuyers and renters.
These features include:
- poll responses from locals on questions like:
- dog-friendliness;
- sidewalks;
- safety after dark;
- ease of parking;
- the presence of wildlife;
- whether kids play outside;
- whether yards are well-kept; and
- how long locals plan to live there;
- statistics on local schools;
- crime maps;
- commute times;
- amenities, shopping and dining mapped; and
- a list of homes for sale and rent in the neighborhood, as well as the price ranges for each.
To use the new feature, simply type in the preferred city, zip code or neighborhood on Trulia’s main page. At the top of the search results, choose the neighborhood you or your client are interested in learning more about and click “See Local Highlights.”
In California, this feature was first limited to the Bay Area, but has since become available in many populous regions of the state. Most neighborhoods include photos of listings and popular amenities. Some neighborhoods in the state’s biggest cities also include drone footage.
Trulia Neighborhoods will be most useful for interested homebuyers and renters who are relocating from another city or state. In fact, agents who regularly assist relocating clients may be hard-pressed to find another source of information as inclusive as Trulia Neighborhoods.
The typical agent response to questions on neighborhood desirability usually goes something like: “I have to be careful not to violate fair housing laws so I can’t say anything in particular about that neighborhood. But do your own research!”
Now, agents can direct clients to Trulia’s feature, which offers all the information needed to make an informed opinion.