A very close friend of mine was about to buy a property in an upcoming area in Bangalore. After months of preparation he short listed an apartment in the area, but when the builder quoted the price he was in for a surprise. The price of per square feet of area of the apartment was much more than he had estimated. He immediately went online to a property related website to compare the per square feet price in that area. The prices quoted from similar apartments in the same area were much lower. He showed the result to the builder and he was compelled to reduce his initial price quote.And to imagine my friend did all this without breaking sweat, by simply sitting at home!Thanks to the Internet a host of real estate related information and services are available to us. It advises us, helps us to choose and even determines the right property for us. So if you are a self styled couch potato, reluctant to move, fear not, you can still get a great property.

Make most use of Google maps

Google Maps are an excellent application to get a bird’s eye view of the locality where you want to buy your property. In fact Google Street would even give you a look of your immediate neighbor’s residence.

Take a peek into all forums

If you want unbiased view points and real life accounts of personal experiences from customers (whether satisfied/unsatisfied) then real estate forums are the best place. The best thing about a forum is that here you never feel alone because you find so many people undergoing the same crises that you are in. It is also possible to contact them directly for a candid chat.

Catch up with friends

This is the tried and tested method everyone turns to every once in a while in their life. If you have friends already residing in an area that you have zeroed in on for investing that’s great news. You could always ask them to do some research on your behalf and give you a detailed feedback.

Make use of the social media channel

Social media is the rage nowadays and that is for a reason. It is versatile and can target specific audience, for e.g. on Facebook you may find the page of the builder you have selected. The page will naturally have fans and also candid comments. You can get a fair idea about the project of the builder you are interested in. You can also contact any of the fans to get a personalized review from them.

Surf YouTube

This channel has been an excellent medium for sharing videos. To make your real estate search easy there are many builders who are posting videos on YouTube. The detailed videos give a virtual tour of the exterior and even the interior of a property.Real estate agencies too have channels dedicated to showcase properties of different builders. Some of the projects are even separate categories for your ease like a particular area, a particular builder etc.

Check out builder websites

Some builder websites provide a detailed video tour of the whole property on their website. Renowned builder Prestige has a video tour on its website that guides prospective customers to its property via a detailed guided roadmap. A handy tool, it is also a great navigation device for scouting the area.

Keep a lookout on property related websites

Many websites dedicated to property search, rentals and real estate news may have blogs to inform people about certain apartments, building or villas. They usually have a large database of property related information that can come in handy, so it is easy to compare. Moreover all new properties are advertised here by owners, brokers and builders so you can get the best deal.There, I’ve listed all the tricks I knew to find a property without moving from your spot. It is a good feeling when your work is done without you running around isn’t it?Try them out and let me know how you fared! Till then goodbye and good luck!