Buying a home is not an easy task today. You have to narrow down on a location, neighbourhood, find a home that matches your budgets, your personal requirements and which has promising appreciation.Those looking for a home will tell you of the hours spent on research and commuting to multiple destinations to look for a home. The slew of advertisements in newspapers and the multitude of offers simply add to the confusion. Online services in a variety of fields have become the accepted norm. Little wonder then that real estate has gone the same way too. An online home buying portal has several aspects that may be used by a potential investor:

• It is a source of classifieds on numerous properties, each clearly segmented according to price range, location and several other parameters.
• Many portals offer advisory services to help make informed decisions.
• Most portals offer research tools such as rate comparison, potential of the location, possible appreciation, financial options etc., to a potential customer, thus giving the process a holistic approach.
• These portals give the customer a feel of the locality in which they are looking for a home, from the exact location, to amenities around, to the topography, all of this and more is covered on a portal, for every property listed.In fact, map-based portals such as housing.com, refind.in are such surfaces that allow you to create a specific interest point and explore a neighbourhood to better understand it.

The primary benefit of these online services is that all of the information provided is verified to a large extent. This gives the potential customer a reliable base to begin with.People may look for homes based on a range of parameters from the comfort of their home and settle on viewing only those properties that match their criteria. They have more control over their options than if they depended on a broker to do the same for them.Portals offer potential customers the ability to connect with others who may have bought properties in the same building and get reliable feedback.Looking for a home online has some other benefits that a customer may utilize:

• The convenience of being able to look for a home at a convenient time.
• The portal works for those who may not be based in the city or country.
• It is an ideal means of connecting builders and home sellers to potential customers

If you are planning on looking for a home on a portal, choose a portal that has some of these features:

• A telephone verification system to ensure the credentials of the property sellers.
• A verification system to ensure that details provided for each property are accurate.
• A service that provides you with tips on how to protect against any legal entanglements.
• Comprehensive coverage of the city of your choice with a large selection of projects across all budgets and locations.
• A security system in place that ensures all your private details remains that way.

The services of an online real estate portal are free for the consumer. Fee structures are in place for those who may want to sell their homes, and therefore will need listings put up.These portals provide a simple means of finding a great home.Some popular online property portals are:

• CommonFloor.com
• MagicBricks.com
• IndiaProperty.com
• Home Shikari.com
• Makaan.com
• Propertywala.com
• 99acres.com
• Realsoil.com

Almost all of these sites have related mobile apps which have now taken home searching to a whole new level of convenience.Being able to look for a home on your phone, map its location and read all the basic details you need to know is a very useful tool in narrowing down on a home of your choice. Technology continues to work in favour of the prospective home buyer.