Top 10 Real Estate News Websites
Updated 09/2024.
Finding timely and accurate real estate news can be surprisingly tricky, especially if you’re looking for local data specific to your property. Most major news sites (and we won’t name names) focus on sensational news like celebrity home sales and shocking statements about how the economy could impact the real estate market next.
I’ve been licensed since 2003, and throughout my career I have kept my eye out for good local and national sources of real estate news. The task has been challenging, but over the years, I’ve found some reliable, or at least interesting, sources. Today, I’m going to share my top list with you. I break it down into national and local sites, with a few bonus tips at the end.
Top 10 National Real Estate News Websites
1. NAR.Realtor/Research-and-Statistics
National Associations Chief Economist Lawrence Yun is phenomenal. Whatever he says, I’ve learned to trust. He is my most trusted source of national real estate market information. The site above often contains Yun’s commentary, but also includes a wealth of information in helpful indexes and market snapshots.
2. Inman.com (Fully Paywalled)
This could top my list of national sites if its articles weren’t placed behind a fairly pricey paywall. The site is focused on a real estate audience but contains a lot of important articles on the market.
3. Realtor.com – Research
In addition to being one of the best sources for listings, Realtor.com produces a wide range of industry reports and local insights that can be very valuable. The site has some close associations with the National Association of Realtors that help ensure the content remains on the straight and narrow. The NAR does not own Realtor.com, but it does have NAR members on boards that own and operate it. The URL Realtor.com is also leased from the NAR.
4. HousingWire.com (Partially Paywalled)
This site is written for a mortgage broker audience and focuses on real estate loans. It also includes well-written, insightful articles on the real estate market. The main drawback is that the information sits behind a paywall.
5. RealEstateNews.com (Partially Paywalled)
This website is relatively new to the scene, but I find myself checking their site often. It continues to improve rapidly. It has started putting articles behind a paywall, allowing limited browsing before one has to pay to read.
6. Zillow.com – Research
Real estate agents typically are not fans of Zillow, and there are good reasons for this. For example, their Zestimates feature creates wide spread misleading understandings of home values and isn’t very accurate. However, they do put some solid research out there and occasionally write unique reports no one else had thought to create. So, even though the site has some serious drawbacks, keeping it in the mix is useful.
7. RisMedia.com
This site is also focused on a real estate audience and has a large volume of articles published daily, including the occasional useful real estate market article. The market articles need to be updated more often, and I would likely follow it more often if it were.
8. Redfin.com Data Center
Real estate agents aren’t typically fans of Redfin unless they work for them. Like Zillow, Redfin has put out some good research reports, but they rely on internal data that isn’t always true across the board for the rest of the industry. Their data is useful, but you’ll benefit from additional sources.
9. The Real Deal (Partially Paywalled)
This website focuses on celebrity mansions and large commercial real estate deals. It isn’t the best for residential real estate news as it focuses more on shock and awe than on useful reporting. That being said, it does produce the occasionally useful residential real estate article.
The Real Deal launched its magazine online and in print in 2003 and it has expanded into podcasts and videos. The magazine has garnered dozens of awards from the National Association of Real Estate Editors.
10. CNBC – Real Estate
Perhaps the best of the worst, the worst being defined as major news portals’ attempts at covering the real estate market.
Bonus National Information to Follow:
Census.gov Housing Vacancies and Homeownership Reports
Massive database going back multiple decades and consistently updated.
FRED Economic Data, 30-Year Fixed Rate Chart
The best source for average mortgage rates.
Top Portland, Oregon Metro Real Estate News Sources
Now that we’ve reviewed national sources, it’s time to think locally. These sites offer more pinpointed information than national companies.
1. Portland Real Estate News on BizJournals.com
This news source stays up-to-date, often blogging multiple times a week on a range of topics on the Portland real estate market.
2. City of Portland Housing Bureau News Blog
This site gives important information on all those bonds they’ve been passing, as well as future local housing initiatives and the occasional insightful local housing report. Staying up on the latest government news and initiatives can be a massive benefit for real estate planning, and the portland.gov site makes it easy.
3. RealEstateAgentPDX.com – Real Estate Blog
Okay, you’re here already, but if you aren’t familiar with our website, it’s time you are. In my over 20 years working the greater Portland real estate market, I have extensively researched countless topics, but never found it easy to unearth local real estate data. I could only image how much more difficult it would be for someone outside my profession to get correct, local real estate market insights. So I’ve joined my market expertise with news on the latest changes and trends in the local market. This includes monthly market updates and data. But the best way to learn what I offer is to experience it yourself:
- Sign up for our free bi-weekly email digest.
- Check out our long list of real estate news categories and bookmark the subjects that interest you most.
4. Portland Monthly – Home and Real Estate
They write a lot of sensational pieces about local mega-mansions new on the market, which I’m not crazy about. Still, they also create the occasional interesting real estate article or regional real estate map.
Bonus Local Information to Follow:
NAR.Realtor Local Market Report
Click the link, scroll down to Oregon, and open it. There you will find a current Portland Metro PDF available to download.
This needs to be updated more often, but it contains valuable information on local affordable housing efforts.
Census.gov Portland, Oregon Fact Table
Is the population rising or falling? You can check by city, county, or even zip code. Very few things impact a local real estate more than its growing or declining population base.
This well-written, well-researched blog is full of helpful local information.
Economic and Revenue Forecasts by Oregon Economic Analysis.
This is an important page to follow to understand where the local economy is headed.
PortlandMaps.com – Gallery of Maps
Hard to say enough good things about Portlandmaps.com. Put in any address for a wealth of information, for starters. I particularly love their map gallery (which seems to change over time). The maps give wonderful insights into our local city from several different angles.
Fantastic site (with a clickable map) to learn about upcoming real estate projects in development in Portland, Oregon.
I know I’ve plugged this site more than once, but there is a reason I created it. This home (and commercial) search site crunches data in a way that is hard to find elsewhere and, in some cases, can only be found here. In addition to standard filters like price and bedroom count, we have a filter overlay that crunches some unique numbers. Give it a try.
This is another (and final) site I’ve plugged many times. The clickable neighborhood map is hard to beat, and the individualized neighborhood guides are pretty in-depth.
Work with a Local Real Estate Expert
If you’re thinking of selling a home in the next twelve months, I or one of my top 1% sellers agents would love to schedule a time to tour your home and help you prepare for the market. If you’re considering buying a home in the greater Portland metro area, my top 1% buyers agents are here to help. Give us a call at 503-714-1111 or chat with the bot on this site today. We look forward to connecting!
