The Covid-19 pandemic has not only changed the buying behavior of the masses but also changed the mediums through which we buy things—be it the things of daily needs, cars, insurance, or even homes. The fast-paced lives and now the comfort of buying from the safety of our homes has helped online platforms gain popularity.

With 61% of internet users in India in 2021, the traditional methods of buying have become obsolete. The markets are going more and more virtual than real with the development of techniques like AI and Machine Learning, designed to give more personalized experiences. Earlier, people completely had a dependency on real estate agents to find a suitable property but due to certain constraints like lack of resources, less suitable inventories, and above all, the trust and accountability factor wasn’t met by these agents. 

The high level of contingencies, wrongdoings, and false practices led to the birth of proptech companies that somehow changed the Indian real estate scenario but couldn’t organize it as much as was needed. But in the ongoing pandemic situation in which the world finds itself, the best way to look at the properties in your budget and specifications is through online real estate portals that you consider trustworthy and accountable.

Like any other medium, buying a property from an online portal too has its advantages and disadvantages. Read below:

Pros:

1. Ample Options: One of the most prominent ways to find a suitable property in your budget and specifications is through online portals, as you can filter your search criteria as per your preferences, shortlist and visit only the most relevant ones. This reduces your efforts and time spent on finding the right property for you. 
2. RERA Registration: The trustworthy and accountable portals today, like PropUsers.com, only list properties that are RERA registered. The properties listed on these portals go through a thorough background check by experts before being listed on the portal, thus ensuring utmost trust and accountability within a legal framework.
3. Best Price: Since the number of options available within the same neighborhood is more, you can easily compare the prices of different inventories depending upon the condition of the property. 
4. Find Ready to Move Inventories: The government has exempted ready-to-move properties from GST. These properties are also risk-free, as their paperwork is complete, thereby minimizing the chances of possible legal discrepancies. Real estate experts advise first-time home buyers to invest in verified ready-to-move properties only. PropMakeover by PropUsers is one such platform for real estate buyers and sellers that deals in 100% verified resale properties only. 

Cons: 

1. Possible Frauds: When buying property through an advertising portal, one must beware of portals that allow sellers to post property advertisements on their own, as the chances of fraud are higher in such cases. It is always advisable to buy from portals where listing rights remain in the hands of the admin who list only verified properties after a thorough background check. 
2. Data Security: Most of the real estate advertising portals sell their data to third parties who use that data to pitch to their prospective buyers. You may wonder why you receive multiple sales calls whenever you try to find your perfect home on the real estate advertising portals. 

The real estate advertising portals are nothing but a link between the buyers and sellers. Most of the platforms working in India only collect your data and pass it on to third parties. It is advisable to choose your online home search partner wisely who can promise you trust, transparency, and accountability to develop relationships for life, as the home is not just a place where you dwell, it’s an emotion.                    

Have more advantages or disadvantages to add? Post in the comments section below to kickstart the discussion