Every so often, you might come across a listing with little information or with no MLS # or address.
Stop right there, for when a home is for sale, REALTORS® will market it EVERYWHERE because they want to sell it.
If there is something lacking, something fishy is probably going on.
The most common place for “shady real estate shenanigans” is on CraigsList. I used to advertise on there, but I found that too many people would reuse my listing and post it incorrectly.
So, try and stay off CraigsList for real estate.
I have had multiple experiences where agents literally stole my listings on Trulia and Zillow saying they were theirs!
I had to contact the sites to correct the problem.
Another common issue is going back to the “No MLS or Address” situation.
I had a buyer ask about a property with no address on Zillow. There was only a phone number to call, with no realty information. I called the number and it was a REALTOR®, who was out of the country for two more weeks and the voicemail message to email her. I emailed her for more information, which she didn’t respond.
I looked at the pictures to make out the street number, then looked it up on the Zillow map to get an idea where it was. I searched for it on the MLS and found it. The property had been listed with another agent last year, and was canceled six months ago.
So, what the agent was doing, was showing pictures and some basic information with no address so they could attract buyers. When anyone calls, they just say that it is not available and they can show them others houses. It is a horrible case of bait and switch, so be cautious when you see properties with little information online.