Viewing Homes: An Overview

You've spent time online viewing photos and reading descriptions of homes. Now you're ready to take a look at the real thing. Do you jump straight into touring with an agent? What about open houses? What's the best way to start viewing homes in the wild?

We recommend a three-tier approach to viewing homes: drive-bys, open houses, and home tours. This isn't exactly three sequential steps -- you don't have to do them in order, and there's no reason you can't go "back" to drive-bys once you've done a couple of tours. But in terms of commitment and time, here's what we'd suggest:

The drive-by is a tour of a neighborhood where you might want to live. If you've got your eye on a home (or multiple homes) in an unfamiliar area, a drive-by can be a great way to gather information quickly, and without going through the hassle of talking to an agent or working around an open house schedule.

All you need to do is hop in your car (or on your bike, or scooter, or moped) and go for a spin around your potential new digs. How does the neighborhood feel? Is it busy or sleepy? Loud or quiet? Young or aging? Is there shopping nearby? A good school? Dining? Nightlife? Talk to the locals. Get a feel for the area. When you're done, hop back in your car to check out a new area, or just head home.

This is just a quick overview -- if you want a more in-depth look at a neighborhood drive-by, check out our drive-by page.

An open house gives you the chance to check out a home in-person, without the assistance of your own agent. Open houses are hosted by listing agents, the real estate agents hired by home sellers.

Though you don't need to work with an agent to see an open house, you do need to show up at the right time. Most open houses take place on the weekends, usually between 10am and 4pm. Many home-shoppers make a day of open-house viewing by driving around a neighborhood and stopping at every open house sign. You can also be more deliberate by using Redfin to map out a route that will take you to multiple open houses in your price range.

Learn more about seeing open houses, including important preparation and touring tips.

When you're ready to spend some in-depth, uninterrupted time in a home without competing with other buyers for views of the bathroom, you can book a home tour. Touring a home generally requires you to work with a buyer's agent, who may also require you to obtain loan pre-approval.

A home tour gives you the best opportunity to spend time seeing a home in detail. If you'd like an in-depth look at preparing for and getting the most out of a home tour, check out our home tour page.