How to Check on Homes Sold With Trulia

Trulia provides sales data for properties across the U.S.

A real estate search engine, Trulia provides homebuyers, sellers and renters with local listings and sales data for all properties with a few clicks of a mouse. According to Trulia, the site's audience peaked at 12.5 million users in August of 2010, catapulting Trulia to rival competitors Zillow and Redfin. It is important to check data obtained from Trulia against actual real estate sales data to ensure you have the most up-to-date and accurate information.

Instructions

1. Input a property on Trulia. The website will provide all relevant listing information regarding the property, including its actual sale price. Often, Trulia will also list how many times a property has been sold, each sale price and a snapshot of the property's current market value.

2. Contact a real estate agent to validate the sale price. Real estate agents can do so via the multiple listing service (MLS), providing validation of the price within minutes. Similar to Trulia, agents can provide an overview of a property's sales history and current market value. However, if the property does not appear on the MLS, an agent may not be able to provide any information at all.

3. Contact a local title company for sales price validation. A real estate agent unable to provide a property's sale price can often recommend a title company and escrow officer to assist you. Simply provide the title company's escrow officer with the address. The officer will access the deed, which lists the sale price. Deeds are a matter of public record.

Tips & Warnings

• Always validate information obtained on free real estate websites with a professional.

References

• Trulia: Trulia Sold Homes Vs. MLS Comps
• Tech Flash: Trulia hits profitability, joining rival Zillow.com in the club

Resources

• Trulia