Consumers
Welcome to Our Consumer Resource Center
Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make, and having the right information can make the process smoother, faster, and more successful. Our goal is to empower you with the tools, insights, and resources you need at every step of your real estate journey. Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer, looking to upsize or downsize, or exploring investment properties, we’re here to help.
The real estate market grows increasingly competitive each day, which means that having somebody by your side to guide you through the home-buying or home-selling process is essential. REALTORS® bring a lifetime of expertise to your situation in more ways than one.
1. REALTORS® are a part of the communities they serve.
2. REALTORS® have the expertise and knowledge to guide you through the biggest financial decision of your life.
3. REALTORS® advocate for fair housing and uphold the strict REALTOR® Code of Ethics.
Buying a home is exciting, but there are many factors to consider. Our below resources walk you through each stage of the home-buying process, from finding a REALTOR® to closing on your dream home.
- A Short Guide for First-Time Homebuyers
- Thinking About Buying a Home?
- 7 Great Reasons to Own a Home
- Finance a Home, Creatively
- How to Improve Your Credit
- 7 Principles for Homebuyer Success
- How to Prepare to Buy a Home
- How to Prepare to Finance a Home
- Questions to Ask When Choosing a Lender
- Questions to Ask When Choosing a Real Estate Agent
- Vocabulary: Loans & Lending Terms
- What to Know About Credit Scores
- Worksheet: Track Your Budget
- Questions to Ask a Home Inspector
- Questions to Ask About Property Tax
- Questions to Ask About the Neighborhood
- Questions to Ask the Condo Board
- Questions to Ask When Considering a Condo
- Green Home Programs
- What to Know About Home Hazards
- What to Know About the Appraisal Process
- What to Know About the Home Inspection
- Worksheet: Define Your Dream Home
- Before Making a Short Sale Offer
- Checklist: Your Final Walk-Through
- Checklist: Your Mortgage Application
- How To Buy in a Tight Market
- How to Lower Homeowners Insurance Costs
- Vocabulary: Transaction Documents
- What to Know About Homeowners Insurance
- What to Know About Title Insurance
- Worksheet: Service Provider Contacts
- Worksheet: Track Closing Costs
- Your Short Sale Purchase Team
Selling a property requires careful planning, preparation, and marketing. Use the resources below to help navigate the selling process confidently, including pricing strategies, staging tips, and how to find the right buyer.
- Questions to Ask When Considering Selling
- Worksheet: Calculate Capital Gains
- 5 Things to Do When Getting Your House Ready to Sell
- Checklist: For a Better Home Showing
- How To Add Curb Appeal
- How to Clean When Your Home is For Sale
- How to Hire a Remodeling Contractor
- How to Hold a Successful Garage Sale
- How to Prepare for the Photo Shoot
- What to Know About the Appraisal Process
- How to Improve the Odds of an Offer
- How To Navigate a Short Sale
- How To Prepare for a Short Sale
- How to Recognize a Qualified Buyer
- Vocabulary: Transaction Documents
- Worksheet: Track Closing Costs
Check out these apps to learn how they can make moving a smoother, more organized experience for your buyers and sellers.
MoveAdvisor
Provides a suite of tools for planning and organizing a move, calculating moving costs, and securing bids from reputable moving companies. You can compare bids and order services.
MoveAtlas
From Atlas Van Lines, its suite of features includes a planner, packing tips, moving day checklist, bid requests from moving companies, and integration with the Atlas tracking system for updates on shipping status.
Move Captain
Lets users capture video and pictures of household items when planning moves. Local movers can review the uploads and provide estimates for services.
Move Planner
Realtor.com®’s moving website offers web-based tools and advice for moving day. Includes calculators for estimating moving costs and packing needs, a moving planner, and articles to help clients make an efficient, stress-free move.
Sortly
A service for organizing possessions. Take inventory and capture images of belongings in each room, then organize the photos in folders to make unpacking simpler.
Unpakt
Free cloud service for simplifying the process of finding a moving company. Users enter the belongings they’re moving and the address the items are being moved to, and then they can receive guaranteed bids from local and national moving companies.
Powered by the National Association of Realtors®.
Guía Para el Consumidor: Acceso Justo a la Vivienda
Buying or selling a home is more than a transaction—it’s fundamental to your long-term goals and financial future. Consumers and agents all have rights and responsibilities to promote a home buying or selling process free from discrimination. Here’s what you need to know:
What is “fair housing” and how does it help me?
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing and housing-related transactions based on race, color, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, religion, disability, or familial status. Local and state fair housing laws may prohibit discrimination on additional protected classes. The bottom line is that discrimination hurts all sides of a home transaction, closes the door on the American dream of homeownership, and perpetuates economic inequality. Homebuyers, home sellers and real estate professionals depend on strong fair housing laws and practices for our communities and economy to thrive.
How do fair housing laws apply to me as a buyer?
You should expect to receive the same professional service in the homebuying process regardless of any protected characteristic. This includes equitable treatment by your agent, the seller, the seller’s agent, appraisers, lenders, and others involved in your home search and purchase. You should also expect your agent to provide you with home options in your price range regardless of the racial or ethnic composition of neighborhoods.
How do fair housing laws apply to me as a seller?
You cannot discriminate when selling your home based on the buyer’s race, color, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, religion, disability, or familial status. You also cannot instruct your agent to conduct a sale any differently based on these prohibited reasons. That means you cannot advertise your home to just one or to a limited number of groups.
How does working with an agent who is a REALTOR® help ensure fair housing practices are followed?
In addition to an obligation to comply with applicable fair housing laws, REALTORS® adhere to the highest ethical standards. the REALTOR® Code of Ethics obligates REALTORS® to provide equal professional services to all consumers. Among other ethical duties, REALTORS® must not discuss the demographic composition of a neighborhood, advertise a property in a way that indicates any preference, limitations, or discrimination for a prohibited reason. Read more about REALTORS’® duty to put client interests above their own here.
Where can I report suspected discrimination in the homebuying or selling process?
Report housing discrimination to the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and ethical violations to your agent’s state or local REALTOR® Association (find an association here). You can also report concerns to a local nonprofit fair housing organization (find by ZIP code here). Fair housing laws prohibit harassment or intimidation if you report discriminatory behavior.
The Fair Housing Act is a federal law; many state and local laws provide additional protections. Consult your real estate professional, an attorney, and your state’s housing authority for details about applicable fair housing laws where you are selling or purchasing a home. Please visit facts.realtor for more information and resources.
Have you ever wondered how REALTORS® find that perfect home just right for you?
REALTORS® have access to Southwest Florida's most robust database. The Multiple Listing Service, better known as the MLS, provides real-time active and available listings. Why is this important to know as a potential homebuyer or seller? REALTORS® can compile specific searches based on your dream home wishlist.
Search Commercial Property for Sale or Lease in Southwest Florida.
Search a broker-sourced database of sale/lease availabilities and comps with a suite of powerful tools.