Techniques for Searching The Portland MLS

There are many ways to go about searching the Portland MLS, and your options primarily depend on which website you are using to do the search. Additionally, the type of search to use depends on what you are searching for and how well the geographic data matches up with your personal MLS searching goals.

On my website, we offer four different types of MLS search.

1) Search the Portland MLS by City: This is the traditional way to search the MLS, and the one that is most commonly available on almost all real estate agent websites. If the city that you are searching in is relatively small and the neighborhoods are not distinctly different, then this can be a very effective way to do your search. My site also offers the option to save these searches and get e-mails when new listings come on the market that match your saved parameters.

2) Search the Portland MLS by Zipcode: In some cities, a zipcode offers a good approximation of neighborhood boundaries, and this can help narrow down your search if there are a lot of listings in your desired city. Again, my site offers the option to save these searches and get e-mails when new listings come on the market that match your saved parameters.

3) Search the Portland MLS by MLS Number: In most areas, including my home in Portland, Oregon, each property has a unique MLS number. This number can be written down or saved while you are searching, and then be used to lookup a property that you previously found. On my site you can also add any property that you find to your 'favorites' list.

4) Search the Portland MLS using a Google Map Search: If you know exactly what neighborhood or area you want to live in, then this is probably the best option. Using a map search you can zoom in to find the house that is closest to your favorite parks, schools, or shopping areas.

My personal favorite technique is to start by doing map searches to find out what is available in the areas I like, and then to setup a zipcode search to send me e-mails of the latest listings.

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