For commercial property, start with LoopNet and Crexi; add Ten-X when you want an auction process. For a purchase tied to an operating business, check BizBuySell. For houses, condos, and smaller residential rentals, search residential portals such as Redfin, Zillow, and Realtor.com. None should be treated as a complete inventory: compare more than one source and verify a listing with its broker or agent.
Which investment-property database should you use?
The best starting point depends on the property and transaction you are pursuing. Commercial marketplaces cover assets such as offices, retail, land, and apartment buildings; residential portals can surface homes and smaller rental opportunities; and an auction platform or business-sale marketplace serves a different buying process.
| Database | Best fit | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| LoopNet | Commercial property for sale, lease, or auction | Broad commercial categories and saved-search alerts; some CoStar Blue listings are visible to broker professionals but not ordinary LoopNet users. [LoopNet] |
| Crexi | Commercial sales, auctions, and property research | Offers multiple commercial categories and promotes records, sales comparables, and lease data as product features. [Crexi] |
| Ten-X | Commercial auctions | Provides auction and bidding workflows; Ten-X says its auctions are now on LoopNet. [Ten-X] |
| BizBuySell | Business listings that include real estate | Its real-estate search is relevant when a property is being sold with an operating business; it points users to LoopNet for more commercial properties. [BizBuySell] |
| Redfin | Residential homes and rentals | Supports home-buying and residential rental searches; small multifamily opportunities depend on local inventory and listing classification. [Redfin] |
| Zillow | Residential listings | A historical CoStar filing identifies it as a home-listing service; check Zillow directly for current filters and local inventory. [Zillow] |
| Realtor.com | Residential listings | A historical CoStar filing identifies it as a home-listing service; check Realtor.com directly for current filters and local inventory. [Realtor.com] |
Commercial property marketplaces
1. LoopNet: broad commercial search
LoopNet covers commercial property for sale, lease, and auction. Its listed categories include multifamily, land, residential income, office, retail, industrial, hospitality, and specialty property. Saved searches and alerts can help track new listings in a target area. One visibility limitation matters: LoopNet says some CoStar Blue listings are available to broker professionals but do not appear to ordinary LoopNet users, so a public search may not show every property professionals can see.
LoopNet reports 300K+ active listings, 13M+ monthly visitors, and $400B+ in transaction value on its undated homepage, observed in 2026. These are LoopNet’s own claims, not independently verified or directly comparable with other platforms’ figures. [LoopNet homepage]
#1 Best Overall
2. Crexi: commercial listings and research tools
Crexi lists multifamily, land, retail, office, industrial, hospitality, self-storage, senior living, and other property types, as well as auctions. Its research product promotes property records, sales comparables, and lease data. Treat those as Crexi’s descriptions of its own tools, not as an independent assessment of their coverage or accuracy.
Crexi reports 153M+ property records, 84M+ verified sales comparables, and 1.7M lease data points on its product page. These are vendor-reported figures; the page does not establish a shared date for them or an independent audit. [Crexi listings] [Crexi research]
3. Ten-X: commercial auction workflow
Ten-X is useful when the sale method matters as much as the property search. Its offering centers on commercial auction information, bidding, transaction management, and property-page due diligence. Ten-X states that its auctions are now on LoopNet, so approach it as part of that current auction relationship rather than assuming it is a wholly separate listing destination. Auction procedures and transaction terms can differ from a standard direct listing; review the specific property and sale terms before bidding.
Business-linked and residential property searches
4. BizBuySell: property connected to a business
Use BizBuySell when you are considering a business sale that includes real estate or a business-property listing. That is a different search from buying a standalone commercial building: the operating business may be part of the transaction. BizBuySell directs users seeking additional commercial properties to LoopNet.
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5. Redfin: houses, condos, and residential rentals
Redfin offers home-buying and residential rental searches. Depending on the local market and how a listing is classified, a search may surface a single-family home, condo, or small multifamily property suited to a rental strategy. It is a residential portal, not a commercial-property database.
6. Zillow and 7. Realtor.com: additional residential searches
Zillow and Realtor.com are useful as additional places to look for residential listings. A historical CoStar SEC filing names both among online services featuring homes for sale, but that filing does not establish their current investment-specific filters, rental features, or inventory completeness. Check each site directly for the search options and listings currently available in your target area.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to compare property databases
Compare the sources against the asset and buying process you actually need, not just the number of results on a search page.
- Property type and size: Decide whether you need a single-family rental, small multifamily property, apartment building, land, or another commercial asset.
- Geographic coverage: Search where you plan to buy and assess whether the portal has usable local listings. Coverage can vary by market.
- Listing visibility: Check whether results are public, require paid access, or omit broker-facing inventory. LoopNet, for example, says some CoStar Blue listings are not shown to ordinary users.
- Sale method: Distinguish a direct listing from an auction. Review the relevant deadlines, bidding process, and transaction terms.
- Data depth: Separate listing details from records, comparable sales, lease data, or due-diligence documents. Product claims do not by themselves establish completeness or accuracy.
No portal should be assumed to contain the whole market. A practical search often combines commercial marketplaces with residential listing sources, then confirms that a property is still available and that its details are accurate with the listing broker or agent. Current prices and subscription requirements are not established on a comparable basis across these providers, so review each service’s current terms.
Best Value
Turn a listing into a due-diligence lead
An online listing is a starting point, not proof that a property is a sound investment. Before making an offer or bidding, verify the property and transaction using primary records and appropriate professionals.
Quick Recap
- Confirm listing status, ownership, and title.
- Investigate property condition and required repairs.
- Check zoning and permitted uses with the relevant local authority.
- Validate income, expenses, leases, and other operating assumptions.
- Review financing requirements and all transaction terms, especially for an auction or a sale that includes a business.
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