So you want to find a condo. You’ve got a few choices. First, you could beat feet and search for those hidden gems, the inexpensive palaces your annoying friends always seem to find. Given the time of year you attempt this, you’re likely to dissolve into a puddle of sweat, get soaked in a sudden street flood or both.
Or maybe you could contact one of those legion “property agents.” This can work well, or it can be a complete waste of time. Either way, you’re taking your hand off the rudder, surrendering control and abdicating your condominium destiny.
Now, if only the technology existed for people to easily share information, like on some kind of networked computer system. Wait, what’s that? There’s an Internet already ripe with real estate-searching opportunities? Let’s take a look at a few of its more useful offerings:
HIPFLAT: This website hit the ground running with some start-up capital in late 2013. It boasts a nice, clean, map-based interface with three languages to choose from. If searching for a condo was a video game, it would be Hipflat.
PROS:
• Choosing from the map interface is good fun, and it’s great if you don’t know your Ratchathewis from your Ratchadamris.
CONS:
• Sending an enquiry to the owner via the website holds no guarantee of a response. From my small survey I got exactly zero responses from six enquiries. Not a confidence booster.
• No way to zoom or enlarge the photos.
(Update July, 2015: Hipflat writes to say they’ve recently launched a new version that addresses these concerns.)
CRAIGSLIST: A time machine that takes you back to Web 1.0. A bare-bones interface with lots of listings, all in English.
PROS:
• It’s fast; the content is easy to access; hundreds of listings every day (though many are repeats).
CONS:
• Some agents tend to keyword spam, so your search for Supalai Asoke might come up with hundreds of listings far and wide across Bangkok.
• The quality of listings ranges from good to extremely unhelpful.
• Doesn’t cater for the economical end of the market.
PRAKARD: For the hunter in you. For English-only searchers, Prakard poses a real challenge, as not many listings are in English. But if you are Thai, can read the language or just really fond of guessing games, Prakard is the one. Probably the biggest real estate listing site in Thailand.
PROS:
• Prakard has the most listings, many are direct with the owner, potentially saving you money.
• If you’re looking for an apartment in a specific building then Prakard has all the major buildings in separate forums.
CONS:
• Many of the listings are in Thai. Non-readers of Thai will struggle.
• Search function is extremely poor, website layout is confusing.
• Many old listings aren’t deleted.
THAIVISA: The big expat website boasts a lot of listings, but its layout is confusing with premium listings, a flashing mess of ads and an inconsistent format. You might strike it lucky and get a good deal straight from an owner.
PROS:
• If you’re based in Pattaya or Hua Hin then Thaivisa might work for you.
CONS:
• Even Thaivisa’s mom says it’s ugly. And I agree. It’s really ugly and difficult to use.
BANGKOK HOME CONDO: A lack of response is a problem that seems to hurt many community websites, so Bangkok Home Condo offers a hybrid: It belongs to an agency which just also happens to have a really good website with a good response time (you can even chat via Line). The search function allows you to search by BTS and MRT proximity; price and building name. But the real stars are the photos. The photos are the best we’ve seen on any apartment website, with 20 to 30 photos per apartment, separate photos for common areas and even a floor plan included.
PROS:
• Killer photo selection.
• Attractive website and good search function
CONS:
• Not a huge selection, not much at the economical end of the market
• The search function, while good, doesn’t remember your previous search. A big search session will have you going through drop down menus Groundhog Day-style.
Photo: Paolo Rosa
