PropertyShark Review: Has the Once-Popular Service Switched Its Focus to Casual Users?

Gone are the days of manually pulling comps and searching endless records of properties to figure out your next move. The complexities of real estate are by no means gone, but with today’s powerful analytical tools, professionals like yourself no longer have to pour hours into searching and researching. Of course, knowing which tools to use is critical to your success. PropertyShark is one that might come up in your search, but is it worth the hassle?

Overview of PropertyShark

PropertyShark claims to have comprehensive property data for homes and businesses across the nation. However, it seems as though they are quickly being outpaced by other solutions that focus on professional applications. With the recent overhaul, the platform expanded to be more appealing to non-professional users. The update did declutter and simplify the overall interface, but existing users say it is now less effective for real estate professionals, investors, and others looking to perform in-depth research. Here’s a look at what the platform offers.

PropertyShark Features

PropertyShark offers robust features, but they vary depending on the membership you choose.

PropertyShark Pro

Pro is the lowest level of membership on PropertyShark. By joining, you gain access to:

• Up to 175 property reports per month.
• Names of recorded owners.
• Property searches.
• Mailing and data lists.
• Maps.
• Comparables.
• Transfer conditions.
• Property photos.

You can generate branded market reports with a yearly plan.

PropertyShark Elite

With an Elite membership, you get all of the features from a Pro account, plus:

• An extra 25 property reports per month (giving you 200 per month overall).
• Foreclosures.
• Pre-foreclosures.
• Branded market reports with monthly or annual plans.

PropertyShark Platinum

Platinum subscribers get everything from the Elite tier, plus:

• An extra 50 property reports per month (giving you 250 per month overall).
• People search.
• The names of real owners behind LLCs (only in NYC).
• Verified phone numbers (only in NYC).

PropertyShark User Testimonials

TrustPilot gives PropertyShark an average overall rating, but many users frown upon recent changes. Reviews from 2019 and 2020 include:

• A one-star review from a user who writes, “at first I thought the user experience of the website is just terrible since it brings up wrong addresses during a search but then after speaking with customer service it's pretty obvious that the wrong results are by design because all of their subscription plans have number limits so the wrong results populating uses up people's subscriptions will run out sooner.”
• Another one-star review says, “Someone with one of their properties has been stealing my identity for years. I finally managed to track the property down, but not the person. I wrote to them & explained the situation nicely. They come back with an excuse not to even try to help. So now, I'm going to the FTC & they will be contacted by them.”
• A two-star review laments that “PropertyShark has been a great site for search house value until upgrading to a new comparable tool. New comparable tools have been simplified compared to old tools and are missing many useful features. It's more user friendly, but It's not for professional use anymore. I guess PropertyShark is expanding to market out of realtor professionals. Don't subscribe if you are a professional user.”

PropertyShark Pricing

PropertyShark allows you to get one property report for free to test out the service.

Monthly Pricing for PropertyShark Plans

PropertyShark lets members in some states choose between three plans:

• Pro
• Elite
• Platinum

The price you pay, however, depends on which state’s properties you want to learn about. In New York, you can expect to pay:

• $59.95 per month for a Pro account.
• $79.95 for an Elite account.
• $169.95 for a Platinum account.

If you want to learn about properties in California, you can pay:

• $49.95 per month for a Pro account.
• $59.95 for an Elite account.

California, like many states, does not have a Platinum membership option.

Annual Pricing for PropertyShark Plans

You can save some money by paying for an annual membership instead of paying monthly. Annual memberships for New York cost:

• $599.95 for a Pro account (saving you about $10 per month, or $120 per year).
• $799.95 for an Elite account (saving you about $13.28 per month, or $159.45 per year).
• $1,699.95 for a Platinum account (saving you about $28.29 per month, or $339.45 per year).

Prices for Site-Wide Memberships

If you plan to buy or sell properties in more than one state, you should consider getting a site-wide membership. At the monthly rate, you will pay:

• $94.95 for a Pro account.
• $128.95 for an Elite account.
• $199.95 for a Platinum account.

Annual memberships cost:

• $949.95 for Pro (saving you about $15.79 per month, or $189.45 per year.)
• $1,299.95 for Elite (saving you about $20.62 per month, or $247.45 per year.)
• $1,999.95 for Platinum (saving you about $33.29 per month, or $399.45 per year.)

Alternatives to PropertyShark

Prospect by Prospect, and formerly ProspectNow is one of the top alternatives to PropertyShark, offering a user-friendly platform that’s bundled with countless intuitive features. Here’s a look at how it compares.

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Prospect by Buildout Features

• Detailed information for over 40 million commercial real estate properties and more than 100 million residential properties, including an LLC database and owner contact information.
• Predictive analytics allows you to identify off-market properties that are most likely to sell. Our database includes over 23 million likely sellers and over 92 thousand distressed properties.
• Digital marketing and direct mail tools that allow for more targeted outreach campaigns. Templates included.

One of the primary advantages of using Prospect is its predictive algorithm, which reviews data on all property types and uses this comprehensive data to forecast potential listings or refinances.

Prospect by Buildout Pricing

• You can start using Prospect for free with a 7-day trial that gives you access to the “Likely Seller” algorithm, national company and tenant data, and property searches in one county. You also get 15 credits to get owner phone, email, or export records.
• The no-contract Residential paid tier is the most basic plan, at $149 per month.
• Team access is available under the custom-priced Commercial plan, which provides additional credits, nationwide search capabilities, and an account manager.

Try Prospect by Buildout

Decide for yourself which real estate prospecting tool is best for you. Click here to sign up for a free trial of Prospect risk-free, and get started on the tool that can find both commercial and residential leads.