Technology has made home buying simpler in some ways and more difficult in others, Round Rock Realtor Lisa Salinas-Gruver of Texas Open Door Realty said.

“[Some websites] just take general figures of homes but do not consider homes that have been renovated or updated, or the opposite, homes that are taken care of,” Salinas-Gruver said, adding sites often give consumers a false sense of confidence or scam consumers.

On the other hand, Romeo Manzanilla, Northwest Austin and Round Rock market manager for Realty Austin, said buyers are much more informed because of the Internet as far as sales history and the demographics of a neighborhood. He agreed that many online marketing companies often oversimplify the homebuying process.

“The process of not only finding a home but negotiating for repairs, arranging for financing and avoiding possible legal entanglements are things that cannot be automated,” Manzanilla said.