Looking for a home on the market is not always easy. Relying on just one source for information will allow you access to some property listings, but not all of them. Having a real estate agent by your side will help you have access to more property listings in your area, so this is your best option when looking for property for sale.

However, you can widen your search by knowing the best resources for looking for property listings. Here is a guide to help you find property listings in your area so you can stay updated on what's available before it's taken off the market.

Your local real estate agency

Why go to your real estate agent to find property for sale? Because your real estate agent has access to the details of property listings, such as whether a house has hit foreclosure, has an active offer on it, is contingent or pending, or has been pulled from the market or sold. Your real estate agent can also have access to the MLS  — or Multiple Listing Service — numbers associated with property listings before these homes hit other listing resources, making you privy to homes entering the market before others.

Your local real estate listing site

Your real estate agent can recommend the best real estate listing site that lists local property for sale in your area. Some real estate listing companies — not actual real estate agents — simply list by the MLS and don't update according to the actual status of property listings, so it can look like there are more homes for sale that are active than there really are. Choosing more accurate real estate listing sites by selecting local listing sites will help you stay updated on what's really happening with the market where you live and will give you access to new listings from trusted agencies once new homes hit the market.

Your local newspaper classifieds

If you aren't keen on using the Internet for most of your home hunting, your local newspaper classifieds will help you find listings in your area. Keep in mind that only homeowners and real estate agents who use print advertising to promote home listings will utilize this resource, so you may want to use newspaper classifieds to find property for sale in your area in addition to getting live listings from your real estate agent. The more resources you use to find property listings in your area for a new home, the more you'll be able to successfully find the home you need.