It is almost impossible to know how accurate a website is when you are searching for homes online. Websites have different reasons for posting homes for sale and therefore you will find different levels of data and data integrity. Think back a few years ago when the various real estate booklets were popular (Harmon Homes, Homes and Land, Real Estate Book, etc) which had print deadlines roughly 2-3 weeks prior to printing then only published every month so you could have a listing sell even prior to publication!
Some websites require individual agents and consumers to upload and update their listings. Other websites get listings syndicated (sent from other sources). Some even resyndicate other syndicated listings. Some websites are tied directly to the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) so as properties are listed/sold/expired, they will be updated as often as the site interacts with the MLS. If you are looking for a home online, don't you want to know how updated the information is?
Think about the intent of the website. The MLS is only interested in conveying current homes for sale since they sell their accurate data to local Realtors and Appraisers (not the consumers). Public portals like Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, etc., sell advertising so they just want people to come to their sites for potential advertising revenue!
I have been talking to our local CEO of our Intermountain MLS to have them adopt an "MLS Certified" brand that they can put on any of their web partner sites to at least show the consumer that the site with their "Certification" is being updated at least every ___ days or hours! For example, our MLS rules and regulations require a broker to update the listing status within 3 days because we want data integrity! We want people looking for homes online to know they can rely on the information we provide.
An IDX (Internet Data Exchange) site pulls from the MLS so they are typically pretty good. However, there are no current requirements that I know of for how often the IDX vendor needs to update their data and which fields. For example, do they pull all field changes including new pictures, new disclosures, new edits, or just price and availability?
I know my websites pull directly from the MLS daily because I want my clients to have accurate data when they search for a home online! I get frustrated when a client finds a listing on another website that they are really excited about only to find out it has sold months ago or has an offer on it that isn't reflected yet.
If anyone knows of an MLS that is currently using any type of "certification" process, let me know so we can compare notes and help improve the industry in which we serve!
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