Don't have access to the MLS, still possible to find good deals?

[Chris M.]

Hey guys, this might seem like a silly question... but I'm absolutely determined to purchase my first home within the next 3-5 months here in Portland. I keep looking at Realtor.com and I'm thinking to myself "these probably aren't good deals, this website is mainly for retail buyers." 

Yet I've seen videos of Brandon from BP using Realtor.com... so I was wondering if places like realtor.com are a good place to look or if most of the good deals to be found online are listed with the MLS?

What I'm looking for is a property to live in for 2-3 years, then turn into a rental and do the BRRR strategy with it. This will be my first purchased house.

Thanks to anyone for any tips on this. I need to get myself an agent soon to get access to the MLS!