Special offer

Is Zillow Worth $9.95?

By
Real Estate Agent with Charles Rutenberg Realty BK645994
If you go to google and search "Orlando Real Estate", Zillow comes up in the middle of page three. I am sure the folks at Trulia love to hear this, since they are and have been number one on that same search forever. My own webpage pops up at number 10 - that is page one - or number 11 most days. I pay about $400 a year for my website with Alamode. I can add all the content I want including advertising as many listings as I may have for no additional cost. I also make use of a Point 2 website for $9.95 a month for additional exposure. Between those two sites, my listings are syndicated across more than 40 other websites. The single most important of all these real estate sites of course is Realtor.com. There is a reason why all these sites offer free advertising. They are trying to amass content. Content is king on the internet, and if I am providing it, you should not be charging me $9.95. It is true that virtually all of these sites have "premium" advertising packages. They like to call them partnerships, but they are really just offering to place you ahead of the crowd. I am a Remax agent, because Remax is already above the crowd. All the large brokers have inhouse tools to promote their agents and the properties they represent. I don't need the premium sites. Just so Trulia does not get any ideas, outside the real estate community nobody seems to know who you are. A lot more people have heard of Zillow, but generally question their valuation model. Please don't think I am bashing any of these tools. I am just quetioning Zillow's choice during difficult times to start charging. I have plenty of other free options available. For me, it is not worth $9.95.
Sam Miller
RE/MAX Stars Realty - Howard, OH
Knox County Ohio Real Estate Specialist

David - I find it interesting that Zillow will be or is already charging for this service.  I am using the paid version of Postlets and Trulia Pro which offer a feed to Zillow.  I better take a closer look and see if that relationship has recently changed.

Jan 26, 2010 11:26 PM
Dennis Duvernay Broker/Owner
Hillview Realty - Northbridge, MA

This is my gut feeling.....we will be paying more and more for sites that are now free...Unlike Sam I am using the free postlets and trulia right now....how long will this last? I am waiting for Craigslistto start charging for their now free service...did I not just read that the New York Times is going to start charging for reading it on the Internet(not sure).

Jan 26, 2010 11:57 PM
David Welch
Charles Rutenberg Realty - Orlando, FL
Real Estate Optimist - #OrlandoRealEstate

Thanks for the comments. I am sure you are right Dennis about paying for more and more of these sites. That is why I have been making a concerted effort to boost my own website through Activerain and other blogsites. Best of luck in 2010.

Jan 27, 2010 12:36 AM
Rob Arnold
Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. - Altamonte Springs, FL
Metro Orlando Full Service - Investor Friendly & F

Between blogging, online classifieds, and some decent web SEO, it isn't that hard to get plenty of hits from internet leads.  Why bother paying unless you absolutely don't know how to generate leads?

Jan 27, 2010 08:33 AM
David Welch
Charles Rutenberg Realty - Orlando, FL
Real Estate Optimist - #OrlandoRealEstate

Sam, I actually heard from Zillow in the form of comments on my post. Actually four comments came back from different Zillow employees. The feeds will remain free, so nothing changes yet.

Rob, I agree with your comments. Last year 72% of my business came from the internet. In the past 75-80% were past customers and their referrals. Most of them are just waiting out this market right now.

Jan 29, 2010 11:26 PM