Dear Zillow,

Jim nice BLOG.  Yes I went in and signed on and manually changed the zestimate its real easy.

Zillow acts like the agent who refers the same client to 5 different people.  Got to cover all those bases in one swing. 

Duh.

kk

I don't think Zillow cares much about real estate agents' complaints. They seem to take a pretty high-handed approach to us, yet they constantly try to sell me advertising on Zillow.

I'm still not sure what their business model is. Are they making any money yet?

Bernard G

Hey Jim - sorry I'm late getting here, I just saw your post.  There are times and locations where the Zestimate accuracy can be off to varied degrees and the folks at Zillow are very transparent about that, at least from what I've seen and witnessed.  There is a Zestimate Value and Accuracy chart that is available on every page of Zillow that can be searched, printed, downloaded, or exported into excel for your future use.

One thing I have learned in the short time I've been with Zillow is that the Zestimate is just a starting point for the consumers and that the Agent and or Appraisers is where a consumer can get a "Zactimate!" (that's my new word for exact value) I'm sure you'll agree that without ALL the local facts available that determine the value of every single home, it would be nearly impossible for Zillow (or anyone) to be 100% accurate.  (But I know we do keep trying!) 

This is why Zillow ALWAYS recommends seeking the advice, experience, and knowledge of their local agent or appraiser to get more detailed information about the value of their home. We know that YOU can drive to the property to assist them where-as we cannot.

Regarding the Premier agents that show up on Zillow listings, every listing does show the listing agent but your screen shots are not displaying this.  Here's a screen shot of one of the listings you mentioned in your post. 

you just needed to scroll down the page a bit.

If the agent would simply create a profile (no cost) on Zillow, then they would appear on the sidebar as the listing agent. We can't force people nor do we want to force them to join the directory, but since 13 million visitors are coming to Zillow to research Real Estate in local markets all across the country every month, we rely on the Premier agents that are willing and able to work with buyers who might need a CMA or additional real estate or loan assistance. 

Hope this helps my friend, you know my door is always open if you ever have any questions or need anything at all.

BTW - I noticed you do have a profile on Zillow but it's not showing any of your listings??  If you have some listings and want to get them added to your profile, just call me and I'll walk you through it when you have some spare time.  Thanks.  707 646-1876.  :-)

No problem Jim, always happy to check in.  

Just so it's clear, premier agents on Zillow are the only ones that show up on their listings.  I'm not really familiar with Realtor.com or how they do things and operate so I'll leave those comments and observations to you my friend.    

I have found that at times there are just some misconceptions out there about Zillow, but nothing that a little time, training, and education won't cure.  It's what I love best about my job there.  Have a great rest of the week, and my offer still stands.  :-)