I was checking out the calendar this morning and counting the days. Looks like I have forty-four more days until I am officially parting ways with Zillow. Yes, I was a closet Zillow user. Well, maybe not so much user as payer.
So as I finally end a twelve month contract with Zillow where I paid diligently and made not a penny, I will not blame #Zillow.
It has been all my fault.
You see, for twelve plus years I did just fine without subscribing to Zillow. I had read all the warnings about how Zillow takes a lot more real estate agent money than it gives.
But I thought I was better than all these other real estate agents. Like someone experimenting with a drug I thought I could handle it.
But the Zillow program is flawed. You see....anyone can click on any property anywhere in the country to "bother" a real estate agent.
I had one of those on Saturday afternoon. "We are interested in such and such property. Please contact us!"
After several contact attempts I provided the information they had requested including a very important point not in the Zillow entry - this property backs to a train track. [There is always a reason for the price being lower than other homes in the area.]
Their response... "Wow, we did not know. If we had only known!"
Then I asked "the question." Oh yes, we are already working with a real estate agent.
What I wanted to say was "Why the heck are you clicking on properties? Why are you not contacting your real estate agent? Why are you even on Zillow when your agent should have provided access to the more current local MLS ?"
My actual response - "Good luck!"
Back to Zillow... I have been through their accelerator training. I have been coached about "building up your recommendations." I understand the practice of not leaving voice-mails and continuing to call. I understand the urgency in replying to contact requests. I do understand the process.
But the time required to sift through all the misinformation and the required multiple contact attempts to a less than informed and motivated audience is better spent doing something that has a proven track record of success like blogging and networking.
So, as I make the final two payments to Zillow I leave with these words.... It's not you, it's me!"
Their representative did agree to call me before the cancellation goes into effect just in case I have a change of heart. I anxiously await.....
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