90% of home buyers have searched online for homes
according to the National Association of Realtors
So you know, first hand, how frustrating it can be to find accurate information on sites like Zillow. For real estate professionals, these online sites, full of inaccurate and misinformation, make our job very challenging.
Just last week, I met with a new buyer client who...
couldn't understand why most of the houses she found online were not actually for sale
Her favorite house in the online picture sold 3 months ago. She was unconvinced until I showed her the Listing from the Multiple Listing Service. We went through this about a half dozen times! Have you been here too?
Here are the 3 most frustrating things about house hunting online
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- Advertisements - Most online home search sites are advertising sites for real estate agents and mortgage professionals. These professionals will show up next to a listing which may or may not be listed by their Brokerage. Frequently, the house being advertised has already sold. You don't know this so you call the agent pictured next to the house and ask to see the house. This is how the advertisement works. If the house is gone, they say they can help you find another house that is similar in price & location. If you are seriously looking for a home, send all houses of interest to your buyer agent. They will be able to verify the status of the listing.
- Make Me Move - There is always a beautiful house next to MAKE ME MOVE. This feature is for homeowners who price their house and put it on Zillow. The homeowner is "testing the waters" to see if anyone calls them about their home. Are they actually selling the house? Will the house appraise at the price advertised by the homeowner? Who Knows? This is yet another frustrating feature for home buyers.
- Zestimate - Honestly, this is the most frustrating feature! Check my blog on the Zillow Zestimate for more information. The Zestimate is information from an algorithm and user input. In other words, the Zestimate changes if a user alters the information provided. For example, the Zestimate for my house has the wrong number of bedrooms and bathrooms. There are too many ways information can be added and subtracted for this to be considered accurate or reliable. Check out these articles by Investopedia & NBCNews for more information about the Zestimate.
Like television commercials, online house search sites are trying to sell something.
When you find a house you love, ask your buyer agent to find out if it's still for sale. This way you won't waste energy & time looking at properties that are already off the market.
Happy House Hunting!!
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