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REBLOG LEESA FINLEY: I Am A Local Real Estate Expert - Zillow Is Not

Reblogger Mike Jaquish
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Realty Arts NC Broker License #235526

Sing it, Leesa Finley!  Not enough people recognize how easily they can be misled by poor "information" with an obscure disclaimer.

So much safer to consult with someone who works with facts.

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Original content by Leesa Finley NC #129285

I Am A Local Real Estate Expert - Zillow is Not

Wake Forest NC Real Estate AgentWhether you are thinking of buying a home or possibly selling your home you more than likely have stumbled upon Zillow and thought you hit the mother-load of real estate information!  It's a fancy site with Zestimates, has homes marked on a map that are either currently listed or have recently sold, and you can spy on your best friends home on the other side of town to see what it's worth and that's cool, right?  Wrong!  Well, if spying on your neighbor is cool to you then that's your business BUT if you are thinking of buying or selling a home then you want to steer clear of Zillow.

You see, I cringe when I speak with a buyer or seller and they come at me with all their research from Zillow.  They already have a predetermined listprice based on what they learned from Zillow or they think they already know if a home is over or under priced with information they received from Zillow.  Well, let me set the record straight - more often then not, Zillow is inaccurate.

Zillow is a computer generated program that acquires information from various sources and then runs it through a program to give you information based on a mathematical equation.  Trust me, there is no human sitting at a desk inputting data about all of the homes throughout the country.  What Zillow can not replicate and therefore will never be able to accurately price real estate is the human touch and the ability to physically see into other properties.

Zillow does not take into account upgrades and/or updates to a home or lack thereof.  It doesn't know:

  • While your home may have Formica countertops your neighbors have all upgraded to solid surface counter tops.
  • You have replaced your carpet, vinyl in the kitchen and bathrooms and updated the appliances while your neighbors have carpets that are worn thin, 15 year old outdated vinyl and brass fixtures from the 80s
  • ZILLOW DOES NOT KNOW THAT THE HOME NEXT TO YOURS WAS A FORECLOSURE ANDWake Forest NC Real Estate Agent THE PREVIOUS OWNER RIPPED OUT ALL THE CABINETS, TOILETS AND MADE OF WITH THE COMPRESSOR UNIT TO THE HVAC.

All Zillow knows is what is found on other public sites - statistics.  There is no room for the human touch.

So, please, if you are thinking of buying or selling a home don't consider Zillow as your source for pricing.  It's a fun site - lot's of bells and whistles - cool tools and great graphics but that's about it.  If you are serious about buying or selling real estate then you want to rely on a real estate professional that can add the human element and knows your neighborhood and the local real estate market. 

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Whether you are buying or selling Real Estate in Wake Forest NC it just makes sense to use a Realtor® that knows the area!  I live here, work here and play here - I call Wake Forest NC home!  For more information regarding Wake Forest NC be sure to visit my websites:

  • Leesa Finley - Homes for Sale in Wake Forest NC, Wake Forest NC schools, restaurants, shops, entertainment and MORE....
  • Circa Properties - My company website with information for the entire Raleigh NC area including Cary, Apex, Garner, Franklinton, Youngsville, Holly Springs and MORE....

 

 

Posted by

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Scan the QR Code with your Smartphone to Email MeQR CodeMike Jaquish, REALTOR®

919-880-2769 www.RealtyArts.com

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Independent Broker/Owner, Realty Arts

130 Towerview Court,

Cary, NC

Comments(10)

Jeffrey DiMuria 321.223.6253 Waves Realty
Waves Realty - Melbourne, FL
Florida Space Coast Homes

agreed! Good post Mike.

Jul 31, 2010 07:58 AM
Mike Jaquish
Realty Arts - Cary, NC
919-880-2769 Cary, NC, Real Estate

Jeffrey,

All credit to Leesa Finley, who wrote it.  I just echoed it.

Jul 31, 2010 08:48 AM
Nevin Williams
Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation - Cary, NC
Senior Mortgage Advisor

Mike - Great choice for a re blog.  Zillow is terrible.  For those who disagree if it's so good why don't real estate professionals, lenders or appraisers use it?  Leesa did a great job explaining why!

Jul 31, 2010 10:00 AM
Mike Jaquish
Realty Arts - Cary, NC
919-880-2769 Cary, NC, Real Estate

Nevin,

Yes, Leesa did Great!

Jul 31, 2010 10:53 AM
Dale Ganfield
Leland, NC

Hi Mike, good information for those of us non-realtors who know just enough about Zillow to be dangerous.

Jul 31, 2010 01:50 PM
Mike Jaquish
Realty Arts - Cary, NC
919-880-2769 Cary, NC, Real Estate

Dale,

Zillow?  Run!

Well, really we can't.  We need to know how our clientele is being misled to properly offset.

Jul 31, 2010 04:23 PM
Leesa Finley
RED Properties - Wake Forest, NC
RED Properties - Raleigh NC Real Estate

MIKE!  Did you see the comment left by Sara at Zillow?  I couldn't bellieve the statistics she quoted and THEY ARE OK WITH IT!  Thanks for the reblog - I totally appreciate it!

Wake Forest NC House Chick

Aug 01, 2010 01:11 AM
Mike Jaquish
Realty Arts - Cary, NC
919-880-2769 Cary, NC, Real Estate

Leesa,

In all fairness, there is a difference.  We work in real estate and there are expectations of a higher standard in the marketplace for licensees.

Simply put, Zillow does NOT work in real estate, and there is no common standard for pop advertising sites. 

Zillow is NOT a real estate site.  It is a "Make Money collecting eyeballs" site.

Aug 01, 2010 01:24 AM
Rick Wellington
Fonville Morisey - Raleigh, NC

Nice post, if you ever go to Zillow and look at the bottom of their page, there is a tab in almost invisible writing that says Zestimate Values & Accuracy. If you go to that page you will see thier disclaimers for their inaccuracy. In Wake county NC, only 40% of the Zestimates are withing 5% of slaes price. It does ot sound very reliable.

Aug 04, 2010 12:34 AM
Mike Jaquish
Realty Arts - Cary, NC
919-880-2769 Cary, NC, Real Estate

Rick,

Yes.  And Zillow met their primary goal.  You looked.

Aug 04, 2010 12:37 AM