The Eagle's View

It's all the rage, zillow.com has been discussed by the entire real estate industry and touted as a threat to the common Realtor. Some people even believe it'll do to Realtors what Expedia did to travel agents.

Well I'm hear to tell you that it's got a long way to go before that happens! While zillow.com provides a nice ballpark estimate for the sales price of your home, it fails to factor the intangibles that public records doesn't store. Things like location, views, interior and exterior upgrades, and of course current market demand.

I've tested dozens of listings both active and sold and I have yet to find a "zestimate" provided by zillow to be accurate. In some cases, they are off by as much as 30%!

It's a fun tool and can quickly show you what homes are worth in a neighborhood, but it's no replacement for the human interaction and analysis provided by a professional Realtor.