Comments on: Zillow’s Smart Search Ain’t So http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/real-estate-technology/zillows-smart-search-aint-so/2007/12/21/ Fri, 5 Sep 2008 05:26:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3 By: sellsius http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/real-estate-technology/zillows-smart-search-aint-so/2007/12/21/#comment-186204 sellsius Thu, 31 Jan 2008 19:22:09 +0000 http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/real-estate-technology/zillows-smart-search-aint-so/2007/12/21/#comment-186204 That's great Drew. You guys are on the ball. If a consumer only wants to see condos in a particular area is that possible now? If not, will it be in the near future. In NYC, the preference is usually one or the other & it would be great to search by property type That’s great Drew. You guys are on the ball.

If a consumer only wants to see condos in a particular area is that possible now? If not, will it be in the near future. In NYC, the preference is usually one or the other & it would be great to search by property type

]]> By: Drew M from Zillow http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/real-estate-technology/zillows-smart-search-aint-so/2007/12/21/#comment-185855 Drew M from Zillow Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:15:14 +0000 http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/real-estate-technology/zillows-smart-search-aint-so/2007/12/21/#comment-185855 Just a heads up that we got the geo-coding issue resolved -- the home mentioned is now correctly geo-coded to show up in Alabama. http://www.zillow.com/HomeDetails.htm?zprop=72725862 Just a heads up that we got the geo-coding issue resolved — the home mentioned is now correctly geo-coded to show up in Alabama.

http://www.zillow.com/HomeDetails.htm?zprop=72725862

]]> By: sellsius http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/real-estate-technology/zillows-smart-search-aint-so/2007/12/21/#comment-183016 sellsius Wed, 23 Jan 2008 21:33:21 +0000 http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/real-estate-technology/zillows-smart-search-aint-so/2007/12/21/#comment-183016 Zillow cannot accurately value "individual" homes without physically seeing them. That's just a fact. To say "close is good enough" sounds reasonable but real estate is too important an investment to rely on close. IMO they soon found that pushing inaccurate home values was a mistake and they had to build out the site to minimize the effect of their zestimates. I think you will see this continue. Of course, there is a solution, but I won't share it here for free. They'd have to write me a check first :) Zillow is doing other good things but the zestimate will continue to be the albatross around their necks. Just my opinion. One thing valuable about the MAke me Move price is you know what a house is NOT worth. thanks for commenting, Liz. Zillow cannot accurately value “individual” homes without physically seeing them. That’s just a fact. To say “close is good enough” sounds reasonable but real estate is too important an investment to rely on close. IMO they soon found that pushing inaccurate home values was a mistake and they had to build out the site to minimize the effect of their zestimates. I think you will see this continue. Of course, there is a solution, but I won’t share it here for free. They’d have to write me a check first :)

Zillow is doing other good things but the zestimate will continue to be the albatross around their necks. Just my opinion.

One thing valuable about the MAke me Move price is you know what a house is NOT worth.

thanks for commenting, Liz.

]]> By: Liz Provo http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/real-estate-technology/zillows-smart-search-aint-so/2007/12/21/#comment-182983 Liz Provo Wed, 23 Jan 2008 19:17:05 +0000 http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/real-estate-technology/zillows-smart-search-aint-so/2007/12/21/#comment-182983 The problem I have always had with zillow and other online valuation tools is that it is very difficult to be accurate. In the northeastern part of the country,there are few cookie cutter homes. How can zillow place a market value on a 200 year old property with period details located in in a rural area? How about two family homes, or a single family with an in-law, or a condo in a community that caters to 55+ but has no age restriction? The biggest difficulty we have with new advertisers who use our for sale by owner services helping them overcome the zestimate mentality. The only thing worse is if they've started out with a "Make Me Move" ridiculous price. Using public data that is often inaccurate does not compare to having a real live appraiser who is familiar with the local market. I wonder how many lenders got into trouble using online valuations as a way to save money in the re-financing heyday? The problem I have always had with zillow and other online valuation tools is that it is very difficult to be accurate. In the northeastern part of the country,there are few cookie cutter homes. How can zillow place a market value on a 200 year old property with period details located in in a rural area? How about two family homes, or a single family with an in-law, or a condo in a community that caters to 55+ but has no age restriction?

The biggest difficulty we have with new advertisers who use our for sale by owner services helping them overcome the zestimate mentality. The only thing worse is if they’ve started out with a “Make Me Move” ridiculous price. Using public data that is often inaccurate does not compare to having a real live appraiser who is familiar with the local market.

I wonder how many lenders got into trouble using online valuations as a way to save money in the re-financing heyday?

]]> By: How to Create a National MLS: Roost May Find The Way http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/real-estate-technology/zillows-smart-search-aint-so/2007/12/21/#comment-182919 How to Create a National MLS: Roost May Find The Way Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:12:21 +0000 http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/real-estate-technology/zillows-smart-search-aint-so/2007/12/21/#comment-182919 [...] many of which don’t belong there in the first place?   We have always believed that inaccurate search results is one of the glaring defects of most real estate listing sites.  The difficulty in culling or [...] […] many of which don’t belong there in the first place?   We have always believed that inaccurate search results is one of the glaring defects of most real estate listing sites.  The difficulty in culling or […]

]]> By: John Lockwood http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/real-estate-technology/zillows-smart-search-aint-so/2007/12/21/#comment-171616 John Lockwood Fri, 28 Dec 2007 01:15:36 +0000 http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/real-estate-technology/zillows-smart-search-aint-so/2007/12/21/#comment-171616 Holy cow. You mean the guys that show you an 1,800 square foot, 3 bedroom, single family home as a comp for a 840 square foot 2 bedroom condo don't even know what state they're in now? Oh well, maybe Alabama is just a Zestimate of New York. Holy cow. You mean the guys that show you an 1,800 square foot, 3 bedroom, single family home as a comp for a 840 square foot 2 bedroom condo don’t even know what state they’re in now?

Oh well, maybe Alabama is just a Zestimate of New York.

]]> By: jfsellsius http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/real-estate-technology/zillows-smart-search-aint-so/2007/12/21/#comment-169728 jfsellsius Sat, 22 Dec 2007 18:30:18 +0000 http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/real-estate-technology/zillows-smart-search-aint-so/2007/12/21/#comment-169728 Thanks for your comment FSBO. We agree that Zillow is great at marketing. Have you tried Property Shark? If you are interested in in-depth examination of public data, they offer much more than Zillow. The only difference is they do not interpret the data for you, they show it to you and let you decide. 2 questions, if you don't mind: 1. How have you found the zestimates to be useful 2. Would you support a homeowner's right to opt-out of the zestimate Thanks for your comment FSBO. We agree that Zillow is great at marketing. Have you tried Property Shark? If you are interested in in-depth examination of public data, they offer much more than Zillow. The only difference is they do not interpret the data for you, they show it to you and let you decide.

2 questions, if you don’t mind:

1. How have you found the zestimates to be useful
2. Would you support a homeowner’s right to opt-out of the zestimate

]]> By: Fsbo http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/real-estate-technology/zillows-smart-search-aint-so/2007/12/21/#comment-169592 Fsbo Sat, 22 Dec 2007 10:15:19 +0000 http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/real-estate-technology/zillows-smart-search-aint-so/2007/12/21/#comment-169592 I consider Zillow to be a very good Internet project. They help realtors and FSBO seller and buyers not only to search but to compare and so on… I believe that they invent all that new features not because they need to improve something in their business but because it’s a part of their marketing strategy. They add a new feature and the whole Internet start speaking about it – good idea as I see. And cost-effective! I consider Zillow to be a very good Internet project. They help realtors and FSBO seller and buyers not only to search but to compare and so on… I believe that they invent all that new features not because they need to improve something in their business but because it’s a part of their marketing strategy. They add a new feature and the whole Internet start speaking about it – good idea as I see. And cost-effective!

]]> By: jfsellsius http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/real-estate-technology/zillows-smart-search-aint-so/2007/12/21/#comment-169517 jfsellsius Sat, 22 Dec 2007 05:20:33 +0000 http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/real-estate-technology/zillows-smart-search-aint-so/2007/12/21/#comment-169517 You know we do our Zillow pieces to bring David over :) We really do like the G-man. Merry Christmas Ardell (and Kim) You know we do our Zillow pieces to bring David over :)
We really do like the G-man.

Merry Christmas Ardell (and Kim)

]]> By: ARDELL http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/real-estate-technology/zillows-smart-search-aint-so/2007/12/21/#comment-169514 ARDELL Sat, 22 Dec 2007 04:59:28 +0000 http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/real-estate-technology/zillows-smart-search-aint-so/2007/12/21/#comment-169514 So I wandered over to Sellsius and saw a Zillow piece and said to myself YAY! I get to say Happy Holidays to three of my favorite guys: Joe, Rudy AND David G. Cause I knew when I saw 3 comments, that one of them would inevitably be David. As usual, you did not disappoint. Merry Christmas! So I wandered over to Sellsius and saw a Zillow piece and said to myself YAY! I get to say Happy Holidays to three of my favorite guys: Joe, Rudy AND David G. Cause I knew when I saw 3 comments, that one of them would inevitably be David. As usual, you did not disappoint.

Merry Christmas!

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