Comments on: Zillow vs Consumers: The Search for Truth in a Sea of Madness http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/residential-real-estate/zillow-vs-consumers-the-search-for-truth-in-a-sea-of-madness/2006/11/08/ Tue, 2 Dec 2008 12:45:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3 By: Escape from Pianosa » Zillow is Worthless, Must We Discuss Further? http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/residential-real-estate/zillow-vs-consumers-the-search-for-truth-in-a-sea-of-madness/2006/11/08/#comment-93028 Escape from Pianosa » Zillow is Worthless, Must We Discuss Further? Tue, 19 Jun 2007 21:15:52 +0000 http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/residential-real-estate/zillow-vs-consumers-the-search-for-truth-in-a-sea-of-madness/2006/11/08/#comment-93028 [...] For whatever reason, there seems to be a lot of people in the online real estate community that are obsessed with Zillow. I don’t really understand this obsession, although it’s important to educate your clients about the useless and possibly misleading nature of Zillow. [...] […] For whatever reason, there seems to be a lot of people in the online real estate community that are obsessed with Zillow. I don’t really understand this obsession, although it’s important to educate your clients about the useless and possibly misleading nature of Zillow. […]

]]> By: Zillow vs Consumers: The Search for Truth in a Sea of Madness :: Newstack http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/residential-real-estate/zillow-vs-consumers-the-search-for-truth-in-a-sea-of-madness/2006/11/08/#comment-23750 Zillow vs Consumers: The Search for Truth in a Sea of Madness :: Newstack Thu, 07 Dec 2006 06:56:27 +0000 http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/residential-real-estate/zillow-vs-consumers-the-search-for-truth-in-a-sea-of-madness/2006/11/08/#comment-23750 [...] Read more: here [...] […] Read more: here […]

]]> By: Pierres Service » Blog Archive » Zillow vs Consumers: The Search for Truth in a Sea of Madness http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/residential-real-estate/zillow-vs-consumers-the-search-for-truth-in-a-sea-of-madness/2006/11/08/#comment-22506 Pierres Service » Blog Archive » Zillow vs Consumers: The Search for Truth in a Sea of Madness Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:51:50 +0000 http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/residential-real-estate/zillow-vs-consumers-the-search-for-truth-in-a-sea-of-madness/2006/11/08/#comment-22506 [...] Zillow vs Consumers: The Search for Truth in a Sea of Madness It is the duty of the entire real estate community…to guard consumers from hoaxers, con-men and frauds….If we are silent when confronted with the public’s gullibility toward the Zillow.com fraud, we are complicit in that harm. …Read more: here [...] […] Zillow vs Consumers: The Search for Truth in a Sea of Madness It is the duty of the entire real estate community…to guard consumers from hoaxers, con-men and frauds….If we are silent when confronted with the public’s gullibility toward the Zillow.com fraud, we are complicit in that harm. …Read more: here […]

]]> By: sellsius° http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/residential-real-estate/zillow-vs-consumers-the-search-for-truth-in-a-sea-of-madness/2006/11/08/#comment-20842 sellsius° Thu, 16 Nov 2006 17:29:18 +0000 http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/residential-real-estate/zillow-vs-consumers-the-search-for-truth-in-a-sea-of-madness/2006/11/08/#comment-20842 So true Maggie. It is the consumer we have to answer to on a daily basis. That's the reason for the Z-day posts---to bring the focus back to the consumer. Are they being served? They of course want information but we must advise them of the source of the information and why it may be inaccurate in their case. Choice is not useful unless it is "informed" choice. Thank you for your comment. So true Maggie. It is the consumer we have to answer to on a daily basis. That’s the reason for the Z-day posts—to bring the focus back to the consumer. Are they being served? They of course want information but we must advise them of the source of the information and why it may be inaccurate in their case. Choice is not useful unless it is “informed” choice.
Thank you for your comment.

]]> By: Maggie Knowles http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/residential-real-estate/zillow-vs-consumers-the-search-for-truth-in-a-sea-of-madness/2006/11/08/#comment-20840 Maggie Knowles Thu, 16 Nov 2006 17:18:42 +0000 http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/residential-real-estate/zillow-vs-consumers-the-search-for-truth-in-a-sea-of-madness/2006/11/08/#comment-20840 Thank you sellsius° for bringing the focus back to the core issue. An estimate from the Zillow site can not be used to determine what a home is actually worth. It is a starting point, that's it. Here's another issue: transparency. I got a call from a homeowner who wanted to know why the value of his home on the Zillow site suddenly spiked up $100,000 within one week. There was no way I could answer his question regarding Zillow's calculation, but I could provide him more accurate and up-to-date data. What is the formula Zillow uses for determining value and why shouldn't the consumer know this information too? Why should a math formula be secret? That doesn't seem to me to be in the best interest of the consumer. When I present a CMA, I show my work, all the data used and the formula used to make my calculations. Zillow should do the same in my opinion. Thank you sellsius° for bringing the focus back to the core issue. An estimate from the Zillow site can not be used to determine what a home is actually worth. It is a starting point, that’s it.

Here’s another issue: transparency. I got a call from a homeowner who wanted to know why the value of his home on the Zillow site suddenly spiked up $100,000 within one week. There was no way I could answer his question regarding Zillow’s calculation, but I could provide him more accurate and up-to-date data. What is the formula Zillow uses for determining value and why shouldn’t the consumer know this information too? Why should a math formula be secret? That doesn’t seem to me to be in the best interest of the consumer. When I present a CMA, I show my work, all the data used and the formula used to make my calculations. Zillow should do the same in my opinion.

]]> By: Hamptons Real Estate Blog http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/residential-real-estate/zillow-vs-consumers-the-search-for-truth-in-a-sea-of-madness/2006/11/08/#comment-20835 Hamptons Real Estate Blog Thu, 16 Nov 2006 17:03:21 +0000 http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/residential-real-estate/zillow-vs-consumers-the-search-for-truth-in-a-sea-of-madness/2006/11/08/#comment-20835 [...] Sellsius Real Estate Blog [...] […] Sellsius Real Estate Blog […]

]]> By: Teresa Boardman http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/residential-real-estate/zillow-vs-consumers-the-search-for-truth-in-a-sea-of-madness/2006/11/08/#comment-19849 Teresa Boardman Fri, 10 Nov 2006 01:11:34 +0000 http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/residential-real-estate/zillow-vs-consumers-the-search-for-truth-in-a-sea-of-madness/2006/11/08/#comment-19849 It is about the complaint, not about Zillow. We (the real estate industry) created Zillow, by not giving consumers information on the internet, instead we created 3rd rate web sites 5 years too late. We (the blogging community) have nurtured zillow by writing so much about it. We have helped give them the google juice and have even made ridiculous statements online about how one day hiring managers will use zillow to find out more about job candidates net worth. Like some other web sites out there that people blog about, Zillow made a great site, and just did not bother to populate it with accurate information. We (the real estate industry) have the data but fail to make a great web site. Most people don't check the accuracy of data, ask the folks at neighbroo, who make no attempt to source their data and comment on its accuracy. Consumers have made it clear that they would rather do research on the internet than consult a professional. We made our bed and now Zillow is lying on it. (pardon the pun) With all the bad information on the internet we can either call it freedom of speach or create a big government agency, or watch dog group to rid the internet of bogus information that misleads consumers. Who knows maybe consumers will abandon the internet and go back to reliable sources. :) It is about the complaint, not about Zillow. We (the real estate industry) created Zillow, by not giving consumers information on the internet, instead we created 3rd rate web sites 5 years too late. We (the blogging community) have nurtured zillow by writing so much about it. We have helped give them the google juice and have even made ridiculous statements online about how one day hiring managers will use zillow to find out more about job candidates net worth. Like some other web sites out there that people blog about, Zillow made a great site, and just did not bother to populate it with accurate information. We (the real estate industry) have the data but fail to make a great web site. Most people don’t check the accuracy of data, ask the folks at neighbroo, who make no attempt to source their data and comment on its accuracy. Consumers have made it clear that they would rather do research on the internet than consult a professional. We made our bed and now Zillow is lying on it. (pardon the pun) With all the bad information on the internet we can either call it freedom of speach or create a big government agency, or watch dog group to rid the internet of bogus information that misleads consumers. Who knows maybe consumers will abandon the internet and go back to reliable sources. :)

]]> By: Carter’s Adventure » Blog Archive » Zillow is Worthless, Must We Discuss Further? http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/residential-real-estate/zillow-vs-consumers-the-search-for-truth-in-a-sea-of-madness/2006/11/08/#comment-19691 Carter’s Adventure » Blog Archive » Zillow is Worthless, Must We Discuss Further? Thu, 09 Nov 2006 00:35:32 +0000 http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/residential-real-estate/zillow-vs-consumers-the-search-for-truth-in-a-sea-of-madness/2006/11/08/#comment-19691 [...] For whatever reason, there seems to be a lot of people in the online real estate community that are obsessed with Zillow. I don’t really understand this obsession, although it’s important to educate your clients about the useless and possibly misleading nature of Zillow. [...] […] For whatever reason, there seems to be a lot of people in the online real estate community that are obsessed with Zillow. I don’t really understand this obsession, although it’s important to educate your clients about the useless and possibly misleading nature of Zillow. […]

]]> By: sellsius° http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/residential-real-estate/zillow-vs-consumers-the-search-for-truth-in-a-sea-of-madness/2006/11/08/#comment-19677 sellsius° Wed, 08 Nov 2006 22:58:38 +0000 http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/residential-real-estate/zillow-vs-consumers-the-search-for-truth-in-a-sea-of-madness/2006/11/08/#comment-19677 We too support Zillow on the racial bias claims because there is no proof that demographics were inserted into the algorithm. That's easy to defend. See Dems Fightin Words post. Case closed on that one. But.... The flip is here: Pre-shakedown Greg said Zillow was "intentionally deceiving ordinary consumers, who took it as "gospel" and that Zillow was making fraudulent promises. Re-read Pinocchio wept. That's strong stuff. We NEVER accused Zillow of intentional deception or fraud. He did over 10 posts worth. Our position was one of unintentional, perhaps negligent, misleading. A BIG BIG DIFFERENCE. Don't you agree? Are you saying Greg never accused Zillow of intentionally deceiving consumers? Now Greg does not see fraud or deception or intentional misleading. If he rethought this position, which was extreme & the minority viewpoint anyway, FINE. We have no problem with someone saying they misjudged and changed their mind. But he hasn't said this. He maintains he has been consistent when he hasn't, in our opinion. RE: NCRC complaints--they are not all racial complaints, although those get the most airplay. Besides, isn't HUD the better forum for these issues? We too support Zillow on the racial bias claims because there is no proof that demographics were inserted into the algorithm. That’s easy to defend. See Dems Fightin Words post. Case closed on that one. But….

The flip is here: Pre-shakedown Greg said Zillow was “intentionally deceiving ordinary consumers, who took it as “gospel” and that Zillow was making fraudulent promises. Re-read Pinocchio wept. That’s strong stuff. We NEVER accused Zillow of intentional deception or fraud. He did over 10 posts worth.
Our position was one of unintentional, perhaps negligent, misleading. A BIG BIG DIFFERENCE. Don’t you agree?
Are you saying Greg never accused Zillow of intentionally deceiving consumers?

Now Greg does not see fraud or deception or intentional misleading. If he rethought this position, which was extreme & the minority viewpoint anyway, FINE. We have no problem with someone saying they misjudged and changed their mind. But he hasn’t said this.
He maintains he has been consistent when he hasn’t, in our opinion.

RE: NCRC complaints–they are not all racial complaints, although those get the most airplay. Besides, isn’t HUD the better forum for these issues?

]]> By: David G from Zillow.com http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/residential-real-estate/zillow-vs-consumers-the-search-for-truth-in-a-sea-of-madness/2006/11/08/#comment-19631 David G from Zillow.com Wed, 08 Nov 2006 17:54:46 +0000 http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/residential-real-estate/zillow-vs-consumers-the-search-for-truth-in-a-sea-of-madness/2006/11/08/#comment-19631 WOW. When do you guys sleep? I'd like to get on the record here that no-one incited or encouraged Greg Swann to support Zillow with regard to the NCRC's letter to the FTC. In my opinion, it is ludicrous to accuse Greg Swann of flip-flopping. The reason Greg is capable of supporting Zillow is because he took the time to understand the NCRC's complaints and has concluded that they are unrelated to his his concerns about our website. The far easier approach for Greg would have been to use this new criticism to support his case against Zillow -- but as you should know from reading the Bloodhound blog, Greg is too principled to take the easy route. I personally respect Greg's integrity. WOW. When do you guys sleep?

I’d like to get on the record here that no-one incited or encouraged Greg Swann to support Zillow with regard to the NCRC’s letter to the FTC.

In my opinion, it is ludicrous to accuse Greg Swann of flip-flopping.

The reason Greg is capable of supporting Zillow is because he took the time to understand the NCRC’s complaints and has concluded that they are unrelated to his his concerns about our website. The far easier approach for Greg would have been to use this new criticism to support his case against Zillow — but as you should know from reading the Bloodhound blog, Greg is too principled to take the easy route. I personally respect Greg’s integrity.

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