Taz you are welcome to contribute to this blog under our Open Mike program:

http://tinyurl.com/326yu8

Yes, but can a grossly inaccurate zestimate turn away a prospective buyer? If so, a seller should be able to have it removed.

Do you believe a homeowner should have the right to opt out of the zestimate? I think so.

BTW, how “educated” is a guess when no one visits the home? I’d say grade school level. If you take Zillow’s word that’s it’s just a first step, then maybe that puts it in kindergarten

I’m not sure I understand where you’re heading but any misinformation on Zillow ought to be removed without homeowners being required to “claim” a home*. It is not good for buyers or sellers. In any case, no 3rd party content should be attached to my home without my knowledge or consent.

*By claiming a home, the homeowner is (implicitly) accepting Z’s Terms & Conditions– meaning you live with what Zillow gives you– wacky zestimates, 3rd party content, Q&A (some rights still exist but it’s harder to argue when you sign up for the site.) Still, these folks ought to have the right to change their mind and opt out of zillow.

What is not understandable is how “Z” knowingly distributes inaccurate information in their BStimates and then sweeps it under the carpet with disclaimers and saying that they are a media company. Visitors to the site are not looking for disclaimers to read they are looking for information and by providing them with inaccurate information you are doing the entire real estate community a disservice. Shame on you.

Absolutely. But owners making the calls are one step closer. We shall see what happens if/when a suit is filed. My guess is Z would settle and do what the seller wants– they couldn’t risk a judgment.

Sorry to hear you have to work the weekends … maybe you need to ask for a raise or “combat pay”

I do take slight offense to your statement that I am not constructive. I have always given suggestions on how zillow can improve– the opt out, getting homeowner consent for Q&A, no 3rd party ‘for sale’ signs– really easy stuff, if you think about it…BUT Zillow never listens to me (well, maybe once, when I objected that Zillow public data was flawed– later zillow did allow owners to correct it: (prior to that, owners could correct data but it would not be made public)

http://tinyurl.com/3mnwso

Notify Homeowners!

I agree with you that any owner who “claims” a home submits to the Terms of Use and must live with the Zillow rules (forget for a moment that owners are coaxed into “claiming” to oust 3rd party interlopers)– but please consider the sellers whose homes get on zillow through 3rd parties they know nothing about—their homes become part of the zillow regime without their knowledge or consent simply by virtue of 3rd party content. This is any easy fix— simply notify the homeowner. Easy. What possible reason would justify not informing the homeowner of 3rd party content attached to their homes? Please answer that one

If Zillow would truly think outside the box, they would be courting homeowners, who would then court their agents– like selling toys to kids at christmas time: get the kids on your side and they sell the parents. Instead, Zillow plays it the same tired old way– please the advertisers, please the agents. You want to be truly remarkable– please the homeowners–make them your partners (Geez, I can’t believe I am giving you this free advice. Barton won’t get it anyway, he thinks it’s all about the buyer from his Expedia days)

Re: Transparency and changing behavior

If you believe in transparency but the homeowner does not, the answer is not to force feed it to homeowners– the answer is let them CHOOSE to be non-transparent and see that it doesn’t work– that they should embrace it like other Zillowists. Then the decision to be transparent becomes “theirs”. That is how you change behavior. Instead, Zillow prefers to do it like a caveman– beat the owner over the head and drag them kicking and screaming into web 2.0. Ouch.

Again, just one fella’s opinion.