Do you like Zillow?

This weekend I was engaged in a conversation with a buyer/client who was telling me things he saw on Zillow….and I had to keep interjecting ‘corrections’ to what they were seeing on Zillow.  Most of their questions were about information that New Mexico doesn’t disclose in public records, and that Zillow is starting to put out as partial information.

Now, don’t get me wrong, Zillow has obviously the best search engine for homes in the universe.  No doubt.  They have all the $$ to do it.  I digress.

It used to be that WE as REALTORS were the keepers of the data on ‘what’s for sale’ in the homes market.  We have kicked, screamed, protested and thrown hard things on the wall trying to fight this.  Our MLS’s still have committees that meet to discuss the latest data rule and make new data rules to decide what can be in the MLS and what can’t and now how many listings can be displayed on our (REALTOR) sites.  Because we have rules about these things.  I’m thinking ‘brilliant’, because Zillow doesn’t have any rules like this.  Why?  Because Zillow ain’t a real estate company.  Does this bother me?  Not for one minute!

I think that the customer should use every single thing available to them to find their new home. 

….ah, maybe for now, but not forever.  I have 100% confidence that the day is coming when our MLS is obsolete and we become consultants and guides (spiritual or otherwise) through the home buying process.  Why?  Because we still know things.  We know things that the customer doesn’t know about the home buying process because that’s what we do.  We have education requirements.  We have ethics requirements (if we are REALTORS), we have dues and networking and all of that jazz that makes us the perfect guide leader through the process.  We have our fingers on the pulse of all of the elements that go into the home buying/selling process that it would take the average person on the street years to obtain knowledge about.  We just know stuff.

So, back to my client.  He said “Linda, it doesn’t sound like you like Zillow very much.”  I thought (and I will say it next time)….

Mic drop.  Thanks.

So, yes, please use Zillow for finding your next home.  It’s going to eventually save me a lot of money having to put a search on my website that has rules about what I can’t have on my website.  When you find you need real estate advice, that’s when you call me.

Why?  Because I know stuff.