Add 40% for Zest
According to this recent article that’s been going around my office, Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff sold his Seattle home for 40% less than its Zestimate this year.
Why are real estate agents happy? Because one of the most common obstacles we face in pricing a house is the owner saying “but my Zestimate says [40% higher than the actual price].” Now there’s ironic proof that Zillow plays games with us.
Why does Zillow inflate prices? If you think your house is worth more, you’re more likely to sell with them. This is the fallacy: “If the Zillow agent thinks my house is worth X => he is more likely to get me X.” I know agents at other firms who are famous for this, as well. To them, if they win the listing, they don’t mind having their name outside your house for eight months while you reduce the listing price down to its actual price, eventually. It’s free marketing for them, and in the end, they still get the commission.
Why don’t I do that? My clients are smart, and finding actual comparable sales is part of my job. When the evidence is there in front of you, I don’t have to do any convincing. I don’t stress about Zillow or Redfin or any of that. I’m not a flashy agent so I know my clients come to me for knowhow and honest feedback.