Last thoughts on Zillow

I am tired of Zillow. I am tired of the discussions surrounding Zillow. There are so many reasons (no longer available) that they are not going to (no longer available) be able to accurately determine the prices of so many houses, but they keep on growing for some reason or another.

Posts that contain Zillow per day for the last 210 days.

So many people are discussing it now, that I feel the discussion and Zillow’s presence are nearing the point of no return. They will be a factor with which we as professional Realtors absolutely must contend. They will have the data. They will have the algorithms that will get better as time goes on. They will be a factor.

One thing that strikes me is this – most of the Zillow-focused discussion on Technorati is being conducted by others associated with the real estate industry. (Except of course for the fact that they were just named one of Time’s 50 coolest website.

The solution? Realtors must become better at what they do. They must recognize that they no longer have control over the data and they must determine how best to incorporate tools such as Zillow into their businesses.

This poll has some interesting questions and responses about Zillow (no longer available).

Saying Zillow is not accurate is one thing – proving it is another.

Zillow may not be the one that becomes the source for real estate online valuations, but they are certainly leading the charge. And while they may not lead in the end, they are a harbinger for the future of the industry. Accept them as another factor in the business we choose, and move on. They won’t replace Realtors, but they may help a few move along to different careers – and everybody will benefit from that.

If they fade, so be it. Learn from their experience and move on.