How much should I rely on Zillow during my home search?

Zillow is a great tool for consumers. But your experienced local Realtor is a better asset to your search for a home. Here’s why:

Let’s start with home value estimates. Zillow’s Zestimate — done by mining publicly available data and crunching those numbers through algorithms — are within 5% of the actual value of any specific home, according to a recent study, only 50% of the time. That’s not nearly as accurate as your local Realtor, particularly in an area such as Fairfield County, where each

house is so unique.

Professional Realtors understand the value of a house’s location, the quality and finishes on the inside and out and how a house compares to others in that market, among other factors.

Next, you have to consider your specific wants and needs. It would be nice if a home was a commodity that a buyer could simply put their trust into a machine and have it spit out an acceptable price, for an acceptable home in an acceptable location. But finding the best home is more complicated and it helps to have an expert guide.

Finally, when you enlist the help of a Realtor, you gain their fiduciary duty. Many who rely on sites such as Zillow think they should only speak to the listing agent and are hesitant to sign with an agent to represent them. What they don’t understand is that in Connecticut, all agents represent the seller until a buyer signs an agreement with an agent to represent them directly.

You want a Realtor as your advocate to help determine value in the homes you are looking at and negotiate for you to get the best price possible. The listing agent has a different purpose — to get the best and highest price for their client, the seller.

Zillow does a good job helping buyers get familiar with home inventories, but your Realtor will do the best job representing you in a home purchase.