Zillow’s new program prompts complaints

ORLANDO— Anewhome-sales program connecting Orlando-area sellers directly with certain investors has drawn the ire of real estate agents nationwide.

More than 32,000 real estate agents from around the country signed online petitions opposing the Instant Offers program Zillow rolled out two months ago in the pilot markets of Orlando and Las Vegas. Petition organizer Greg Hague said the program paves the wayforsellers to sacrifice salesprofits by settling for a discounted price with minimal guidance from real estate agents.

“This is going to sucker home sellers into making amistake that is going to cost them an education for their kids, an amazing family vacation or just sleeping better at night because they have more money in their bank account,” said Hague, a lawyer and real estate broker in Arizona. “And to do it all without the advice of a Realtor or appraiser or anyone— that’s the bottom line.”

He said his petition has drawn interest from around the country andparticularly fromagents in Florida and Nevada. The anti-Instant Offers campaignwants theNational Association of Realtors to intervene with Zillow.

The new Zillow program targets sellers willing to trade off a topdollar sales price inexchangefor the ability to forgo repairs, showings and a protracted sale.

OrlandoHomeTeamRealtyBrokerRobWest isdubbeda “preferred agent” for Zillow. While he said opponents to InstantOffers might fear losing business, others say they are concerned about the programbeing misleading. Hague said he believes it ismore aboutdrivingwebsite traffic to Zillow than about connecting sellers and investors.

In June, theNational Association ofRealtorsstateditwouldbeunlawful to discourage members fromusing any product or service provider and that real estate associations in general could not try to withhold listings fromZillow.