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People tell outrageous lies on Facebook all the time and they seem to work. Deception works (especially subtle deception), and laziness is a thing. Also, Zill

• lotsofpulp 5y ago
  Zillow’s current value estimates are their opinion (or what they want people to think is their opinion). Regardless, it is no different than a real estate agent or a cashier at target saying they think a specific property is worth $x. At the end of the day, a buyer and seller coming together and agreeing on a price is the only thing that matters. A seller pays as much as they do because they do not have a better option, and a buyer sells for as little as they do because they have no better option. Zillow cannot affect this.
  • afterburner 5y ago
    Perception matters. Direction and rate of value increases in a neighbourhood matters. The perception of the neighbourhood affects the value of a particular property. Zillow can affect that perception. It is making calls about entire neighbourhoods, not just one property that it has a declared interest in. It is acting as a supposed uninterested party (valuing the market overall) and an interested party (benefiting from the valuing of a particular property). That's the potential conflict of interest. How much home buying do real estate agents engage in vs just acting as an agent, compared to Zillow (in relative terms)? I don't know, maybe it's similar...