Owner-updated Zestimates are like warts-and-all corporate blog

Favorite quote from Rich Barton in Wired interview:

Wired: Can sellers really be trusted to give honest appraisals?

Barton: It’s kind of like a warts-and-all corporate blog — stuff is going to come out that you wouldn’t want, but everybody ends up better. It’s a very modern concept. Smart homeowners get it: If there was a flood in the basement two years ago, it’s going to be found out. So let’s talk about the fact that it happened and what we did about it.

2 responses

  1. Hi,

    Have you tried http://www.Cyberhomes.com? It is like Zillow, but I like it better. Owners can adjust the home values provided, but can’t publish them for public viewing though.

  2. Mike,

    Thanks for stopping by!

    CyberHomes is definitely an interesting option. I’ve talked with Marty Frame a few times (He worked with me briefly at Move before going off to start CyberHomes with Fidelity).

    Like you, I like the work that went into CyberHomes. My biggest beef was less with the technology and more with their business model. I just don’t see how they are going to get much consumer pickup. It’s a good site, but Zillow is “good enough” for most people and definitely has the mindshare of the public.

    With that said, the news that they are now powering AOL’s real estate search may help: http://www.timewarner.com/corp/newsroom/pr/0,20812,1642780,00.html

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